Philosophy

Our world is in peril: war, racism, sexism, xenophobia, religious intolerance and extremism persist. Society is plagued by crime, alcohol and drug abuse, gangs, stress, eating disorders and pervasive physical and mental ill health. Our young are brainwashed by a self-serving media that encourages them to worship inappropriate role models and aspire to meaningless lifestyles. Globally, an unprecedented catastrophe draws ever closer due to environmental degradation, overfishing, population growth and global warming. And once again the financial world is in turmoil as our politicians fail to find answers to the economic crisis.

Step back from the bad news and ask yourself if you worry about the future. If you do, do you think you’re alone? What symbol or “brand” represents you and the b/millions of others who share your fears? In the 1970s we saw the explosive growth in popularity of the Peace Sign. But today, what’s out there that captures the zeitgeist?

The tocamu concept introduces a new symbol that people can unite behind, whatever their race, creed, nationality etc. The premise is that we should strive to improve our wellbeing – not just because there’s a relationship between wellbeing and happiness but also because people with good wellbeing tend to think and act differently. Importantly, as more people improve their wellbeing, you’ll see beneficial social, economic and political consequences. Politicians are learning that the austerity measures (that are damaging wellbeing), are unlikely to be tolerated indefinitely: riots and strikes, the declining popularity of the UK coalition government and resurgence of extremist political parties, the international “Occupy” movement and the election of a socialist government in France (which is putting economic growth before austerity) are indicators that people will only endure so much… why can’t politicians see that focusing on a population’s wellbeing makes more sense now than ever? With economic stimulation a priority, why not target the wellbeing sector?

The tocamu symbol is an ideogram that combines five other symbols that when superimposed on each other, capture the secret to wellbeing. The symbol’s meaning is revealed in my inspirational self-illustrated novel The Toucan Feather. I have waived my copyright for non-commercial duplication of the symbol and any promotional material that is available here, which you are encouraged to download to help spread the word. I invite any organization that wishes to merchandise the tocamu brand to contact me regarding a licensing agreement, which will include a contribution to charity. Any successful licensee will be required to demonstrate a genuine commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility.

Nicholas Stafford-Deitsch

London, 22/05/12

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR addresses how employers treat their people and suppliers, the societies in which they operate and the environment. Some companies publish CSR statements, many hope their CSR strategies will attract new business and/or retain and engage employees. There are clear relationships between the tocamu philosophy and both Individual Social Responsibility (ISR) and CSR. Specific topics such as employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion are tocamu issues as are more general concerns like how people treat each other and the world we share. By capturing the zeitgeist and via the unique delivery (the illustrated novel) of a strong brand, an extensive merchandising opportunity, and positioning that attracts people within and beyond the work environment, the tocamu concept presents a compelling and differentiated proposition from other operators in the CSR field. If your company is sincere about its commitment to CSR, and you might be interested in developing a tocamu-branded product range, please contact us.