Document e1512NQaeQobnyQMepymDNQ9e

FILE NAME: Eternit (ETER) DATE: 2003 DOC#: ETER015 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letters to the Editor from English Newspaper  a o 09 >ai t<o z < r . . :h*f*i i| ssrasa 5 .SH W r(S^al3teiwJ Iflfs c vL :. C> jr; a s a i a 5.^ t e ,: :i: S * ` SottD. : . tHax o m a H LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Good Mali, Good Reformer, Is Now Unfairly a Target In regard to your article "Stephan Schmidheiny: Billionaire Swiss Activist Faces His-Own Past on Environment (Dec. 9): I met Stephan Schmidheiny 15 years ago. I didn't look him up; he knocked on my door. He had read my book "The Other Path," a challenge to Peru's Shin ingPathterroristmovement, andwanted toknowhowhecouldhelp. I washardat worktrying to bring Peru's poor Into the legal system by providing them with such essential tools for development as property and other human rights. I was also trying to extricate Peru coca farm ers from the world's drug wars by drivtag a legal wedge between them and the traffickers and terrorists. Stephan helped me strategic solu tions and organize forums to spread the wordaboutourideas. Hefundedmyorga nization's work. He even put together the first group of European multinationals to support the Peruvian government in im plementing a coca substitution program (which Peru's president didnot followup on, unfortunately). Those were toih times; the Shining Path slat at us and bombed our headquarters, killing some and maiming others. The drug cartels threatened us continually. The only busi nessman in theentireworldwhocame to our aid was Stephan Schmidheiny. Eventually, we contributed sigmfi. candy to reducing coca production ta Peru by more than half; unlike in other countries, our farmers did not become the army for terrorists or drug lords. All along Stephan knew that by becoming our friend he was making some deadly enemies. But he never Let those risks get in the way of his original commitment to help those in peril. 1don'tknowmuchabout the asbestos issue. What I do know a lot about is Stephan Schmidheiny and the compas sionatemanI haveworkedwithforyears is missingfromyour article. As yourre porter confirmed, he was surely way ahead of his peers in Europe in dosing down asbestos operations and developing sale substitutes wherever possible. That is the morally responsible businessman I know. Stephan's main problem is that he is an introvert who moves in a world Of extroverts. If he had allowed even a small light to be shinedonhis pastphil anthropic work-as I often urged, in vain-he would not be such an easy tar get today. He has done a lot of good and taken too little credit for it. It would be most unjust if the new and spontaneous global orderof International accountabil ity now under way were to punish some onewhohas fought for reform while re warding those who did nothing. Henaado de Soto bin, Peru