Beyond CSR Business, Poverty and Social Justice

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Beyond CSR?Business, Poverty and Social Justice

• One day conference 22 May 2006National Liberal
  Club, London

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The Rationale

• By following socially responsible practices, the
  growth generated by the private sector will be
  more inclusive, equitable and poverty reducing.
• (Department for International Development)
• International organizations and national
  development agencies have embraced CSR in the
  hope that the private sector can play a key role
  in achieving developmental goals including
  poverty alleviation, education and health
  improvements.

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The Rationale

• CSR is becoming a field of passionately felt
  answers and too many unasked questions.
• We still lack a clear understanding of the
  specific conditions under which CSR initiatives
  may realise the developmental potential.
• Can we move beyond unproductive debates about
  win-win, regulation vs. voluntary,
  responsibility/irresponsibility?

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The Rationale

• Technical and tick-box approaches to CSR that
  fail to recognize conflict, inequality between
  stakeholders, and fundamental differences of
  interest are unlikely to make a meaningful
  contribution to development.
• So can we go beyond the current approaches to CSR
  to explore how business can contribute to poverty
  alleviation and social justice?

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Our previous work

• Work within The International Research Network
  for Business, Development and Society, engaging
  in independent research that poses critical
  questions about the role of business in
  development (please read Briefing No.1).
• Workshops at the Copenhagen Business School and
  Chatham House.
• Special issue of International Affairs (May
  2005).
• More information at http//bdsnetwork.cbs.dk/

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The Programme
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Housekeeping

• Please be on time for all sessions
• Chatham House rules
• Lunch from 12.30
• Gluten-free meals are clearly marked with a name
  tag
• Vegetarian dishes are part of the buffet
• Location of toilets
• In case of a fire alarm, please take the main
  exit, and walk downstairs in an orderly manner