Good morning，everyone.I am always happy to be back in China. And I am particularly honored this morning to have the opportunity to speak before this distinguished forum.

Back in September，we had an interesting visitor to my company’s headquarters in the United States.His name was Uchino-san，and he was a reporter for a Japanese business magazine.He was doing the usual research and asking the usual questions - but one unexpected subject clearly had caught his attention.

At our headquarters，we have a wall filled with photographs from our One By One program.One by One is a company-sponsored program that supports children in need，in China and around the world.

After seeing those photographs，and learning a little about One By One，this reporter wanted to know the answers to three simple questions.“Why does your company give money to remedy the problems of society？Why do the founders of your company consider it their responsibility to help the community？Isn’t it the duty of the government to look after those who are less fortunate？”

My brief answer to Uchino-san was that I could not conceive of a world where each one of us did not take some responsibility for the well-being of others.Individuals，corporations，charities，governments - we all have a role to play.

Uchino-san was fascinated，because this philosophy - which I have been raised with my entire life - was not part of the culture he had been raised in. And I was fascinated because - well，because you can go a long time without being asked to consider the answers to such fundamental questions.

So I’ve continued to think about Uchino-san’s questions.They gave me a window into the views of other cultures - and I like to look through those windows and think.

I believe I have more considered answers now，and I’d like to make those answers the focus of my speech today，since I have been told that the subject has some relevance in China，as well.

So if you permit me，I will talk briefly today about four subjects：

First，why American corporations engage in causes.

Second，how corporations choose which causes they will support.

Third，the relationship between governments and corporations in the support of social change.

And finally，I want to talk about the real motivations for helping and giving that all of us share as individuals.

First，why corporations engage in causes.

The short answer to this subject is that in American culture - and others，of course - corporations give because they should，and because they can.When a company does business in a market，it does more than employ people and provide them with income.The corporation itself becomes a sort of citizen.

And when you are a citizen，you have responsibilities.If there are problems in the communities where our company operates，I can assure you that we can see them. And if we can see them，aren’t we obligated as citizens to try and do something about them？

Now，to be sure，there is an element of self-interest in this.The company that addresses problems of education helps assure itself of a more talented workforce in later years.The company that cleans up parks helps its workers enjoy a healthier and happier lifestyle.

And studies show that consumers increasingly expect global corporations to address important causes - and reward those companies by loyally buying their products when they feel the company is helping make a difference.

But I would argue that there are certainly more efficient ways for companies to recruit and reward talented workers.Investing in the community is something that can take years to pay off - and that child that your company helps to educate will probably end up working for someone else！

And there are other ways to attract customers as well.

But to turn your back on the problems of your area is not good citizenship. And so，most American corporations find some way to get involved.It is as simple as that.

How corporations choose which causes they will support.

Now，if corporations tried to fix every social problem that exists，we would very soon run out of time and out of money.So the key question becomes，where do we choose to help？

Somewhere we can make a difference，of course. And somewhere where others have not yet been able to help.

But even employing those two filters leaves you with an awesomely long list. And some companies stop at that long list，and try to make a little bit of difference with each of those problems - writing small checks to support the local schools，the symphony，medical research，lost pets and other causes.Their support，if you will，is broad but shallow.

Other corporations，like mine，seek to make a bigger difference in perhaps a smaller list.To be narrower in the range of causes we support，but to support the causes we choose in depth.

Carol Cone，a so-called “cause marketing” expert who has helped our company to set its course philanthropically，is one of the leading experts in the US at helping corporations to align themselves with causes effectively.She is a fan of the narrow-but-deep strategy.

In an article that she wrote earlier this year for the Harvard Business Review，Carol said that companies who make a real long-term difference in affecting important causes are able to do so because they choose causes that are relevant to key audiences - causes that appeal to the communities where companies operate；that appeal to employees and suppliers；that connect with customers；and that operate with sincerity.

Done right，the company that involves itself in social causes finds its employees are more motivated and willing to recommend their workplace to others seeking jobs.The company enjoys a better reputation...attracts better leaders... and earns the trust of its customers.

That may be why a recent study by the Hill & Knowlton firm indicated that CEOs put philanthropy and social responsibility on their own to-do lists...because at the end of the day，their companies will be judged not by what they say about society，but by what they do for society.

To find the causes that mattered to Amway，Carol worked with us to devise a set of screens and filters.We asked all of our affiliates what causes mattered to them...who they wanted to help... and what sort of causes made sense for a business like ours.

In the end，we decided we would support children’s causes - and more specifically，we would help children who might otherwise not get any help，either because they are geographically isolated，or because they are small in number，or because they have problems that are considered socially challenging in their markets.

And so in Japan，we help mentally handicapped children，even though it has not traditionally been a popular cause.In Thailand，we help children born with cleft palate and other facial deformities，who would otherwise be shunned.In Italy，we help victims of child abuse... and so on down the line.

In China，we help a whole range of children’s causes，especially children in less populated areas.That is why we help fund a boat school for fishermen’s children several hundred kilometers outside of Nanjing... and orphans and children with poor eyesight in Inner Mongolia.

Aside from the absolute value of helping these children，the cause works because it is a good fit for the culture of our company.We have built our company on the belief that any individual can be successful if they work hard and receive the support of others.Our company is used to hearing about truck drivers and turkey farmers who become great successes.So it felt right for us to approach these children who might otherwise be forgotten，and for us to say，“We believe in you.We want to help you succeed.”

It also works for us because of the fact that in overseas markets，we are geographically diverse.Because our sales representatives live in many places，they can hear those individual stories of need，they can find those boat schools and orphan families... and then they can quickly get word back to the main office to send help.

I think every corporation in this room can tell you a similar story...of whom they wanted to help，and how they energized their employees and customers to support the cause.It is one of the larger roles that corporations play，and I think we all embrace the responsibility.

But that does not mean that corporations can solve society’s problems by themselves.Far from it.That is why the relationship between governments and corporations in the support of social change is such an important topic.

No corporation，no matter how generous or altruistic，can ever hope to match the scale of government in its support of individuals in need.The fact that successful companies focus their giving is one clear sign of that. And it remains a fact that business matters will at times take precedence over other matters - because if your company is unsuccessful in the marketplace，then you will no longer be able to help at all.

Government，therefore，will always play a dominant and ongoing role in the fight against social problems.But governments can，and do，find willing allies in the corporate sector every day.

And finally，I want to talk about the real motivation for helping and giving that all of us share as individuals.

Not all of our needs are physical.We have the need to feel like we are making a difference with our lives.

That’s where my reporter friend Uchino-san and I first found our common ground.

It made all the sense in the world for him that individuals would want to help each other.It is as basic as helping your elderly neighbor up the steps.

What had not dawned on him was that the magnificent power that a corporation generates by harnessing the efforts of individuals...can also be used to help other people.

You can ask me，or you can ask anyone at my company.We are proud to manufacture and sell some very high quality products. And we love making that sale.

But somewhere in Inner Mongolia right now，my company is helping an orphaned child to live a better life.She and I may never meet...and she may never know my company by name.But she will grow up to help China...and she will grow up to help others.She may grow up to help the world.

And knowing that we might have helped make the difference for that child？That’s all the motivation we need.That’s why we do it as individuals，that’s why we do it as corporations，that’s why we do it here in China...and that is why I am so proud to speak with you today.

Thank you，everyone.