And for Bono, a knighthood in recognition of service to Africa

OLGA CRAIG

BONO, the larger-than-life frontman of the Irish band U2 and Third World campaigner, has been awarded an honorary knighthood for services to the music industry and humanitarian work. It is the third time his work has been recognised in the past three years. In 2003, he was presented with the Legion d’Honneur by President Jacques Chirac on behalf of the French government and a year ago he was voted Time Person of the Year in recognition of his work promoting justice and equality.

The rock star, who follows in the steps of fellow Dubliner Bob Geldof in receiving the award, will not be entitled to use the tide "sir" because he is not a British national. Geldof received his award in 1986 after raising awareness as well as millions of pounds for struggling third world countries through the Live Aid event Along with

Professional ethics

Geldof, Bono, 46, was instrumental in ensuring the recent Live 8 concerts were a massive success.

Yesterday in a letter to Bono, Mr Blair said the musician had played an invaluable role in the run up to last year’s G8 summit, which focused on helping poor nations in Africa.

He said: "I know from talking to you how much these causes matter to you. I know as well how knowledgeable you are about the problems we face and how determined you are to do all you can to help overcome them. You have tirelessly used your voice to speak up for Africa.

' "I want personally to thank you for the invaluable role you played in the run up to the Gleneagles G8 8ummit Without your personal contributton, we could not have achieved the results we did.

"So thank you and I look forward to continuing to work together to maintain momentum on Africa, and ensure leaders around the world meet the promises they have made."

Mr Blair added that Bono whoss real name ii Paul Hewson had proved an inspiration in both his music and determination to tackle elobal poverty.

Last night a spokesman for the singer said he was extremely flattered to receive the award. Previous non-British recipients of the honour, which is granted by the Queen on advice of the Government include Bill Gates, Placido Domingo, Rudolph Giuliani and Steven Spielberg.

(From the Sunday Telegraph December 24, 2006 p. 3)

Unit 6

Task 6.36. You may find additional information on ethics for your professional activities in the texts suggested:

A Code of Professional Ethics

A Guide to Professional Conduct in the Field of Educational Communications and Technology

It seems to have entered into all areas of professional life. The reputations and careers of prominent politicians have been tarnished by evidence of ethical misconduct. Well-known television evangelists have been caught in improper behavior. Manufacturers of critical parts of airplanes and other equipment have been detected substituting inexpensive, inferior parts in the manufacturing process. Sports heroes have been suspended, banned, or had their accomplishments stricken from the record books because of rule violations or illegal acts. Wealthy, highly respected financial figures have been imprisoned for illegal dealings on the stock market. Major universities have received sanctions for improper recruitment and support of athletes. Producers of canned food products have been convicted of using less nutritious, substitute ingredients in place of those listed on their product labels. Computer hackers have illegally gained entry into databases for personal gain. Researchers have fabricated data in order to generate academic publications. Pharmaceutical companies have been indicted for bribing federal agencies to approve their products for release on the marketplace. Police officers have been caught collaborating with criminals in order to profit from illegal activities. Indeed, even a major education agency has been convicted and penalized for illegally duplicating and distributing copyrighted materials.

The result, during the past decade, has been a growing awareness and concern about unethical conduct. This concern reflects a desire in many segments of our society that guidelines be developed and measures taken to heighten an awareness of the importance of ethical behavior. The reaction to the problem is coming from many sources. One of the first and most visible was a project of the Annenberg Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to develop and broadcast a series of television programs, Ethics in America, that featured a number of prominent individuals discussing ethical issues.

Since the Annenberg Project, there have been many other efforts to focus public attention on ethical behavior. There has been a significant increase in the number of books and newsletters on the subject. An illustration of the breadth of interest in this subject is the fact that one book on ethical management brought together Kenneth Blanchard (coauthor of The One Minute Manager) and Norman Vincent Peale (author of The Power of Positive Thinking) as its unlikely pair of coauthors. A professional association concerned with performance and instruction conducted a major effort to identify ethical issues related to business and industrial training in order to formulate a code of ethics to govern professional behavior in that field. A major accounting firm carried out a three-year, five million dollar project to prepare instructional materials on business ethics for use in business schools in major universities throughout the United States. Even before these materials were developed, many of the major business schools

Professional ethics

were introducing and expanding their instruction in this area. Indeed, one of the top 10 business schools in the nation now requires that all MBA graduates sign an ethics code, which was developed jointly by faculty and students, before receiving then- degrees. But schools of business are not the only area within universities that are focusing attention on ethics. A major university that was penalized by the NCAA for improprieties in its athletic program now requires all varsity athletes to take a special course in ethics.

Fortunately, the field of educational communications and technology has not been put in a position that it- must suddenly develop procedures for dealing with issues of professional ethics. The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECI), a professional association representing members who work in a wide spectrum of specialties within the field, has consistently provided guidance in this area. Recognizing that having a code of ethics is an essential characteristic of a profession, AECT has had such a code and has maintained procedures for dealing with ethical issues since its formation as an association. Furthermore, through an active committee on professional ethics, this code is carefully reviewed each year and a number of activities have been initiated to remind Association members of the provisions of the code and appropriate interpretations of its principles.

One such technique that has been used to promote awareness and provide interpretation has been to publish a series of ethics columns in the AECT professional journal TechTrends.

(Adapted from the Internet)

Code Of Ethics of Engineers

The Fundamental Principles

Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by:

I. using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare;

II. being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the public, their
employers and clients;

III. striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering
profession; and

IV. supporting die professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

The Fundamental Canons

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties.

2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.

 

3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.

Unit 6

5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with qthers.

6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity and dignity of the profession.

7. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their
careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional 'development of those
engineers under their supervision.

(Adapted from the Internet)