New York Times (December 4)
“No sooner had Britons found some sorely needed trans-Atlantic cheer in the engagement of their prince charming to an American actress than President Trump dashed it all with his baffling retweet of vile anti-Muslim propaganda from a British neo-fascist group.” Britain reacted to this “slap in the face…with rare all-but-unanimous fury, with members of Parliament denouncing the president as stupid, racist and even fascist.”
Tags: Actress, Anti-Muslim propaganda, Atlantic, Baffling, Engagement, Fascist, Fury, Parliament, Prince, Racist, Retweet, Stupid, Trump, UK, Vile
Financial Times (February 3)
“The killings of Mr Goto and Mr Yukawa show that no nation — however pacifist its culture — is immune from the mindless violence of Islamist militants. Japan’s response at this moment must be one rooted in international engagement, not renewed isolation.”
Tags: Culture, Engagement, Goto, Islamist militants, Isolation, Japan, Killings, Pacifist, Violence, Yukawa
Financial Times (December 8)
“Greater shareholder engagement with quoted companies has been one of the key themes in corporate governance to emerge since the financial crisis” and underpins the UK’s stewardship code for institutional investors. In the U.S. as well, there has been a “recent upsurge in activist investing,” along with “growing demands by long-term institutions for greater input.” This creates potential for progress. “It can only be good that shareholders take an active interest in the businesses in which they invest.”
Tags: Activists, Corporate governance, Engagement, Financial Crisis, Institutional investors, Shareholders, Stewardship code, U.S., UK
Washington Post (June 20)
Iraq’s unraveling poses a “confounding” challenge for the U.S. “Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has put sectarian interests above national goals, so to join him in beating back the terrorist challenge might only widen the country’s divide. But… an al-Qaeda-style ‘caliphate’ stretching from Syria into Iraq would be too dangerous for the United States and its allies.” By sending aid and military advisers, President Obama’s modest steps toward engagement “represent a judicious start.”
Tags: Advisors, Aid, Al-Qaeda, Challenge, Engagement, Iraq, Judicious, Maliki, Obama, Sectarian, Syria, Terrorists, U.S.
New York Times (December 17, 2013)
With average incomes nearly tripling “over the past decade, India has reached a tipping point. “The old politics are over. The governing Indian National Congress, the centrist reference point of the nation’s democracy, seems out of touch, and with it the Gandhi dynasty. Passivity is giving way to a ferocious engagement. It is driven by anger over corruption, incompetence, inequality and inertia.” Change seems assured, but little else. “New forces and parties are emerging with unpredictable, perhaps even dangerous, consequences.”
Tags: Corruption, Democracy, Engagement, Gandhi, Income, Incompetence, India, Indian National Congress, Inequality, Inertia, Passivity, Tipping point
Wall Street Journal (February 25)
The Wall Street Journal applauds a new chapter of shareholder engagement. “After two decades of disappointing market performance, some Japanese institutional investors finally appear ready to reinvent themselves as advocates of higher shareholder returns and improved corporate governance.” The catalyst for the story is the new fund being established by Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. and U.K.-based investment group Governance for Owners LLP (GO), which represents several large overseas pension funds. Beginning in April, the new fund will invest up to 100 billion yen in 10-30 small- and mid-cap companies with the aim of improving governance at the firms. In contrast to Steel Partners and other highly publicized activists of recent years, the new venture seeks to raise long-term value using a Japanese approach to engagement through dialogue.
Tags: Activists, Engagement, Governance, Japan, Shareholder
