With great power comes great responsibility

Abstract

This is the motto of the struggling hero Spiderman. The continuous struggle of Spiderman with grasping his powers as well as linking this to his responsibilities not only provides an exiting sequel, but also a strong metaphor for the struggle of big corporations around the world when confronted with the challenges of fair trade. Society contains immense power asymmetries, but does that also imply power abuse and unfairness? The fourth Max Havelaar lecture concentrated on the question whether corporate power can be a force for good (defined as the interlinked aims of human rights and sustainable development) and under what conditions? Five different angles are covered in the booklet: Power of Science, Power of Retail, Power of the NGO, Power of the Producer and Power of the Diplomat. Key note speeches by Jan Pronk, George Yip and many others. ‘With great power, comes great responsibility’. This is the motto of the struggling hero Spiderman. The continuous struggle of Spiderman with grasping his powers as well as linking this to his responsibilities not only provides an exiting sequel, but also a strong metaphor for the struggle of big corporations around the world when confronted with the challenges of fair trade. Society contains immense power asymmetries, but does that also imply power abuse and unfairness? The fourth Max Havelaar lecture concentrated on the question whether corporate power can be a force for good (defined as the interlinked aims of human rights and sustainable development) and under what conditions? We will have five different angles on stage: Power of Science, Power of Retail, Power of the NGO, Power of the Producer and Power of the Diplomat (Jan Pronk).