“The Big Story” in this week’s edition of the Brands Taking Stands Newsletter focuses on the issue of companies supporting LGBTQ rights. The issue continues to be a crossroads for private-public conflict, as business pushes back against public policy perceived as discriminatory.

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), a Freeport-McMoRan company, has an extensive Community Economic Development program in the region where it operates in Papua, Indonesia. Mangrove crabs (Scylla serrata) commonly called ‘Karaka’ by locals in the coastal Mimika Regency of Papua, Indonesia, is a coastal fishery commodity. Karaka are large and meaty crabs, and are an economically important species of crab that are found in estuaries and mangroves.

On one typically overcast morning in April, I stepped out of my comfort zone and headed down to the Herbert Park Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin, to address the delegates at the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) global annual meeting. I spent the evening beforehand thinking of what I would say during the allocated five minutes. There are so many positive things to say about the ABE program, and I wanted to do it justice; the idea of speaking in front of an assembled audience of experts, and strangers, however, was a bit daunting. I feel much more comfortable in my classroom, talking to the teenagers that I meet every day in school.

Bloomberg and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) announced the New Economy Forum to be held in Beijing, China from November 6-8, 2018. The Forum will stimulate a frank conversation about the shifts in the global economy and the risks and opportunities created by a world in transition that is increasingly led by China and India, as well as the rising powers in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

MOD Pizza was founded with the goal of using business to make a positive social impact. Founders Ally and Scott Svenson realized that through the fast-casual pizza segment they pioneered, MOD could create a positive effect on the lives of their fiercely loyal employees. MOD’s hiring philosophy - that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not – continues to drive their success and gives their employees purpose.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that it has validated Nepal as the sixth country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem. Pfizer is excited to join the global trachoma community in celebrating this important milestone, which brings us one step closer to eliminating the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness once and for all.

Medtronic Foundation is seeking project ideas to test or scale solutions that improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery by addressing gaps in distance, time or people, while leading to demonstrable health outcomes for underserved populations. Successful applicants will receive a one time, one-year grant for US$50,000-US$100,000 and will participate in a global learning collaborative facilitated by the Medtronic Foundation. Up to ten (10) grants will be awarded.

For the seventh year in a row, Cone, a Porter Novelli public relations and marketing agency specializing in Purpose and corporate social responsibility (CSR), will join Sustainable Brands® 2018 (SB’18) as a sponsor. Cone will help lead and facilitate four dynamic sessions taking place over the four-day conference in Vancouver, June 4-7.

Now in its 19th year, the well known CR Magazine “100 Best Corporate Citizens 2018” list was just unveiled; this effort recognizes the ESG performance of public companies in the United States. (The publication is now titled Corporate Responsibility Magazine, published by 3BL Media LLC.)