Vivendi

Civil Society

Christian Gautellier, General Secretary, Enfance et Média Federation of Association (CIEM)

« In the context of its work on the influence of images on very young children, the CIEM had occasion, at various meetings, to compare its analyses and proposals with those of Vivendi during 2008. This type of shared effort is at the core of the CIEM’s project. Implementing spaces for dialogue and collaboration between the content industries, civil society (CIEM’s concerns regarding childhood, youth and education), and the public authorities is a way of strengthening the media offering and the usages youth make of it within a project in which the values of respect, emancipation and cultural diversity coincide.
Developing education about the media and accompanying youth in the digital society, promoting efforts to protect children, and encouraging the youth’s self-expression and participation in the media are objectives the CIEM would like to continue sharing with Vivendi, strengthening their cooperation in the years to come»

Helen Nissenbaum, Professor of Media, Culture & Communication, New York University

« In our project Values-at-Play, Mary Flanagan (games designer and professor, Dartmouth University, USA) and I suggest ways of taking social, ethical, and political values into consideration in the design of digital games, one of the most compelling media forms in contemporary life.
Often criticized for valorizing anti-social actions, games, in fact, are an ideal medium for heightening players’ awareness of prosocial values such as cooperation, freedom, justice, generosity, privacy, creativity, peace, diversity, tolerance, and autonomy. Often by altering players’ perspectives, games can stimulate meaningful reflection on social and humanistic themes. But can this be done without being didactic or dull?
In our view: yes. Values can be expressed “in play” in many ways, not only through narrative, for example, but also through basic mechanisms. It has been a revelation to see even quite junior students of games design inspired by this approach to develop creative and original designs that are innovative, beautiful and, importantly, fun.
Yet, we take seriously friendly skeptics who admire the general aims but question whether it can flourish outside academia in “the wilds” of corporate life and the commercial marketplace. Accordingly, it was exciting to meet with Vivendi leadership and learn about its program for sustainable development, including as part of its core mission a commitment to values such as cultural diversity, knowledge sharing, and quality and pluralism of content.
We look forward to exploring future collaboration and mutual exchanges of ideas, particularly with Vivendi’s digital games units. »

Vanessa de Lauzainghein, Director of Sponsorship, Auteuil Foundation

Festi-mobiles, or using film as as tool for prevention

« Since September 2008, 26 youth at Notre-Dame de la Fondation d’Auteuil (Department of Eure-et-Loir) have participated in the “Festi-mobiles” project developed with Vivendi’s support as part of its solidarity program Create Joy. Throughout 16 sessions, five youth groups, accompanied by film professionals, work on writing, editing and creating short films made using a cell telephone.
With the development of mobile devices with built-in video functions and the success of social Web sites, teenagers are exposed more and more to problems related to the making and distribution of illicit (violent or pornographic) messages and to the associated concepts of image rights and the right to privacy. Rather than using a purely moralizing approach, we decided to launch this preventive project and use their attraction to the new technologies and the cinema as a perfect opportunity to combine learning and creativity. The goal of “Festi-mobiles” is to give youth the opportunity to express their opinions, talk about their difficulties and their aspirations, and also reveal their hidden talents!
On May 12, 2009, the young filmmakers will have the thrill of seeing their work on the big screen at the Festival of Short Films – an event where laughter, emotion and pride in work well done are the keywords. »

Investors

Cécile de Lasteyrie, Directorof Sales France, Dexia Asset Management

« In 2008, Vivendi devoted a meeting of its Sustainable Development Committee to the role of women in corporate decision-making bodies. I was invited, along with other women who hold positions of responsibility from a variety of fields, to speak of my professional experience before several entities of the group. Our exchanges were enriched by a presentation of the results of a study on the role of women in CAC40 companies. »

Marie-Pierre Peillon, Head of Financial and Extra-Financial Research, Groupama AM

« Sustainable development is an integral part of our approach to investment analysis and choice at Groupama AM. In our financial and extra-financial analysis division, specialized two-person teams in each sector pool their research efforts to forge a common position that is the foundation of our investment recommendations.
The knowledge that at Vivendi, ESG risks give rise to responses that will fully inform strategy provides a precious level of comfort for any financial analyst. Sustainable development topics are directly taken into consideration in analyzing accounts:

• revenue generation can be directly impacted. At Vivendi, more specifically, the group’s action plans in the areas of protecting youth who play games, promoting cultural diversity, and the struggle against piracy need to be studied. Good management of acquisitions (Neuf Cegetel, Activision) is key and enables anticipation of the potential for client retention and development in the entities acquired;
• profitability forecasts are also enriched by qualitative analysis of management reorganisation. Vivendi’s style in this area is rapid and structural, even though on a group level, there is still potential for optimization of the Human Resources tool.
  Groupama AM’s choice of integrating SRI criteria, then, is a strongly differentiating approach in which financial and extra-financial analysts, informed by complementary spheres of influence, endeavor to come to a global understanding.»

Group’s Employees and Directors

• Activision Blizzard

Mike Griffith, Chief Executive Officer Activision Publishing, Activision Blizzard

« At Activision Publishing, we realize that our social impact is greater than the games that we make. Video games are an ideal medium to promote social values and cultural diversity and we are using them to mobilize and educate youth regarding civic engagement. In the fall of 2008, we joined forces with Declare Yourself, a national nonprofit campaign, on an online voter registration drive called “The Ultimate College Bowl.” The campaign combined grassroots activities with viral online technologies in order to entice college students and their friends to register to vote for the 2008 United States presidential election.
Between September and November, the Guitar Hero: World Tour promotional bus stopped at 14 college campuses. Students who registered to vote themselves received a copy of Guitar Hero and those who registered the most voters were eligible to win scholarship money. We are proud to say that the initiative registered over 133,000 people from more than 1,200 different colleges. »

George Rose, Chief legal officer, Activision Blizzard

Protection of Minors

« Activision Blizzard has adopted a number of measures designed to ensure that minors are not exposed to inappropriate entertainment content. We believe that we have a responsibility to clearly label our products so consumers can make informed decisions about the entertainment they want for themselves and their children. We actively support the global rating systems, including The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and Pan European Game Information (PEGI), to ensure that the content we develop is appropriate for specific audiences. Our games are rated by the various rating agencies. Our products display the game rating prominently on the front of the box and clearly state the content of the game. We strongly support very clear communication of our game’s content at the point of purchase and in our online and offline marketing materials. Additionally, to ensure that minors are not able to access inappropriate content online, mature content that appears on our websites is securely housed behind an age gate.
Activision Blizzard supports parental control systems. Our console games are compatible with hardware parental controls that allow parents to block the games that they do not want their child to play. In addition, Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft offers parental controls that provide parents and guardians with easy-to-use tools letting them manage their child’s access to World of Warcraft from any PC with Web access. Activision Blizzard also complies with the U.S. government’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regarding the collection, storage and use of personally identifiable information from users under 13. As part of our COPPA compliance, Activision Blizzard does not collect any personal information from children ages 13 or younger. »

• Universal Music Group

Kevin Garabedian, Directeur des Services administratifs Universal Music Group, Santa Monica, USA

« We are delighted UMG has been recognized by a number of national and local organizations for its sustainable activities.
On a national level, UMG recently earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star, the national symbol for energy efficiency in America, an honor bestowed on the top of facilities in the country for energy performance.
Locally, UMG’s Santa Monica office is also the recipient of both the Metropolitan Water District Water Saving Certification as well as the City of Santa Monica’s Green Certification. These two programs recognize businesses that have taken steps to incorporate sustainable practices into their operations.
The environmentally responsible initiatives implemented by UMG have been met with enthusiasm and great support by the company’s employees. From regular recycling to the usage of environmentallyfriendly products, UMG imparts green activities as a way of corporate life. The company plans to continue to expand its earth-friendly programs and activities and is fully committed to protecting the environment on a corporate level. »

Max Hole, President of the Asia Pacific Region and Executive Vice President, Universal Music Group International (UMGI)

Promotion of Local Talents

« Universal Music Group remains committed to investing in artists & repertoires and nowhere is that more apparent than in our activities on the local level. Our proactive approach in the discovery, development, marketing and distribution of local artists and companies reflect a multicultural outlook that is important to our company. Juanes, the multi-platinum rock/pop artist from Colombia, is a case in point. His initial, regional success was magnified into global popularity through UMG’s support, as audiences not traditionally receptive to Latin American-based styles and flavours responded enthusiastically. The singer’s most recent album, for example, was certified gold in Hungary, Romania and Russia.
Equally, the young German rock band Tokio Hotel reached remarkable heights of popularity in Europe – singing in their native language. Their albums Schrei and Zimmer 483 have been certified platinum or gold in Mexico, Italy, Russia, Spain, France, Greece and Portugal, as well as the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Switzerland and Belgium.
An even more unusual example of UMG’s multi-cultural ethos concerns the Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, from a monastery in Austria. Signed to Universal Music after submitting a sample of their singing via YouTube, these masters of Gregorian chant made their first-ever commercial album and became a significant international success in 2008, bringing the spirit of the cloisters to a wider world. Their album, Chant, reached the top 10 of the U.K. pop album charts and No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. classical music charts. In Asia, UMG partnered with Eros International, the leading integrated studio in India’s media and entertainment industry, to launch a joint-venture artist-management agency to groom and promote Indian pop talent locally and globally. The initiative will focus on marketing and promotional initiatives for new, undiscovered pop acts from around India and will ensure that fresh new artists will be signed and promoted throughout India, as well as internationally. Offering more music and more choice is a positive for fans, the artists and the market as a whole. »

Rob Wells, Senior Vice President Digital, Universal Music Group International

« Universal Music Group International takes very seriously the protection of minors in the digital space. We have adopted and monitored a policy to assure this protection both in terms of personal data handled by the company, and in terms of responsible marketing. In addition, our ongoing conversations with business partners, particularly Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other online gatekeepers, are always mindful of this important goal: a safer Internet environment for all. Filesharing services and P2P networks are havens not only for illegal content and copyright-infringing activity, but also for pornography. A simple search for an artist’s name –for example, Britney Spears– on Limewire illustrates how many of the returned results are for pornographic material. Consider that in the context of children innocently looking for their favourite artists on the worldwide web. So, by engaging directly with ISPs and operators, Universal Music supports legitimate services which not only compete with piracy, but which also offer a better alternative – and one which contributes to a safer online environment. »

• SFR

Antonella Desneux, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Secretary of the Sustainable Development Committee, SFR

Sustainable Development issues integrated into SFR strategy

«For several years now SFR has been committed to a sustainable development policy backed by its management, fully integrated into its strategy and based on the mobilization of its staff. This approach, in line with Vivendi’s policy, aims to anticipate our responsibilities with regard to our stakeholders; to make sure that our products and services are accessible to the largest audience possible; to develop our programs in favor of equal opportunity, in the company, at school, in cooperation with associations, and to create new services with a high social value.
For SFR and its 10,000 employees, sustainable development is a commitment that needs to be innovated every day in terms of environmental citizenship, jobs, health and responsible marketing. This drive took on a new dimension in 2008. Integrating the teams from Neuf Cegetel into the process coincided with a step-up in our organization with regards to sustainable development. As a result, in one year the network of staff members serving as sustainable development ambassadors rose from 40 to 120 members, representing all the company’s divisions. This organization and open, participative vision can be seen in the management’s direct involvement.
Objectives: making sustainable development activities consistent with the company’s strategy and a collective drive to implement this policy on a daily basis. In 2008, some foundation work was done to formalize the commitments of the new SFR into the five fields of responsibility that shape our policy. These commitments are in turn broken down into programs and actions, selected and evaluated according to specific criteria (including the staff’s potential for innovation and involvement). Various monitoring indicators and reporting tools complete the system and are published annually. »

Arnaud Lucaussy, Director of Regulation and Economics, SFR

« SFR is continuing the deployment of its mobile and fixed networks, an essential dynamic for territorial development. In July 2003 SFR signed a national convention extending mobile telephony to more than 3,000 municipalities located in rural areas for a total cost of 600 million euros, 150 million of which was disbursed by SFR. This program enables towns and villages with a population density of approximately 13 inhabitants per sq. km. (an average of 112 inhabitants in France) to access nearly all 2G services. With more than 1,800 out-of-coverage areas opened to service as of year-end 2008 and 2,800 towns covered, the program contributes to the development of the local economic fabric – for example by calling on contractors with local presence for the construction of the sites. The deployment also encourages the emergence of tourism and business zones that contribute to the competitiveness of these areas.
SFR also signed a nationwide agreement in February 2007 for covering priority transportation routes, thus contributing to ending the isolation of rural communities. As for fixed-line telephony, LD Collectivités is involved in extending DSL service to out-of-coverage areas in partnership with local governments. By building and operating public-initiative networks, LD Collectivités contributes to the economic development of territories and to the emergence of competition through the installation of fiber optics in business zones. At year-end 2008, LD Collectivités managed 17 Public Service Delegations, with over 7,000 km. of infrastructures built. »

• Maroc Telecom

Janie Letrot, Managing Director, Regulation, Communication and International Development, Member of the Management Board of Maroc Telecom

Maroc Telecom subsidiaries and Sustainable Development in Africa

« Mauritel, Onatel and Gabon Telecom have listed the development and democratization of telecommunications and new information technologies among their priorities. In concrete terms this means regular reductions in telecommunication rates, massive investment, particularly to equip rural areas, and special efforts to develop the Internet.
In 2008, Mauritel covered 10 road systems, 16 cities and 18 more rural areas in mobile telephony. In Burkina Faso, Onatel invested to supply telephone services and Internet access to 150 rural locations by 2010. Gabon Telecom is promoting Internet access for cybercafés and applies regular discounts on rates.
These operators have integrated environmental concerns into their policy by using solar energy to power their facilities where possible, base stations serving as an example. In Burkina Faso, this is the primary energy source used in rural areas. Gabon Telecom is reducing electricity consumption by adjusting power subscription demand to the actual needs of businesses. Significant investments have also been made in human resources. Every year employees benefit from training days with the backing of Maroc Telecom’s expertise. Tens of thousands of jobs have been directly or indirectly created through Mauritel, Onatel and Gabon Telecom, with distributors, subcontractors or call centers.
The subsidiaries of Maroc Telecom play an active role in the social, sports and cultural life of the countries where they operate. Mauritel helps fight illiteracy and assists needy populations during Ramadan. Onatel is very involved in social events and sports; its sports association supplies top athletes in several disciplines. Gabon Telecom focuses on helping integrate youth into companies by organizing work placements for students. »

Hassan Rachad, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Member of the Management Board of Maroc Telecom

« Internal equity and professional parity are the two main drivers of the Human Resources policy conducted by Maroc Telecom regarding women, both at the time of recruiting and to encourage their professional development within the company. It should be noted that gender parity has nearly been achieved for the 25-35 age group. Women account for more than 51% of new employees with fewer than five years’ seniority. The range of activities they engage in is increasingly broad. They are mainly present in sales and sales consulting, administrative management, and production, where they account, respectively, for 48%, 22% and 11% of the workforce.
In addition, women have made significant progress regarding access to managerial positions. 37% of our women managers are currently directors of sales agencies, 36% are department heads, and 9% heads of divisions. Four women now occupy executive positions, as Director or General Manager.»

• Canal+

Rodolphe Buet, Executive Vice President, International Distribution and Business, StudioCanal

« Managing a back catalogue as rich as StudioCanal’s, including prestigious films and directors like Senso by Luchino Visconti, À Bout de souffle (Breathless) by Jean-Luc Godard, and Carol Reed’s The Third Man –regularly studied in film schools and included in retrospectives around the world, and for which we regularly receive requests for excerpts and remakes by the greatest filmmakers–, is both a great privilege and a heavy responsibility. We must protect, restore, and adapt this priceless heritage to new use standards in order to allow the widest possible audience, including both professionals and cinema lovers, to access to them.
The new StudioCanal.com site is one of the levers of this policy, both for our new productions and also for our back catalogue. The site, available in French and English, has a wealth of editorial content. For the 2,000 films available online in 2009, it offers video, photos, press reviews, posters in different languages, excerpts and historic previews. Making works like Nana, Le Mépris (Contempt) and La Grande Illusion available to the general public in exceptional quality is an incredible opportunity to share this heritage. And “sharing” is one of the keywords of the project; what we want is for Internet users to enrich the film commentaries, blog the video clips, and publish their opinions and comments so that the site becomes a true forum for film buffs. This community function of the site, along with the multitude of entry points hosted by Studio’s product managers and by journalists, are a unique way of bringing these treasures of the cinema heritage to life and deriving value from them – for example through the purchases of our films on DVD and Blu-Ray or Video on Demand via partner sites when they are available in these formats. Walt Disney cited Georges Méliès as one of his major influences; Jean-Pierre Melville inspired, and continues to inspire, top directors like Johnny To, who will be doing a remake of Le Cercle rouge this year. By keeping our back catalogue vibrantly alive and broadening access to it, we contribute to the dissemination of the history of the cinema and to building its future, including through StudioCanal’s new productions. »

Arielle Saracco, Head of Canal+ Original Programming, Canal+ Group

Using content to promote Sustainable Development

« Canal+ programs provide a forum for sustainable development issues every day. These issues include solidarity, the fight against exclusion, discrimination, discovering other cultures, protecting the environment, etc. Various areas are explored, backed by of all our departments, especially Original Creation, which produces fiction and documentaries. Within the realm of fiction we have continued to explore our recent history with Résolution 819 – starring Benoît Magimel. It is the story of a French policeman attached to the International Court of Justice to investigate the Srebrenica massacres. Another program called La Traque, starring Yvan Attal, tells the story of the Klarsfelds’ search for Klaus Barbie.
As we do every year, the New Trilogy gives amateur writers and directors an opportunity to pen their first television series. On the documentary side, as part of our collection of prime-time films dealing with topical issues, the focus was on the everyday life of poor workers, probation issues, the state of psychiatry in France, developments in the quarters of the 93rd department – with the magnificent film by Yamina Benguigui entitled Mémoire d’un territoire – and how ordinary citizens fight pedophilia in Asia. Our Emergences time slot (about new trends) reports on new movements and proposes novel scripts, showing us in particular what a year with no gas would be like, or how everyone’s happiness depends on trust in their country’s institutions. The Documentary-Film time slot in turn opens a glimpse of the world, via the committed view of a handful of great international directors. Our cinema documentaries also offer a window onto the world by analyzing the revival of the film industry in Mexico, China, Rumania and Israel. And of course every week our curiosity about other cultures is satisfied by our New Explorers, who create greater understanding by helping us to get to know the people around us better. The Original Creation label is about looking at our society and the world from a relevant, committed viewpoint, to dare, innovate and promote new ideas. »

• Vivendi’s Headquarter

Solange Maulini, Press Director and Shareholder Relations, Vivendi

« Vivendi wants to keep its 600,000 individual shareholders thoroughly informed at all times. The Shareholder Information Service contributes greatly to achieving that. In 2009, in the context of its attachment to corporate governance and sustainable development best practices, the group decided to go even further by implementing a committee of individual shareholders. The group wants individual shareholders to be fully involved in its activities and its strategy. The committee has a set of statutes and a charter, and has its own section of the Web site. Made up of some ten members, it reflects the diversity of Vivendi’s individual shareholders. Several working meetings will be held each year between general management and the committee to improve and adapt the information issued by the group to its individual shareholders, to get to know and respond to their expectations and needs and to develop and extend dialogue with them. »

Pascale Thumerelle, Vice President, Sustainable Development, Vivendi

« Vivendi, which has considerably strengthened its business activities through major acquisitions in recent years, now stands as a world leader in communications and entertainment. This position requires that our commitments to corporate responsibility, outlined in several charters and rules of conduct, acquire a more direct legibility for all our stakeholders. This transparency is embodied by Vivendi’s joining of the United Nations Global Compact.
Aware of the fact that the group’s business activities play a major role in strengthening mutual understanding and social ties, Vivendi is committed to promoting human rights throughout its sphere of influence, through its activities as a producer and distributor of content and its service offerings. Universal Music Group supports local artists and contributes to promoting them on the worldwide level, and in particular within their language communities. Maroc Telecom and its subsidiaries are investing in solar energy as a means of ending the isolation of villages in certain African countries. SFR is ensuring that disabled persons benefit from the innovations of mobile telephony. The Canal+ Group supports cinematic works that enrich dialogue between cultures and stands out for its production of documentaries that call attention to racism, sexism, and exclusion. Activision Blizzard, through its games and its citizenship programs, encourages exchange and solidarity. These examples illustrate the range of the group’s actions in favor of human rights.
In these ways, to promote its vision of sustainable development, Vivendi works to facilitate access to knowledge, close the digital gap, and encourage the expression of talent, participation in cultural life and a spirit of openness. »

Vincent Vallejo, Senior Vice President, Audit and Special Projects, Vivendi

« With the creation of the Risks Committee, chaired by Jean-Bernard Lévy, sustainable development issues are taken into consideration at group level and monitored for each of our business sectors. In 2008, specific presentations were made on measures for protection of personal data and for monitoring and preventing health risks from radiofrequency waves. These two topics will be monitored by the Risks Committee during the year 2009. Also this year, newly acquired entities like Activision Blizzard will be included in our field audits in the areas of environment and human rights. »

Dominique Welcomme, Vice President, Employee Stcok Plans, Human Resources Department, Vivendi

« The Vivendi group has adopted a policy of encouraging employee shareholding, and has strengthened its efforts on behalf of this type of share acquisition over the last two years. In 2008, we launched an international employee shareholding operation called Opus 08. The goal of this leveraged, capital-guaranteed operation is to enable all employees of the group, in the major countries where it operates, to benefit from the advantages of employee shareholding without risk and simultaneously to increase the percentage of capital held by employees. The capital increase was carried out on July 24, 2008 and resulted in the creation of 4.5 million new shares, or 0.4% of Vivendi’s total equity, raising the rate of share ownership by Vivendi employees from 1% to 1.4%. Due to the success of Opus 08, which has oversubscribed, the decision was made to renew the operation and launch Opus 09 in the summer of 2009. »