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CSRB Newsletter |
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CSR Bangladesh News Desk
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Working in an unhealthy environment has become a regular habit of the workers in the brick fields. All the worker from 10 years boy to 50 years old man & women does not know where are they working and what diseases are they carrying? During my visit in a local brick field in Kulaura Sylhet, I found boys, girls, men and women are working restlessly in the field. I found two boys are preparing the raw bricks restlessly and smoking biri (local cigarette). I was walking and stopped in front of them and with a smiley face asked what are you doing and how much do you earn a day? Both of them are working and one boy answered preparing raw bricks from clay, and we got 150 taka (US $2.14) per 1000 bricks, and maximum we earn around 200 taka (US$2.86) to 250 taka (US$3.57) per day. I asked how long you work a day. Another replied from 6:00-7:00 am to around 5:00 pm or up to sunset. Another boy looked at me and said there are some who earned 300 taka (US $4.3) per day, with a smile one day we will earn too. I laughed and told them to work and wish them to achieve their goal one day. During the conversation I found they are working with out any consciousness regarding the unhygienic & unhealthy environment of the brick field. Poor and ignorant day labors do not know the future impact of harmful CARBON EMISSIONS on their body.
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Corporate News Desk: |
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Training Programs: |
- CSR Essentials
- CSR Master Class
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CSR Bangladesh Resource Desk |
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List of Bangladeshi Companies: |
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International
Organizations: |
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CSR Portal
EU Asia Link Project
Dutch Embassy CSR Project
CSR Handbook
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The dynamic web
portal aims to cater the needs of stakeholders and community in Bangladesh and
abroad. The CSR Bangladesh aims to provide services to private sector and
policy advocacy to the GOB and other related organization. ... more
CSR
Bangladesh is proud to publish web portal. The dynamic web portal aims to
cater the needs of stakeholders and community in Bangladesh and abroad. The
CSR Bangladesh aims to provide services to private sector and policy
advocacy to the GOB and other related organization. The online news will be
updated time to time to provide better services to stakeholders.
CSR
Bangladesh looking forward to get assistance to other organizations for
strategic partnership. CSR Bangladesh believes the sustainable development
cannot be achieved through its own effort but with the support of all other
related to this field. By keep this in mind, CSR Bangladesh invites
stakeholders and CSR related organizations and individual expert to join the
combine effort.
EU Asia Link
Project: Sustainable Commodity Chains was contracted to IVO, The Tilburg
University, The Netherlands with four other universities in the world
including IUBAT. The action aims to train (present and future) managers in the
use of non-financial performance criteria, directly linked to corporate social
responsibility in different cultures. ... more
EU Asia Link Project: The action aims to train (present and future) managers in
the use of non-financial performance criteria, directly linked to corporate
social responsibility in different cultures. The trainees will acquire the
necessary skills to apply these tools in their future career in the corporate
or public sector. Opportunities for long-life learning are offered through
Bachelor/Master and Certificate/Diploma programmes. Action’s activities
include: collecting case material in South Asia and Europe, case writing
(including training), literature assessment, need assessment of job
opportunities for trainees, writing a textbook, preparing teacher’s manuals,
exchange of teachers’ experiences to create a common teaching platform and
promotion activities to broaden the network.
Coordinator: Luuk van Kempen. Lead organisation: IVO. Client: A consortium of universities in Europe
(Italy and the Netherlands),
India and Bangladesh. Donor organization: The European Commission (Asia-Link), partners in the
project.
Results: A common platform of case material and teaching methods will
be made according to the following objectives: 95 case descriptions will be
collected and included in an electronically accessible database. This will be
available to staff and student as basic reference material for the teaching programmes. In the English language, it will be continuously updated when after
launching the database new case descriptions become available or improved
information becomes available. Each description will be roughly 10 pages. 35 of
these cases will be transformed into cases to be used in classroom teaching,
again to be accessed by both staff and students. The format is such that the
cases can be used “from the shelf” for immediate use. The English language
cases will be 10-15 pages in length and again regular updates will be made. These
cases will be accompanied by a teacher’s manual with instructions for teachers
on how to use the case material. This will be an on-line booklet of some 25
pages, to be accessed only by teaching staff. Its purpose is to instruct
teachers on different ways to use the case material and to provide them with
guidelines on either curriculum revision or less ambitious ways to use the
information for teaching. Teaching will be supported with an Internet site to
facilitate the addition of new or revised cases and to provide links to other
sources of information. Apart from important cost-savings (both in printing and
shipping) and speed of delivery, this site will also be used to create a “CSR
community” among the staff members of the participating institution. A database
of literature (articles) relevant to the main topics of the subject area. The
debate on CSR is taking place at very different levels in academia, in the
policy arena and in daily business activities. To keep the participants abreast
of ongoing developments an electronic reference guide will be developed, not to
cover each and every item, but to cover the main written sources and to refer
to relevant websites. Formalised curriculum outlines will be prepared for a
course at the master’s level and a diploma course. These are meant to assist
teaching staff with the design of courses tailored to their own purposes. It is
expected that the participating institutions will use a variety of teaching
modes to cover the subject. These outlines are meant to provide a common point
of reference in the exchange of teaching practices. From the third year
onwards, in each of the partner institutions at least 20 students per year will
participate in the teaching programme. From the second year onwards, the three
South-Asian participants will also offer diploma courses to each 20 students
per year. In this way, a new generation of managers will be created, equipped
with appropriate tools to work in a rapidly changing environment.
The project was initiated to conduct
benchmark survey on Corporate Social Responsibility in Bangladesh. The project
led to organizing International Seminar On CSR in Bangladesh: Current Issues
and Future Trends. The Centre for Management Development of International
University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) organized daylong
International Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility in Bangladesh
:
Current Issues and Future Trends on June 27, 2007 at the
Main Auditorium of IDB Bhaban, Agargaon, Dhaka.HE Dr Stefan Frowein,
Ambassador, Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh and HE
Mr.Fritz Meijnder, Charge d’Affaires, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands were present on the occasion as Chief Guest and Special Guest
respectively. ... more
CSR in Bangladesh: Current Issues and Future Trends:Speakers at the International Seminar on CSR organized by IUBAT expressed deep concern over the working atmosphere in both public and private sector in Bangladesh adding that good corporate governance practices would help running every enterprise in methodical way enabling them to gain confidence of customers as well as investors. . Terming CSR as the continuous learning process the experts observed that all organizations will have to develop collective competence by educating workforce and improving the overall management. They also suggested ways and means to improve the working atmosphere by strictly adhering to key concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and disseminating this discipline into entire organ of the organization.
The speakers argued that CSR was related to social management as such by strengthening this practice any organization could develop its operational management to achieve the goal. This would help delivering social compliance required for setting global standard for maximizing the value thereby enhancing competitiveness in the entire organization, they informed.
The first ever seminar on CSR, portrayed a gloomy picture and urged the policy makers at all levels to design a performance roadmap in conformity with set rules as contained in core concept of CSR to develop a good management credential necessary to have a positive impact on the society. They made a clarion call to bring adequate improvements in working methodology and operational activities, in line with global changes to give big push needed for reforms to ensure consistent product quality and overall improvement in management function.
The Centre for Management Development of International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) organized daylong International Seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility in Bangladesh: Current Issues and Future Trends recently at the Main Auditorium of IDB Bhaban, Agargaon, Dhaka.HE Dr Stefan Frowein, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh and HE Mr.Fritz Meijnder, Charge d’Affaires, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands were present on the occasion as Chief Guest and Special Guest respectively.
Presided by Professor Mr. M Alimullah Miyan Vice-Chancellor and Founder of IUBAT the Seminar was conducted by number of high profile resource persons from Canada, India, UK, USA, the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Important persons from academia, intelligentsia, civil society, policy makers, business community, chambers, NGO’s and elite of different strata of the society concerned with CSR related assignments attended the seminar and took part in the deliberations.
Sponsored by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands the objective of the seminar was to provide a greater exposure to the key elements of CSR for improving the performance of business organizations in both public and private sector in Bangladesh The speakers categorically differentiated charity from CSR, keeping the process more action oriented by instigating corporate values, cultures, business strategy and future sustainability. They also made it clear that organization’s profit should reflect core-values and adherence to best practice of CSR regardless of any constraints.
Speakers explained that the application of CSR oriented operation policy will help achieve optimum production for generating optimum profit, provided the companies concerned maintained a good image for themselves as socially responsible employers demonstrating a genuine intention to contribute growth and development of the country. They also maintained that CSR will help advance economic and social well being enabling people around to realize the full potential.
Keeping in view all these vital issues the seminar underscored the need to craft pragmatic rules and regulation to this effect for excellently managing the business within the broad framework of socio- economic development. They examined the rationale for the adoption of CSR initiatives in management function, community development, corporate sustainability, accountability and professional development for safeguarding the interest of any organization.
HE Dr. Stefan Frowein, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh inaugurating the Seminar as the Chief Guest expressed the hope that Bangladesh will march ahead with good practice of CSR in every sectors utilizing its major components in their overall strategy for improving the operational activities in their respective areas.
Speaking on the occasion as special guest Mr. Fritz Meijndert, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands called upon the professionals in all organizations to enforce CSR policies that reflect public concern about the environment, human resource diversity and to ensure distribution of income to meet the existing challenges in the society.
Number of resource persons from home and abroad presented valuable papers highlighting various key elements and core –concepts of CSR suggesting dissemination of its good components to every organ of all companies to act as a catalyst for significant commercial benefit of the organization concerned.
Dr Syed Saad Andaleeb, Professor, Penn State University, USA, in his key note address observed that the perfect implementation of CSR could bring positive changes in working atmosphere dynamising management procedure helping the government to ensure social responsibility in a country like Bangladesh. He was of the opinion that CSR strategy delivers a strong and positive message that the company is ethically and socially responsible and contributing to the country’s overall economic development.
Dr D Rajasenan, International Centre for Economic Policy Analysis, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala & Engr. K. Vijayachandran, Chairman, Cochin Centre for Policy Initiatives, Kerala, India in their respective paper detailed professional views on CSR methodology calling upon responsible persons in every hierarchy to motivate working manpower to obtain maximum benefit for the society.
In the technical session Dr Rodney J Reed, Company Chairman of Reed Consulting (Bangladesh) Ltd integrating CSR into a company human resource manual, detailed the necessity that organizations in both public and private sectors have to behave in socially responsible way to meet the generalized requirement of the society.
Prof H Eric Frank formerly with the University of Bath, UK presently visiting Professor of IUBAT in his paper pointed to competitive advantage through social responsibility, presented the ethical consumerism that customers are becoming more aware of the environmental and social implications of their day-to-day consumer decisions and are making purchasing decisions according to their environmental and ethical concerns.
Mr Edward Probir Mondol reflecting on CSR shrimp sector in Bangladesh noted that Bangladeshi shrimp exporters continued to suffer from real problems but despite that they maintained their efforts to upgrade product quality and safety in accordance with the guidelines of FAO of the United Nations.
Prof Mohammad Raihanul Haque, faculty of IUBAT detailing CSR challenges in the country said that corporate social responsibility is a truly sensitizing concept for local industries. He was of the opinion that the leaders in business and industrial arena will have to demonstrate good corporate practices and professional excellence to boost investor’s confidence, which in turn enhances both domestic and international investment.
Giving an overview of Canadian experience Mr. Nicholas Genis highlighted that implementation of CSR is broadly comparable to other advanced economics and the niche companies and organizations in Canada utilize this discipline as a major component in their overall corporate strategy.
Professor Akbar Hossain, Adjunct Professor of IUBAT in his paper, Social Compliance Foster Productivity, cited an old saying that people are the best asset in a company rather than expensive machine, if our people stay in peace they will be concentrating more in ensuring quality and quantity. .
The ending session dealt with vital CSR components and examined the ground reality at the field level. Speakers pointed out that the existing challenges have to be addressed with adequate measures suggesting policy making bodies to design pragmatic decision to strengthen corporate practices.
The round up discussion critically examined important features of corporate social responsibility and asked the competent authorities in all sectors to continue relentless efforts to change the scenario by administrative measures for recording significant changes in CSR initiatives.
Number of participants pointed out that various anomalies are prevalent in every strata of society to hinder CSR practices and called upon the professionals at all levels to evolve policy guidelines to establish strong corporate discipline necessary to strengthen capacity building efforts.
Summing up the discussion Prof M Alimullah Miyan who chaired the session, said
that this seminar would herald a new beginning enabling all professionals to
participate in fruitful discussions and debates to help evolve and implement
CSR practices in a desired manner to materialize the dream of this country- to
attain a good standing in local and international market.
A new initiative was
taken by CSR Bangladesh to publish a CSR Handbook with related case studies
from Bangladesh and abroad to cater the needs of stakeholders and to provide
teaching guidelines on CSR to undergraduate and post graduate students.
... more
A new innovative initiative was taken by CSR Bangladesh to
publish and CSR Handbook with related case studies from Bangladesh and abroad
to cater the need to stakeholders and undergraduate and post graduate students.
The effort has been taken to conduct a benchmark survey on
CSR and Corporate Governance.
CSR Bangladesh is looking for technical and financial
assistance to complete the project in due course of time.
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First
Signatory from Bangladesh |
Member |
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Save River SAVE ENVIRONMENT |
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