The Business Ethics Network, run by Corporate Ethics International, is a professional association of corporate campaigners working to change corporate practices on such issues as labor rights and the environment.

The BENNY Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of corporate ethics, was given at this year's Business Ethics Network conference, a two-day gathering with a fulll schedule of workshops, like the one pictured above, on every issue from negotiation skills to organizing strategies for corporate campaigns. Michael Marx, the Executive Director of the Business Ethics Network, used these words to welcome conference attendees:

"For too long, corporations around the world have been chasing each other to the bottom: lower wages, lower standards, lower expectations. During these next two days together, we'll share strategies and tactics that can help us inspire a race to the top -- with higher expectations for the biggest and most influential corporations."

Here, Gerardo Reyes Chavez of the CIW accepts the 2005 BENNY Award for the CIW's successful Taco Bell campaign from Medea Benjamin, the Founding Director of Global Exchange and a long-time activist for human rights and social justice around the world. Medea was one of 1,000 women picked to be part of the project, "1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005," which selected 1,000 exceptional women from around the globe to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize collectively, as a representation of the many anonymous women who work for peace, justice, human rights, security, and education worldwide.

Gerardo spoke from the heart about the struggle to hold the fast-food giant accountable for the human rights conditions in its supply chain, and of the struggle ahead as the Campaign for Fair Food looks to extend and expand the Taco Bell agreement throughout the fast-food industry.

In the words of the BENNY Award press release the next day, Gerardo's words "brought the audience to tears and to its feet." Can't ask for much more than that...