#United Nations Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative

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Highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.

The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is a partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community, currently chaired by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Sulitest Association - a non-profit organization and online platform aimed at improving sustainability literacy for all. Other United Nations partners include UNESCO, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, United Nations University, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, United Nations Office for Partnerships and United Nations Academic Impact.

The Vision Statement by the Secretary-General on Transforming Education, "Transforming Education: an urgent political imperative for our collective future" – the formal outcome of the Transforming Education Summit held in 2022 – notes that education is a great enabler, but today, in many cases, it is also the great divider. The Vision Statement further notes that education is in crisis and requires our immediate, mid-term and longer-term responses including a fundamental rethinking of the purpose and content of education, grounded in two principles of a new social contract for education, namely ensuring the right to quality education throughout life and strengthening education as a public endeavor and a common good. Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – UN’s main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level - to highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development. In 2023, HLPF (10-19 July 2023, New York) will be held under the theme “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”. It will also review in-depth Goals 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals, and include 41 Voluntary National Reviews by member States on their implementation of the 2030 Agenda.The HESI 2023 Global Forum, which will be held on 17 July 2023 as an in-person event at UNHQ, will place a particular focus on understanding the challenges and opportunities to accelerate the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda at all levels, in line with the theme of HLPF in 2023.The Forum aims to:

Provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in higher education to accelerate the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda at all levels.

Build a higher education sector that is accessible to all and leaves no one behind.

Highlight and boost key higher education initiatives that drive implementation of the 2030 Agenda through education, teaching, and learning - particularly around SDGs under review at HLPF (Goals 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation, and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals,).

Spotlight the levers of sector transformation, including cross-institutional partnerships or evolving practices in higher education quality metrics, academic publications, or increased demand for green jobs.

Convene an evolving and action-oriented conversation on the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.

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Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Paris 2024 & Crewe Alexandra

Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT – PARIS 2024

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has underlined its firm stance on global climate issues in recent years.

As well as including sustainability as one of the three key pillars of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s revised bidding process – released in 2018 – asked interested cities to devise bids aligned with their “long-term development goals and sustainability challenges”.

While it can be easy to communicate the right things without taking decisive action, it seems that host cities are listening and the Paris 2024 Board of Directors recently approved the Games’ climate strategy.

The result is that the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games has committed to becoming climate positive, a world’s first for a sports event.

“The strategy is based on a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, support for projects with a positive contribution to climate, and mobilisation of stakeholders to maximise long-term positive impact,” read the press release from the Paris 2024 communications team.

“Paris 2024’s primary objective is to prevent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions linked to the event. This will be achieved through: a cost-effective and compact venue concept (95% of venues are existing or temporary), the inclusion of low-carbon solutions for all activities within the venues, the use of renewable energy for all venues which will all be accessible by public transport, a sustainable catering plan, a responsible digital plan, the use of low-carbon temporary equipment, and a reliance on principles of the circular economy.

“The Paris 2024 Board of Directors has secured the carbon neutrality of the Games as early as three years prior to the Games, and will now take its commitment to protecting the climate one step further.

“Paris 2024 will offset more emissions than it will create by supporting projects in France which are still emerging. Paris 2024 will contribute to the development of local projects, that are essential in the fight against climate change, and which provide other benefits such as protecting biodiversity or improving citizens’ quality of life.”

In total, Paris 2024 will reduce emissions linked to the event by 50% when compared to previous editions of the Games.

Together with the IOC, Paris 2024 is also working internationally with the United Nations (UN) as part of the “Sports for Climate Action” initiative to raise awareness and incite action among the global sports community.

Niclas Svenningsen, Manager for Global Climate Action, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) commented: “Through their new climate

action strategy, Paris 2024 is sending a strong signal to the world about the importance of ambitious and inclusive climate action.

“It is a signal of leadership that the city, where the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was adopted in 2015, is now also hosting the first ever climate positive Olympic Games.”

The IOC’s Head of Sustainability, Michelle Lemaitre, has previously explained why the organisation has put so much focus on the role of host cities 

“What we want is for cities to articulate a long-term ambition and ask how they can leverage the Games to respond to that,” Lemaitre said in an interview with The Sustainability Report.

“It’s not how the Games can fix that problem, but how they can contribute to that vision.

It is clear that we are at a tipping point around the globe and significant action must be taken to ensure that future generations are protected against the rapidly changing climate.

Hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Games has at times been seen as an expensive and disruptive business in the past, but a renewed commitment to creating positive long-term change can only benefit host cities and its people.

This announcement by Paris 2024 should force other major sporting event hosts into action and ensure that sustainability becomes a core pillar of global competitions in the future.

MISS – CREWE ALEXANDRA

The conviction of former Crewe Alexandra football coach Barry Bennell three years ago prompted a greater focus on the vulnerabilities young people face in the game and exposed the scale of sexual abuse that has damaged the lives of so many young people.

Bennell was jailed for 31 years at Liverpool Crown Court in 2018 for 50 counts of child sexual abuse and was described as the "devil incarnate" by the judge after being convicted of abusing 12 boys aged eight to 15 between 1979 and 1991.

He was given a fifth jail term after pleading guilty to further offences in 2020.

When the scale of the scandal became clear, the Football Association (FA) announced an independent inquiry into child sex abuse between 1970 and 2005, led by Clive Sheldon QC, which reported its findings last week.

It offered a damning indictment of the lack of safeguarding in the game and said: “The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure that safeguarding was taken sufficiently seriously by those involved in the game. These are significant institutional failings for which there is no excuse.”

The report also criticised Crewe Alexandra for its failure to do more to safeguard young people, pointing the finger particularly at the club’s Board and said: “Based on all of the evidence received by the Review, however, I consider it likely that three Directors of the Club (Crewe Alexandra) discussed concerns about Bennell which hinted at his sexual interest in children.

“As a result of these concerns, the club’s then chairman sought further information about Bennell from Manchester City, and was told by a senior police officer to keep a “watching brief” on the situation. There is no evidence that the chairman did so.”

When you are facing a crisis or aware of a situation where you are going to have the reputation of your organisation brought into question, you need to be prepared.

There’s no excuse for a professional sports organisation to take more than 24 hours to respond to such a damning and damaging report.

When Crewe did finally issue a statement, they said: “The club wishes to make it absolutely clear that it sincerely regrets and is disgusted by the terrible crimes committed by Mr Bennell upon many young footballers over a significant number of years. The despicable abuse committed by Mr Bennell was abhorrent and the club continues to have the deepest sympathy for the victims and survivors of Mr Bennell.

"The club acknowledges however that improvements to safeguarding can always be made and the club accepts the recommendations made by Clive Sheldon QC to ensure our safeguarding procedures remain as robust as possible.

"The club also acknowledges the contributions made by all individuals to the report of Clive Sheldon QC and reiterates its deepest sympathy to all those victims and survivors of Mr Bennell.”

Crewe should be liaising with affected players and relevant stakeholders such as the FA and the Offside Trust, founded and run by survivors of child sexual abuse in sport.

While they have reached financial settlements with a number of former players who were abused by Bennell, those settlements have never included direct personal apologies from the club to the survivor for the abuse they suffered, unlike those reached by Manchester City, who also employed Bennell.

This prompted the Offside Trust to express reservations about Crewe’s statement: “Crewe’s belated statement is welcomed ‘if’ it is indeed sincere.

“We are pleased to see the club finally say ‘sorry’, shame it has been delivered in such cold, mealy-mouthed, legalistic fashion.

“The emphasis on their lack of culpability makes it sound almost begrudging.

“John Bowler is STILL chairman of #CreweAlex? The board includes his son and others related to those in charge in 1980s? No chance of change if club remains in same questionable hands. Maybe fans, MPs, @EFL and @FA could join our call for change.”

Dario Gradi, the former long-standing Crewe manager, also issued a statement, given that Bennell was at the club at the same time as him.

Gradi said: “Following the conclusion of the Independent Review into Child Sexual Abuse in football I wish to express my deepest sympathy for the survivors and their families. I sincerely and personally regret that the harm being caused to these young people was not discovered at the time. I apologise for not recognising any signs of abuse at the time.

“I spent my entire football career seeking to successfully advance and nurture the football skills of children in what I thought was a personal caring way.

“I am of course satisfied with the findings of the Review in which it is acknowledged by Clive Sheldon QC that I did not act improperly towards children at any time and that I was unaware of the unlawful activities of Barry Bennell.

“We now live in very different times and education and information regarding risk to young persons has significantly advanced but I welcome the recommendations of The Review.

“It is however disappointing that certain sections of the Review’s report have been taken out of context by the media in a series of sound bytes.

“I am also disappointed by the Football Association’s public declaration that I am currently banned from football and ‘effectively banned from football for life’. This has since been reiterated in the media in which the FA Chief Executive states that I am banned from all football-related activity. I would like to make it clear that this is not the case. I am suspended indefinitely from certain specified activities with players under the age of 18 years and whilst I do not agree with it, I understand how the decision was arrived at.”

The Offside Trust later called for Gradi to lose his MBE and also criticised the FA for failing to implement practical changes to safeguard young people a long time ago.

“The FA should have immediately made these most basic of changes around training, awareness, spot checks and transparency without waiting for a 700 page report. The fact that they didn't speaks volumes about how far from reality the FA has been in this process.

“Most of the recommendations are things that have already been in place within other sports bodies (such as the RFU) for several years. It is shocking that we have had to wait nearly five years to have someone suggest that a bit of safeguarding training every three years might be a good idea. It is disappointing not to see anything stronger in terms of mandatory reporting.”

If the speed with which Crewe dealt with the latest chapter of this crisis wasn’t bad enough, their subsequent actions gave the impression of an attempt to suppress the reporting of their manager David Artell’s comments at his weekly press briefing and have done serious damage to their already tattered reputation.

Artell explained why Crewe had taken so long to issue a response: “I’m not sure of the reasons it didn’t happen earlier. But I know it was important for the football club to say sorry after the report concluded and what it said in the findings.”

Soon after the press conference finished, attending reporters were contacted by the club and told that future Zoom interviews could be cancelled if Artell’s comments “go national.”

The FA issued its own statement with CEO Mark Bullingham admitting that more should have been done.

He said: “To English football, I say. This has to be a critical moment for us. We must do everything we can to ensure that we learn the lessons, and never see a repeat of this abuse.

“It is clear they were let down by the game, the authorities and society as a whole. We all failed to protect them.

“The report is clear that safeguarding risks were not understood prior to the mid 90s by either sports or society. However, more should have been done, more quickly, after sexual abuse cases came to light. As with most sports in this country, the FA was too slow to act.

“The report recognises the FA made progress after 2000 and that the Independent Football Commission reviewed safeguarding standards in 2005, concluding that the FA’s achievement in this area was impressive. However, it is clearly unacceptable that the correct protocols were not in place before then.”

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Royal Dutch Shell CSR Initiatives

Corporate social responsibility encourages businesses to be part of the solution to responsible business challenges like scarcity of resources and environmental concerns. Doing corporate responsibility includes educating the citizens and proposing self-sustaining solutions to address the problems faced by the communities.

Royal Dutch Shell establishes a Commitment and Policy on Health, Security, Safety, the Environment and Social Performance that is designed to involve communities to work close to our operations. The Group is committed to pursue its goals with no harm to people, protect the environment, usage of material and energy in the most efficient way and promote a culture in which all Shell employees share this commitment (Shell, 2020c). In this way, the firm could earn the comfort of the customers, shareholders and society as well as to contribute to sustainable development. Every Shell Company has a systematic approach to HSSE & SP management designed to ensure compliance with the law and engages effectively with the impacted communities. 

External CSR Initiatives

Royal Dutch Shell’s established business principles and code of conduct primarily primarily guides the operations and activities of Shell companies, including their support to quite a number of external and international initiatives.

1. Shell supports the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). 

Retrieved from https://www.environmentalleader.com/2019/03/report-companies-committed-to-un-global-compact-perform-better-across-supply-chains/

This voluntary initiative strives to implement universal sustainability principles, in which companies are called to align their business strategies that cover human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption (Shell, 2020a). UNGC encourages its members to take strategic actions to reach broader societal goals, similar to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which stresses the need for innovation and collaboration among its members. Participants show initiative in executing responsible business practices and solutions addressing poverty and supporting health and education.

2. Shell supports the World Bank’s “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative. 

Retrieved from https://breakingenergy.com/tag/zero-routine-flaring-by-2030/

This “Zero Routine Flaring by 2030” initiative, introduced by the World Bank, brings together governments, oil companies, and development institutions who recognize the flaring situation is unsustainable from a resource management and environmental perspective. A typical flare used in the oil and gas industry is composed of a stack collecting unwanted gases waiting to be flared. Routine flaring has profound negative consequences such as creation of greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants in the biosphere. Shell, being a member of the said initiative, continues to pursue its 2015 commitment to put an end on associated gas flaring by 2030 (Shell, 2020b). This strategy is in line with  Shell’s HSSE & SP, where it implements flaring policies to minimise flaring through updating energy management plans and regulating their facilities to comply with it (Shell, 2020c)

3. Shell supports the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. 

Retrieved from https://www.ecomagazine.com/news/industry/global-companies-form-alliance-to-end-plastic-waste

Plastic usage has undeniably helped improve the living standards, however Royal Dutch Shell has also recognized the problems brought by unmanaged plastic waste. All economic agents -- industries, government and consumers, are accountable for this global issue but must also work together to solve this. Shell is a leading member of the alliance and has already started its projects focusing on 4 areas namely: infrastructure, innovation, education and clean-up. According to Shell, their ambition is to use one million tonnes of plastic a year in their global chemical plants by 2025. Moreover, they seek certain technologies which can transform used plastic into liquids possible as an energy source, chemicals or convert into new products. Shell’s retail business is helping its service stations and customers reduce, reuse and repurpose waste across its operations and supply chain (Shell, 2020e).

Shell's Partnership In Protecting Ecosystems

Shell's environmental partners include International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and The Nature Conservancy. Furthermore, Shell in close collaboration with an environmental charity called Earthwatch, trains managers from affected areas, helping them to acquire crucial business and leadership skills. In addition, Shell employees gain a broader understanding of environmental issues by making a hands-on contribution to scientific research (Shell, 2020d). 

Retrieved from https://www.shell.com/sustainability/our-approach/environmental-and- community-partners/earth-skills-network-partnering-earthwatch.html

A. Business leader Andrew Stevenson and his team worked with the staff from Mole National Park in Ghana in order to develop an action plan to address lack of funding, local poachers clashes and decreasing number of visitors. The said park is home for 600 to 899 African elephants, antelope, hyenas and many other species. The plan was a success and it generated an 200% increase in revenue and 50% increased number of visitors. Moreover, it worked with a governmental agency to improve the roads in and around the area (Shell, 2020d).

Retrieved from https://www.shell.com/sustainability/our-approach/environmental-and- community-partners/earth-skills-network-partnering-earthwatch.html

B. In Nigeria's Wetlands, the area was once widely affected that could possibly affect the native's livelihood. In response, Shell's Pearl Eneh and her team mentored two managers from the area and helped construct an action plan in order to promote and improve the safety of the wetlands. Eneh has once said that once we know who our stakeholders are, we can properly engage with them (Shell, 2020d).

Shell Works With Communities

Retieved from https://www.shell.com/sustainability/communities/working-with-communities.html

Shell contributes to the community by hiring experts to study community specialist areas. With this, in-house specialists from Shell manage the communities and its indigeneous people, taking into consideration the impact of their initiatives on cultural heritage (Shell, 2020f). This is deemed to be the first step towards reaching out to the community, assessing the area considered and deciding on actions that minimise the impact of projects on culture. 

Once the area has been assessed by the in-house experts of the company, the philanthropic initiative of Royal Dutch Shell continues in engaging with the local communities. Engaging includes understanding the story of the people – their priorities, grievances, and concerns. In exchange, the company receives feedback and responses to establish a relationship with these communities. Moreover, the indigineous people may possibly be affected by the projects of the company, and it is imperative for the company to protect the rights of these people. By mutually agreeing, and conducting negotiations in good faith, the needs of the indigenous people are addressed and considered (Shell, 2020f). There are instances, however, that the projects of the company affect the people in such a way that they are forced to resettle in another place or residence. Shell considers this problem and understands that it is a possibility for some areas to be negatively affected. With this, the company manages the resettlement of the indegenous people along with preserving their culture by “resettlement actions plans'' and “livelihood restoration plans.” As a result, Royal Dutch Shell works towards restoring the area, as seen in projects in China, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines. 

References

Shell. (2020a). External voluntary codes. Retrieved from: https://www.shell.com/sustainability/transparency/external-voluntary-codes.html

Shell. (2020b). Flaring. Retrieved from: https://reports.shell.com/sustainability-report/2018/responsible-business/environment/flaring.html

Shell. (2020c). HSSE and social performance - commitment and policies. Retrieved from: https://www.shell.com/sustainability/our-approach/commitments- policies-and-standards/hsse-and-social-performance.html

Shell. (2020d). Partnering to protect the world’s ecosystems. Retrieved from: https://www.shell.com/sustainability/our-approach/environmental- and-community-partners/earth-skills-network-partnering-earthwatch.html

Shell. (2020e). Plastic waste. Retrieved from: https://www.shell.com/sustainability/environment/plastic-waste.html

Shell. (2020f). Working with communities. Retrieved from: https://www.shell.com/sustainability/communities/working-with-communities.html

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Sustainability

Sustainability has become popular in the policy-oriented researches for public policies want to achieve. The principal inspiration came from the Brundtland Report of 1987. This paper argues that the shift which exists between long-term sustainability and short-term welfare is for the better. But before that, we will have to understand sustainability is and the history behind it.

What are sustainability and the history

While there are a lot of definitions of what sustainability when looking up what sustainability means the Cambridge dictionary state that sustainability is “conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources.” so if something is sustainable, it can be reused, recycled, repeated because it has no limits. It has biological systems in place. I will touch on biological and ecological systems later on. With a little history, the concept of sustainability initially started in the forestry industry, where it meant never harvesting more than what the forest provided in new growth. As it appeared in the forestry study in Germany as they called it Nachhaltigkeit (which was the German term for sustainability) meaning. The concern with preserving natural resources for the future, of course: undoubtedly our ancestors worried about their prey becoming extinct, and early farmers must have been apprehensive about maintaining soil fertility. The distinction between three ‘pillars’ of sustainability is conceptually fuzzy. We propose a definition that reverts to the original sense in which the concept was intended. Since that time, there have been two major developments in the concept of sustainability: its interpretation regarding three dimensions, which must be in harmony: social, economic and environmental. Two, the distinction between ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ sustainability "The Brundtland report speaks of two concerns that should be reconciled: development and the environment. They can also be interpreted as needs versus resources, or as the short versus the long term. Today, however, sustainability is almost always seen regarding three dimensions: social, economic and environmental. This is embodied in the definition of sustainability adopted by the United Nations in its Agenda for Development: “development is a multidimensional undertaking to achieve a higher quality of life for all people. Economic development, social development and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development.” with all this information about sustainability, I will focus what is meant by sustainable design and its importance.

What is Sustainable Design?

Sustainable design is about designing physical and conceptual objects, even in the built environment where they follow for principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. Sustainable designs are more commonly seen nowadays because of the rise in environmental issues like greenhouse effect and global warming. According to the Autodesk 2010 survey results, “designs that use less energy or reduce emissions remain the most important sustainable technology practice while manufacturing processes that use less energy and natural resources were also a priority.”

The importance of sustainability

Good sustainable design must relate to the people with the natural environment. Human and nature interaction are encouraged by allowing people to be in touch with the natural surroundings. Activities should promote environmental wellness and the quality of life. Recycled furniture is, therefore, becoming a trendy choice. Wood and glass are good examples of recycled material. However, recycled furniture could also mean to reuse old and unwanted items.

“CLIMATE Change Week might not be on the radar of everyone in the business community, let alone the commercial property organisations But it should be. Our built environment is responsible for 30% of all carbon emissions; which means you have a role within constructed environment supply chain with considering how your work, the choices you make and the materials specified and the project management process adopted affect carbon emissions, we need to make sure the energy efficiency of our built environment is improved. That means working on existing buildings, especially in the housing sector.”

Another example of the importance of sustainability is the Monmouthshire County Council “which has been delivering better educational environments, like the Rogiet Primary School which is making a real difference to the lives of pupils, teachers and the local community. The sustainable design required a low-energy, environmentally sensitive building that was innovative, flexible to change, safe, healthy and accessible to all, including improved education standards and greater community participation. The designers White Design undertook extensive consultation with end users from the earliest stage of the commission to ensure that the ambitions of the school and community were met. Teaching and learning environments are influenced by four key factors: levels of carbon dioxide (CO2), lighting, acoustics and temperature. White Design considered each of these issues throughout the design process to ensure ventilation, heating and noise levels optimised productivity among users of the school building. Design solutions to facilitate this included a single-storey plan to provide high levels of natural daylight across all learning areas, with all classrooms orientated north to benefit from consistent light levels and avoid over-heating in summer. Positioning classrooms in this way also enabled natural ventilation while avoiding acoustic problems from nearby motorways and national railway routes. Considerate design can also promote health and wellbeing in building users, landscape and planting strategies enhance educational benefits and biodiversity of the site for both the school and surrounding community. Access to the site and the school building is fully inclusive, with no internal level changes within the single storey design, and extensive consultation on colour ensures maximum assistance for visually impaired users. Low energy technologies In close collaboration with designers White Design.” Why we should consider sustainability in design: The Gaia theory The growth and development of our communities have a significant impact on our natural environment. The manufacturing, design, construction and operation of the buildings in which we live and work are responsible for the consumption of many of our natural resources. Because energy conservation is a primary goal of sustainability, and because a building's energy consumption is determined to a great extent by volume and cladding characteristics, architects must still concentrate design attention on building form and facades. More compact buildings require fewer materials, which means less energy invested in construction and, with the reduced exterior surface, less energy to heat and cool buildings after creation. At one extreme is the sphere, the most efficient form because its skin-to-volume ratio is lower than any other geometric shape. This suggests that for optimum sustainability, blob-like architecture might be the wave of the future. Whatever this Science may have been initially; it has grown ever more associated in the public mind with human ecology. The Gaia hypothesis, on the other hand, started with observations of the Earth's atmosphere and other inorganic properties. Where life is concerned, it focuses particular attention on what most people consider to be the lowest part, that represented by the microorganisms. The human species is, of course, a crucial development for Gaia, but we have appeared so late in her life that it hardly seemed appropriate to start our quest by discussing our relationships with her. Contemporary ecology may be deeply embedded in human affairs and a more general framework of geology. How then should we live in Gaia? What difference does her presence make to our relationships with the world and with one another? This means a stoical acceptance of the apocryphal Murphy's law: ‘If anything can go wrong, it will', and implies a programme for the future based on the realistic awareness of this law and of the fact that we live in a very unfair universe. When Aldo Leopold suggested in 1949 that a new requirement for any relevant contemporary ethic must include a "land ethic," he was talking about eco-ethics. When Rachel Carson pointed out the inevitability of some future "silent spring" if we do not contain our production and use of pesticides, she was talking eco-ethics. When E. F. Schumacher suggested for development theory the possibility that "small is beautiful” and that we need to develop a new “Buddhist economics"—an economics that would in fact function “as if people mattered"—he was focusing on eco-ethical concerns. When Christopher Stone posed the question"Should tree have to stand?" it was clear that new eco-ethical formulations were in process. There is an ancient myth describing how the king of the Persians applied a fundamental rule in evaluating the work of his regional governors. He would merely observe the condition of the land and the forests within particular jurisdictions. If the area and the forests were well cared for, he automatically rewarded his governors. If the nation was illtended and restoration efforts to repair damage delayed, the king replaced the caretakers. He evaluated the overall governing ability of his subordinates by their care for the natural world. `The political principle is clear and as applicable today as it was in the mythical past. Those who genuinely care for the Earth, who are sensitive to the effects of human impacts on the environment, can be trusted to govern well generally. The final assessment of the integrity of any political system may be judged on two primary concerns: the respect the network shows for nature, and the care it provides for the least advantaged in the society. Our dominant eco-ethic has been mainly instrumental. We see life as little more than the colourful background for working out our little dramas of fulfilment and salvation. Essentially, as Woody Allen once remarked, "We are at two with nature.” View of the human—nature connection is adequate, increasing numbers of people understand intuitively that nature has intrinsic value, in and of itself. Although usually not for reasons of sustainability. No matter how efficiently configured, a compact form remains aesthetically mute until its exterior walls are composed. And facades continue to offer architects their most excellent opportunity for developing new modes of artistic expression based on sustainability-related composition. Such opportunities are numerous: employ visually diverse cladding materials and textures; control, filter, reflect or transmit daylight to the interior; shade summer sun but admit winter sun to provide heat; cast ever-changing shadow patterns; allow natural ventilation; exploit views to and from the interior; and create overall window and door patterns, juxtaposing transparency and opacity, to animate and impart order to facades. Few of these moves are new. Ancient Greek and Roman builders, Renaissance and Enlightenment architects, and architects of the Modern movement understood these moves long before energy was an issue and long before anyone used the word “sustainability. Designing for sustainability merely continues an ageless architectural tradition, based on the idea that "necessity is the mother of invention." Sustainability in designs is hugely beneficial to our environment and hence strongly encouraged. The factors to consider when creating a sustainable model are ecological sustainability, built environment, economic sustainability and social responsibility. Everyone is responsible for the natural environment that they are living in and hence should play a part in protecting our Earth. Sustainable designs can be created through sensitive designs concerning the site context to achieve energy efficiency. Sustainable designs are achieved through sensitive models, for example, energy efficiency. Delicate designs include good contextual studies of the surroundings, factors like site location, weather and local culture. The choice of material for the design is also an essential factor as well. It is encouraged that renewable resources are used for building materials as it is environmentally-friendly. It adopts many climatic responsive techniques: “wind walls” to direct wind to internal spaces, solar panels, mechanically joined connections between building components to facilitate recycling, rainwater collection, sewage composting and grey-water reuse. The placement of the vegetation within the tower at different levels correspond to the microclimates of each sub-zone at the tower. Sustainable design aims to accommodate people's current demands and needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to supply their own needs. Many of the current processes the modern world chooses to obtain and use our natural resources are short-sighted. Companies looking to make a profit right away can cause long-term damage to the environment when they do activities, for example, cutting down too many trees or produce pollutants. However, a sustainable design would require the massive amount of time, money and research to find out which methods of production would damage the environment the least. This is the primary reason why people are hesitant to support sustainable development.

Referencing

Questia School, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questiaschool.comPublication information: Book title: Gaia:A New Look at Life on Earth. Contributors: James Lovelock -Author. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of publication: Oxford. Publication year: 1982. Pagennumber: 116Questia School, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questiaschool.comPublication information: Book title: Gaia Connections:An Introduction to Ecology, Ecoethics, andEconomics. Contributors: Alan S. Miller - Author. Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield. Place of publication:Lanham, MD. Publication year: 1991. Page number: 9World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Our Common Future; Oxford UniversityPress: New York, NY, USA, 1987. [Google Scholar]impact Assessment Guidelines; EC Document No. SEC(2005) 791; European Commission: Brussels,Belgium, 2005.Strange, T.; Bayley, A. Sustainable Development. Linking Economy, Society, Environment; Organisation forEconomic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Paris, France, 2008.Gibson, R.B. Specification of Sustainability-based Environmental Assessment Decision Criteria andImplications for Determining “Significance” in Environmental Assessment; Paper prepared under acontribution agreement with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency Research and DevelopmentProgramme; Ottawa, Canada, 2001. [Google Scholar]Elkington, J. Towards the sustainable corporation: Win-win-win business strategies for sustainabledevelopment. Calif. Manage. Rev. 1994, 36, 90–100. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]Pope, J.; Annandale, D.; Morrison-Saunders, A. Conceptualising sustainability assessment. Environ.Impact Assess. Rev. 2004, 24, 595–616. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]Solow, R.M. An Almost Practical Step Toward Sustainability; Resources for the Future: Washington,DC, USA, 1992. [Google Scholar]Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary; Merriam-Webster: Springfield, MA, USA, 2004.García Martín, M.A. Desde el concepto de felicidad al abordaje de las variables implicadas en elbienestar subjetivo: un análisis conceptual. EF y Deportes, Revista Digital 2002, 48, 4. [GoogleScholar]Michalos, A.C. Education, Happiness and Wellbeing. Soc. Indic. Res. 2008, 87, 347–366. [GoogleScholar] [CrossRef]World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Our Common Future; OxfordUniversity Press: New York, NY, USA, 1987.

[rightsinexile]

Kenya: Global Compact on Refugees must be quickly anchored in national policy

This opinion piece was written by Victor Nyamori, Amnesty International’s Refugee Coordinator for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes. The piece was originally printed by Amnesty International on 24 December 2018 and is reprinted here with permission.

The endorsement of the Global Compact on Refugees at the United Nations General Assembly on 17 December will not improve the lives of refugees in Kenya, based on the government’s record on the rights of people fleeing conflict and persecution, unless it turns rhetoric into action.

Kenya is renowned for its eagerness to support, draft and sign instruments aimed at protecting the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers, but sadly not for implementing them.

It is now more than 50 years since Kenya ratified the UN Convention on Refugees, which contains the international principles and standards for protecting refugees. However, Kenyan authorities have violated many of these principles, including the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to places where they would be at real risk of serious human rights violations.

In 2016, for example, Kenyan authorities arrested and deported a registered South Sudanese refugee, James Gatdet, spokesperson for the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – In Opposition (SPLA-IO), despite warnings that his life would be in danger in South Sudan. Gatdet was arrested on arrival in Juba and sentenced to death by hanging. He was saved from the hangman’s noose as a result of international pressure.

Kenya also ratified the African Union Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa in 1993. As a result, thousands of Somalis fleeing war and famine have found refuge in Kenya, but at a high price. They are disproportionately targeted in counter-terror operations and face arbitrary arrest, harassment, extortion, ill-treatment, forcible relocation within Kenya, and even deportation.

Nationally, the Kenya Refugee Act 2006, which provides guidelines for the management of refugees, has been implemented in a piecemeal, halting fashion. The country’s refugee camps were only formally recognised by the government in 2014, while the members of the Refugee Appeal Board, the body responsible for hearing and deciding appeals on refugee status decisions, were only appointed in 2015. The Refugee Advisory Committee, tasked with advising and assisting the Commissioner of refugees on matters related to recognition of refugees is yet to be constituted.

The government has also over the years made knee-jerk amendments to domestic refugee law, threatening the wellbeing of refugees. In 2014, the government set a ceiling of 150,000 for Somali refugees permitted in the country, despite already hosting more than 550,000 registered individuals. In 2016, the government disbanded the Department of Refugee Affairs and directed that all Somali refugees be repatriated and the Dadaab refugee camp closed. Thankfully, in February 2017 the High Court of Kenya overturned both decisions for being unconstitutional and in contravention of the country’s international obligations.

A month later, Kenya committed to continue providing asylum to Somali refugees by signing the ‘Nairobi Declaration’ on durable solutions for Somali refugees. However, Kenya has stubbornly refused to register incoming Somali refugees, of whom there are now estimated to be over 12,000 at Dadaab.

Without any documentation, these refugees constantly face police harassment, arbitrary arrest and detention, and the threat of deportation for being in the country ‘illegally’. Hardly two days pass without Amnesty International receiving calls for help from arrested Somali refugees.

When Amnesty International tried to establish who was responsible for registration of refugees at the Ministry of Interior, we were sent on a wild goose chase from directorate to directorate - each pointing at the other.

So now comes the Global Compact on Refugees: a process aiming to better organize the international response to refugee arrivals by easing pressure on host countries, enhancing self-reliance among people on the move, expanding access to resettlement and improving conditions in countries of origin for safe and dignified returns.

The world is faced with an unprecedented number of people on the move, 25.4 million of whom were recorded as refugees by December 2017. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 85 percent of refugees are hosted by developing countries.

The Global Compact on Refugees comes hot in the heels of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) in 2016. This called for an end to confining people in camps and integrating them into society by empowering them to contribute to their new communities and to secure their own futures in dignity. Both the Compact and the CRRF aim to bring in refugees from the fringes of society to enable them to benefit from national education, health and employment opportunities. They also aim to improve conditions in refugees’ countries of origin for return in safety and dignity.

Kenya’s Turkana County, which also hosts Kakuma Refugee Camp, provides a glimmer of hope. The county is piloting the Kalobeyei integrated settlement, which hosts both refugees and the local community. Refugees are also working with NGOs to make a living from their skills.

However, these budding positive initiatives will face severe challenges unless they are grounded in government policy. Kenya must now anchor all its international refugee commitments in policy. The adoption of the Global Compact for Refugees must usher in a change of attitude towards refugees; hosting refugees must be seen as an opportunity rather than a burden.

[csrgood]

UN Global Compact Provides Platform for Business Leaders to Take Action on the SDGs

The United Nations Global Compact brought together leaders from business with representatives from government, the UN, civil society and academia to highlight private sector commitment to take action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – the annual platform for reviewing progress and guiding global efforts on the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.

Co-hosted by the UN Global Compact, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the International Chamber of Commerce, with the support of the Global Business Alliance for 2030, the 2017 SDG Business Forum on 18 July recognized the critical role of business in delivering on the promise of sustainable and inclusive development.

Speaking at the SDG Business Forum High-Level Luncheon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres encouraged the business community to see the Sustainable Development Goals as an opportunity to “participate in dialog with other sectors of society in building a common project, in building a common approach, in which the combined efforts of everybody can guarantee that the goals are implemented.”

The UN Secretary-General highlighted the important role the private sector can play in providing financial solutions to help achieve the SDGs, ensuring that labor markets are prepared to adapt to future technologies, advancing the green economy, and engaging in multi-lateral platforms of dialog to address issues around migration, fragility, and achieving SDG 16 including advancing the rule of law and good governance, fighting corruption, and building conditions for the cohesion of society.

Forum co-chair, Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, noted that the rate of progress on the SDGs in many areas is far slower than needed to meet the targets by 2030. “We have to act now and we have to act together,” said Kingo. “We need to get the fundamentals rights. Only then can we deliver all of the 17 Goals, everywhere — leaving no one behind.” She followed up on her commitment from the previous year to track and measure business impact on the SDGs, announcing, “We have now finalized a comprehensive analysis of the goals and targets and what they mean for business, and in September we will launch a new framework for how businesses can set targets and report on the SDGs.”

On 17 July, the UN Global Compact, together with the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Mission of Denmark to the United Nations, hosted the HLPF side event The Role of Business at the Local Level: Innovation and multi-stake action to advance the 2030 Agenda. The event focused on the role of Global Compact Local Networks in mobilizing business contributions to implementation the SDGs at the local level and showcased examples from Global Compact Local Networks in Argentina, Denmark and Nigeria.

Concurrently, on 18-19 July, the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative of the UN Global Compact convened the 2017 Global Forum for Responsible Management Education to address the future of business and management education, and to support the global effort to achieve the SDGs. The PRME initiative is the largest organized relationship between the United Nations and business schools.

source: http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/40193-UN-Global-Compact-Provides-Platform-for-Business-Leaders-to-Take-Action-on-the-SDGs?tracking_source=rss

[holidayinn-dubai-al-barsha]

HIAB Girls at Dubai Women's run yesterday! Well Done

#runforher hashtag#DubaiWomensRun hashtag#HolidayInnDubaiAlBarsha hashtag#TrueHospitality hashtag#ToleranceDay

Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha’s Participation In Dubai Women’s Run | 16th Nov 2018 '​'Tolerance Day Dubai, UAE, Saturday, 17th November, 2018 | Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - Chairman of the National Olympic Committee - the Dubai Women’s Run is the first initiative in the Middle East celebrating the spirit of women in the region.

The Dubai Women’s Run since its launch in 2010, attracts local, regional and international participation.

The event welcomed over 6,000 female runners (aged 14 years up) to run in the 5km and 10km races, In addition, thousands of supporting family and friends, and those visiting Dubai Festival City Mall, enjoyed the family-friendly festivities at the Event Village.

This year Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha proudly participated in this constructive activity ably represented by Ten female associates representing the hotel from different departments, of different cultures and religions demonstrating that Diversity is strength. ‘On this ‘’Tolerance Day’’ and everyday , let’s celebrate diversity !

These ladies of Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha participated in the race with great enthusiasm and positive vibe, proudly showcasing two of our award winning restaurants : Fine Dining -Thai - What’s On Award Winner (2018 | 2107 | 2014)Casual Dining - Indian - Honourable Mention at Leaders in F&B Awards 2017 - LEADING ASIAN RESTAURANT

Roxana Jaffer, CEO, Sovereign Hotels Dubai and Director, Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha proudly stated:

‘’We at Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha are very supportive of women as they exude compassion that helps to cultivate leaders of the future through their skills in team building and empowerment coming naturally.”

‘’Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha, as a member of United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) has long been committed in practicing and advocating its Sustainable Development Goals in every path of its business strategy knowing that our monetary profit can only be defined by putting people and planet first.

We align our business practices with 10 of 17 sustainability goals in helping to transform the world, viz. No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Good Heath and Well Being; Quality Education; Gender Equality; Clean Water and Sanitation; Affordable and Clean Energy; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Reduced Inequalities; Responsible Consumption & Production and Partnerships for the Goals.’’

As signatories of WEPs, Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha does not only abide by the principles by virtue of participation but believe in the ethos wholeheartedly and accordingly have in place, strict policies for Equal rights and Equal privileges promoting Gender Equality and progression through meritocracy, exercising zero tolerance if any of the policies are breached by any member of the management, regardless of position.

Further at Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha, we have following canons in place that gender equality and allow benefits for women on the walk of motherhood

· Creation of equal business opportunities and sustainable mutual growth

· Instilling strong work ethics, especially of tolerance at all levels of work

· Offering a supportive work environment with work hours flexibility

· Ensuring equal pay for women

We understand that in today’s age, it is even more vital to develop a team of hardworking female employees who take a fair and equal share of remuneration with their male counterparts as they are equally committed towards corporate goals.

We at Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha know women can be the best managers, not as just business rhetoric but a proven reality – and promise to abide by the Women Empowerment Principles. We promise not to impose a sabbatical on women employees post motherhood, negating a culture of visible discrimination, and striving to lead by example.

Commitment to WEP’s is professed by the following statement, by Roxana Jaffer, CEO Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha, Director of Sovereign Hotels Ltd (Holding Company)

“The vision of our UAE leaders has allowed our small and young country to be counted on the global arena. It is the same visionary leaders, who not only approve a gender balance index, by promoting a gender balance council but create positions in the UAE cabinet for women, raising the representation of women to 27.5%.

Surely it is only natural, that the private sector in the UAE should follow suit by giving women equal opportunities, being committed to support women to achieve excellence and getting a higher representation especially in management.’’

-Ends-

For further information please contact: Kezia Da Rocha Kezia@hialbarsha.com

+971 4323 4333

Notes to Editors: About Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha Set in the heart of New Dubai, Holiday Inn Dubai – Al Barsha is a perfect blend of contemporary design and classic elegance. The hotel has 309 rooms including 54 suites. Each room is equipped with the latest facilities, tastefully decorated to meet every guest’s needs and comfort. Business houses have access to a wide variety of conference venues equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Completing the Holiday Inn experience are the award winning restaurants “The Royal Budha” (Thai), “Gharana” (Indian) and “Xennya Terrace” (Rooftop Bar & Lounge) as well as bars, banquet facilities and impeccable service.

A Full floor of 53 rooms from its portfolio of 309 elegant and contemporary rooms have been refurbished and upgraded to stylish and chic Club rooms. Bundled with exclusive benefits such as full day Club lounge access with culinary delicacies and beverages, happy hours, personalized treatment, and many more, the proposition of upgrading your stay as well as express check-in and check-out service at a dedicated desk is a very attractive offer.

For more information please visit: www.holidayinn.com or www.hialbarshadubai.com.

Find us on Twitter https://twitter.com/HolidayInnDubai or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hidubai

From creative Thai cuisine at The Royal Budha, to traditional Indian experience coupled with enchanting live entertainment at Gharana, to an array of generous buffets at The Gem Garden, the hotel offers a variety of F&B options. This year around, Holiday Inn Dubai - Al Barsha’s renowned award winning Chef Sameh Youssef won ‘Chef of The Year 2017’ by Hotelier Express Awards.

The Gem Garden | All Day Dining All-day dining with a difference. The Gem Garden’s minimalist Zen styling is the ideal place any time of day or night. The food, on the other hand, is anything but minimalist, with a combination of generous buffets and classic a la carte dishes.

The Royal Budha | Fine Dining -Thai - What’s On Award Winner (2018 | 2107 | 2014) Award winning creative cuisine delivered in a stylish setting under the watchful eye of a towering Buddha makes this a royal treat. Situated on the ground floor, this contemporary Thai restaurant is the perfect blend of tradition and innovation.

Gharana | Casual Dining - Indian - Honourable Mention at Leaders in F&B Awards 2017 - LEADING ASIAN RESTAURANT An experience of the Indian subcontinent through the kaleidoscope of elements of familiar monuments and the culinary tastes of that region leads this restaurant to be labeled exotic with live entertainment.

The Q | Sports Bar Suspended UV lit snooker cues add a dramatic feature in the ceiling to a fresh and modern monochromatic back drop. White floors and walls, super comfy large black sofas and upholstered bar stools make this an ideal spot to watch your latest sporting events on massive cinema screens around the circular bar.

Lounge@Barsha | Coffee Shop Meet and Greet Lounge: PASTRIES & SPECIALITY TEAS

This elegant lobby lounge is ideal for business and social get-togethers. A selection of pastries, sandwiches and hot or cold refreshments are served throughout the day.(Free Wi-Fi)

Bodega Garage | Filipino Nightclub An ultimate fun experience at The Q Underground awaits. Enjoy Manila style, unlimited fun, games, music, teamed with sizzling food & drinks at Bodega Garage! A Filipino nightclub with its brand tag line being ‘Park Urself At Bodega Garage’ promises an amusing journey.

Xennya Terrace | Rooftop Bar & Lounge Xennya on a higher level. This rooftop bar and lounge overlooks Dubai’s mesmerizing skyline.

Make friends over amazing ambiance, fine wine and our generously stocked bar.

Dolphin Bar | Roof Top Bar The perfect venue to soak up the atmosphere of Dubai. Enjoy a refreshing daytime swim followed by an even more refreshing cocktail, or sip at sundown with a relaxing drink over the panoramic view of the Burj Al Arab.

About Holiday Inn®: Started over 60 years ago and with close to 1,200 hotels worldwide today, the Holiday Inn® brand is the most widely recognized lodging brand in the world. During that time, it was the first hotel brand to launch a computerized reservation system in 1965, one of the first international hotel brands to establish a presence in China in 1984 and the first to take an online booking in 1995. The ‘Kids Eat & Stay Free’ programme is available at every Holiday Inn® property, and KidSuites® rooms at every Holiday Inn Resort® hotel, demonstrates the long-standing commitment of the Holiday Inn® brand to serving family travellers, along with a comfortable atmosphere where everyone can sit back and relax.

For four consecutive years, the Holiday Inn® brand has been ranked “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Mid-scale Full Service Hotel Chains”, according to the J.D. Power and Associates North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

For more information about Holiday Inn® and Holiday Inn Resort® or to make a reservation, visit www.holidayinn.com. Find us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/holidayinn or Facebookwww.facebook.com/holidayinnhotels.

About IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,100 hotels and more than 750,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,500 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty programme, with nearly 99 million members worldwide.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 350,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations andwww.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihg.com/media and follow us on social media at:www.twitter.com/ihg, www.facebook.com/ihg and www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

[dxdevilx]

Fab Info the top digital magazine in India presents http://fab-info.com/iilms-prme-conference-2018-day-1/

IILM's PRME Conference 2018 Day 1

IILM Institute for Higher Education, a leading Indian B-School committed to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) as envisaged by UN Global Compact, is organizing the 5th International Conference on Sustainability- “Resolution to Resolve: Sustainability Practices in Industry and Education” on 15th, 16th, and 17th of February, 2018 at IILM Lodhi Road Campus, New Delhi.

The UN’s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative brings together the UN and business schools around the world to “inspire and champion responsible management education, research, and thought leadership globally” through the application of six principles: purpose, values, method, research, partnership, and dialogue.

IILM is an Advanced PRME Signatory, designated by United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), an initiative of the United Nations. Its Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) have inspired us to organise this International conference and work on this idea, advance its reach, practice and understanding among all sections of society.

The United Nations has declared 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the key to its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. IILM, in its capacity and reach, mobilizes its network and resources to bring together other signatory business schools, thought leaders, policy makers, researchers, pioneers in the field, industry experts and most importantly, engages with the next generation of business leaders through the platform of its International conference to proactively analyse, debate the roadmap for future, supporting the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

This year’s conference is inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those focused on the aspects of Quality Education, Innovation, Infrastructure and Industry. One of the key objectives of this conference is to create awareness about SDGs among companies, educational institutions, policy makers, NGOs, etc. to initiate activities for inclusion of SDG related initiatives in business school courses, research and in the corporate world.

During the inaugural session today, the welcome address was delivered by Dr.Bhaskar Chatterjee, Senior Director, IILM during which he welcomed the eminent speakers and the audience to this conference. He gave an overview of the three day to come and then invited the speakers to share their thoughts.

Mr. Vinay Kumar, Director Artificial Intelligence, Azure and Search Partnerships, Microsoft addressed the gathering and highlighted the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the fourth industrial revolution.  He touched upon the broader questions of job displacements, AI design principles, government policies and AI ethics as areas that need consideration.

Mr. R. Ramanan, Mission Director, ATAL Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, GOI shed light on various initiatives taken by Atal innovation mission at Niti Ayog including ‘Mentor India Network’ and ‘Mentor of Change’. Further he stressed on the need for education to create innovative minds and job creators rather than only job seekers in the Indian context.

The Chief Guest Prof. Furqan Qamar, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities, delivered the keynote address. He began his speech by quoting examples of how AI is eliminating repetitive jobs and how, many current jobs will be taken up by machines in the near future. He specifically spoke about SDG 4 that focuses on quality education and further highlighted its critical aspects including access, equity & inclusion, quality of higher education and affordability.

This landmark event was set off with the release of IILM’s flagship publication entitled “Resolution to Resolve: Sustainability Practices in Industry and Education” (published by Bloomsbury). This book has contributions from some of our Nation’s most well-known and eminent academicians, practitioners, authors and intellectuals highlighting some of the most effective thoughts and ideas related to the focus SDGs as mentioned above. This compilation of thoughtful and well researched contributions is not only a great value add and gravitas to the event but also provides a thought provoking platform to the discussions that will ensue. The book has been edited by IILM faculty along with Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Senior Director, IILM.

The book release was followed by a panel discussion on the same topic moderated by Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee during which Mr. Kamal Singh, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network India, Dr. Sangeeta Mansur, Founder-Catalyst Bhairavi Business & Consultancy, Prof. Vivek Nagpal, Senior Consultant, MHRD, Mr. Rajeeb Kumar Debnath, Advisor PwC, and Mr. Sudarshan Rodriguez, Senior Programme Coordinator, Director’s Office, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, enlightened the gathering on the subject. Each of them presented their contribution to the book and gave insights on its relevance in the context of current education and industry.

Day 1 of the conference concluded successfully leaving the audience eager for the forthcoming sessions.

This international conference provides a platform for industry experts, Diplomats and academicians from different parts of the world to interact and engage in meaningful discussion and dialogue on aspects of Sustainability and Innovation that are extremely important drivers of responsible management in the current business context.

[newsdistribution]

The Fourth HR Conclave at JGBS – Exploring New Opportunities for a New Age

On 4 November 2017 Jindal Global Business School organized the fourth HR Conclave on ‘Human Dimension of Globalization: Its impact, opportunities and challenges’ in association with United Nations Global Compact Network India, Career Development and Placement Division (JGBS), and Humanos, the HR Club. Bringing together an august group of academicians, thinkers, practitioners, and industry leaders, the Conclave offered a unique platform to discuss innovative ideas, thoughts, and perspectives on HR in the 21st century.

Introducing the special guests, in his Welcome Address Dr. Tapan Panda (Dean, JGBS) stressed on the importance of creating robust platforms to connect theory and practice. Later Dr. Asim Talukdar (Vice Dean, External Relations, JGBS) presented the themes of the Conclave and envisioned a greater role for HR to drive businesses.

In his Special Address Mr. Kamal Singh (ED & CEO, UN Global Compact Network India) observed: ‘While quality education is one of the Sustainable Development Goals, few business schools talk about sustainability. With Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) coming to India, things are going to improve.’ Delivering the Inaugural Speech, Mr. Anil Sharma (EVP, HR, ITC Hotels) encouraged students to look at the larger picture: ‘Your competence and intelligence will be determined by how you connect dots that seem unconnected. That will happen when you understand the complete range of business functions.’

The first session focused on ‘Role of HR in Creating Workplace Optimism in Organizations’ with Mr. Harbhajan Singh (VP, HR and Corporate Affairs, Honda Motor Cycle and Scooters India Ltd.), Mr. K.S. Bakshi (EVP, HR, The Oberoi Group), and Dr. Shalini Lal (CEO, Infinity OD) as panellists and Dr. Manisha Mishra (Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean, JGBS) as moderator. While Mr. Bakshi offered practical tips on building workplace optimism, Mr. Singh shared his experience with the Honda Group where he helped to inspire functional cultures and create events to bring employees closer. Offering biological proof on higher optimism improving productivity, Dr. Lal said, ‘Any change in the organization gives birth to uncertainty. A leader needs to bring down anxiety levels at the workplace.’

In the special session on ‘Leadership & HR Policies in Armed Forces’ Lt. Gen. (Ret.) A.K. Singh (PVSM, AVSM, SM, and VSM and Advisor to O.P. Jindal Global University) urged future managers to assume leadership roles with the message: ‘Playing safe and maintaining status quo is out of sync with the dynamism of 21st century.’

The next session on ‘Diversity Management as a New Age Differentiator’ saw participation from Mr. Gyanendra Kumar (AVP, HR, TCS), Ms. Roli Singh (Head, Talent Management, Vistara), and Ms. Tania Chatterjee (VP, Head L & D Delivery, India, Royal Bank of Scotland) as panellists and Mr. Ahmad Sabih Kidwai (Director HR, Schneider Electric) as moderator. Highlighting initiatives at RBS, Ms. Chatterjee shared, ‘Diversity supports innovation; innovation supports productivity; and productivity supports bottom line.’ While Mr. Kumar spoke about efforts to bring in more diversity in TCS which is known for its high women workforce, Ms. Singh stressed on the communication styles of different generations.

Focusing on ‘Role of HR in Digital Transformation’, the third session had Mr. Aloke Goel (Head Operations, Siemens Health Care), Mr. Rajesh Uppal (CIO, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.), Dr. Swarup Sinha (Principal, ITC Hospitality Management Institute), and Mr. Neeraj Narang (Director, HCM Strategy, Oracle India Pvt. Ltd.) as panellists. While Mr. Uppal revealed how his organization had recruited digital taskforce, Mr. Goel shared his thoughts on the industrial revolution and the move towards the ‘digital’. Dr. Sinha spoke on how reverse mentoring can lead to greater digital understanding in organizations.

The fourth session on ‘HR Practices for Business Ethics and Corporate Sustainability’ was moderated by Mr. Rajeev Bhaduria (Director, Group HR, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd.) with Mr. Ashish Gautam (Associate Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs, IBM India Pvt. Ltd.), Ms. Malini Priya (Business Operations Leader, Ernst & Young), and Munish Vasudeva (VP, HR, Siemens Ltd.) as panellists. While Mr. Gautam shared his willingness to work for an organization if it embraced ethics alongside rules, Ms. Priya stressed on the importance of a trusting work environment.

The day-long deliberations came to an end with the Valedictory Session, which had Mr. P. Dwarkanath (Director, Group Human Capital, Max India Ltd.) as the Guest of Honour. With its range of themes and unfettered sharing of ideas, thoughts, and perspectives, the fourth edition of the HR Conclave offered significant takeaways for students, academicians, and professionals.

[maxmyanmar-blog]

DARE TO DREAM : BOLD FOR CHANGE

(Credit : United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) International Yearbook 2017, Page 128 - 131)

When talking about Max Energy, it is necessary to also talk about Max Myanmar Holding Co., Ltd. One of the reasons is the founder, U Zaw Zaw, who not only has an interest in developing the capacity-building capabilities of the country but also in moving Myanmar forward.

The journey began with Max Trading Co., Ltd., in 1993. Since then, the company has expanded into the construction sector as well as start a rubber plantation company, Shwe Yaung Pya, in 2005. In 2008, it diversified into the country’s infrastructure through Max Highway to ensure that the public has access to good roads and is able to travel in remote areas, which was not imaginable previously.

In 2010, the gas filling station chain Max Energy was established to serve energy demands. Max Myanmar had a joint venture with Novotel in 2015 and successfully opened the first Novotel Max Hotel in Yangon. As Myanmar is in need of raw building materials, Max Myanmar strategically established Max Cement in 2016.

In a nutshell, Max Myanmar has had consistent growth and is making an impact on society by providing job opportunities to local people, mainly by creating skilled labor for the country and contributing to the country’s GDP. The company also emphasizes capacity-building for those who are required to acquire new skills and upgrade their skills in today’s competitive globalized market.

Responsible business

The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business is an initiative to encourage responsible business activities throughout Myanmar. The Centre is a joint initiative of the Institute for Human Rights and Business and the Danish Institute for Human Rights (see table right).

It has launched its third Transparency in Myanmar Enterprises (TiME) / Pwint Thit Sa report, in which the Max Myanmar Group is consistently recognized among the top three companies. Principle 10 of the UN Global Compact states: “Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.” The TiME Index has committed to this Principle, and the Max Myanmar Group has been highly regarded by ranking first in anti-corruption programming in the 2016 report.

Max Energy and the Ayeyarwady Foundation

Through the Ayeyarwady Foundation, Max Energy has actively been supporting the development of Myanmar during the company’s 20-year history and has given back its best in gratitude to the country. Foundation activities include initiatives in the health sector, the education sector, youth development and support programs, responsible business practice programs, and disaster management.

As per the famous Myanmar proverb “health is wealth,” having good health is a blessing. On the other hand, if one is in bad health, it will have a huge impact.

Only citizens who are physically and mentally fit are able to contribute their best to the political, economic, and social sectors so that the country can prosper in the long run. In order to achieve these goals, the Ayeyarwady Foundation is donating medical funds and providing medical aid and assistance to impoverished people as well as building medical facilities, such as a 550-person-capacity pediatric hospital in Yangon.

The education sector is imperative for advancement in every country, and especially so in developing countries such as Myanmar. The Foundation has contributed to the education sector by constructing Basic Education High Schools for the Pyay and Yekyi townships and more than 10 primary schools across the country. In addition, it offers several scholarship programs. These include scholarships to children who are at a tender age but who, primarily for economic reasons, are not able to continue their basic education. It also provides scholarships for academic excellence to students who have passed the matriculation exams but who could not afford to pursue a university education.

Furthermore, Max Myanmar was among the forerunners to rush to the natural disaster areas during the Nargis Cyclone and provided emergency relief such as medicine, food, and clothes.

Women in power

One of the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals is gender equality. It is focused on achieving gender equality and the empower of all women and girls, at work and in society. Max Energy has done very well in this area because it has established high-level corporate leadership for gender equality (Principle 1) by recruiting women for the top jobs of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Head of Marketing (HOM).

Following are excerpts of interviews with the CFO, Daw Nu Nu Wai, and the HOM, Daw Khin Pyi Sone Oo. “What do you think are the challenges facing women when climbing the corporate ladder?” CFO: “I don’t think women have more challenges than men. It is a mindset all women must have that we are as capable as men in every situation as long as we are focusing on capacity-building (Principle4: Promote education, training and professional development for women).” HOM: “Being a woman is already a challenge in society as well as at work in Asian countries. However, Max Energy has given me an opportunity to learn, grow, and lead the team with compassion, which includes younger generations (Principle2: Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and nondiscrimination). Nevertheless, women have to work as hard as men in order to stay competitive, such as in technical matters, and create work-life balance.” “How can women be successful in life?” CFO: “Women have to empower themselves in order to empower other people, their communities, and the world (Principle 6: Promote equality through community).” HOM: “Have clear objectives, don’t be ambiguous, use your Emotional Intelligence wisely and be strong!”

Empower younger generations

According to the World Bank, Myanmar’s unemployment rate in 2014 was 3.3 percent. One of the reasons for unemployment could be a lack of skills, knowledge, and/or experience. To resolve this, having internship programs and vocational training is imperative.

Max Energy’s internship program allows young and mature students to gain valuable work experience and the necessary training. Following are excerpts of interviews with MBA students from the Yangon University of Economics: “Why did you apply for an internship at Max Energy?” “As women, we need to have more experience and qualifications in order to be ahead of others.” (Ma Ei Mon Oo and Ma Aye Ma Ma Phyo)

“I believe that I would be able to apply the knowledge I have learned during my MBA.” (Ko Swe Nyein)

https://www.telekom.com/resource/blob/502156/.../dl-pdf-yearbook-2017-data.pdf

[blackpjensen]

CASE Begins Heavy Equipment Operations for Hurricane Harvey Recovery: This Week’s Industry News

Want to keep up with the latest news in lawn care and landscaping? Check back every Thursday for a quick recap of recent happenings in the green industry.

CASE Teams Up With Team Rubicon To Provide Hurricane Relief CASE kicked off heavy equipment operations in the Rockport, Texas area, in partnership with Team Rubicon, this past Thursday, September 14. Initial heavy equipment operations included debris removal and home demolition near Rockport and Aransas Pass, Texas, where the eye of Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August. Sonsray Machinery, Inc. of California also shipped compact track loaders in for the operation, and Michelin North America, Inc. donated sets of its Tweel airless radial tires to outfit skid steers working in demolition applications. Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Team Rubicon has deployed 768 volunteers to Texas in support of the ongoing relief efforts with debris removal, damage assessments, muck outs, expedient home repair and chainsaw operations.

Arborjet Launches New Mn-jet Fe Liquid Micronutrient Solution Arborjet Inc. has announced Mn-jet Fe, its new liquid micronutrient solution for trees, palms, shrubs and groundcovers. Fast and effective, Mn-jet Fe alleviates interveinal chlorosis caused by micronutrient deficiencies. Interveinal chlorosis in plants is result of micronutrient deficiencies, specifically iron and manganese. The foliage on chlorotic trees turns a pale green to yellow hue while the veins remain dark green; necrosis and twig dieback occurs in severe cases. When left untreated, chlorotic trees decline over several years and become more susceptible to insects and disease. This is a common condition throughout the United States that affects a number of species including oak, sweetgum, birch, pine, maple, and azaleas. Chlorosis is especially prevalent in the west and midwest regions of the U.S. where soils tend to be alkaline. Arborjet will be offering a free educational Mn-jet Fe webinar on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 3:30 p.m. CDT.

Deadline for IA Pitcher’s Mound ideas extended to Sept. 27 Do you have an irrigation product idea that could change the landscape of the industry? The Irrigation Association invites you to debut your idea and get valuable feedback from industry leaders at the IA Pitcher’s Mound during the Irrigation Show. The 2017 IA Pitcher’s Mound will include a special guest appearance from former “Shark Tank” success story and creator of the infamous tree T-PEE, Johnny Georges. Georges will speak about his experiences on the show and how pitching his product idea changed his life.

Toro Awarded National Contract by The National Joint Powers Alliance The Toro Company has officially been awarded a national cooperative contract by The National Joint Powers Alliance for commercial turf maintenance equipment, commercial and residential irrigation solutions, residential and landscape contractor products and BOSS snow and ice management products. The new contract is valid for use in both the United States and Canada.

Daimler launches first all-electric truck in series production Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, part of Daimler Trucks announced the global launch of the FUSO eCanter in New York City. The FUSO eCanter is the first series-produced all-electric light-duty truck and will be delivered to customers starting this year in the US, Europe and Japan. MFTBC is planning to deliver 500 units of this generation to customers within the next two years. Larger scale production is intended to start in 2019.

Brookside Agra Hires Mary Doerschuck as Product Registration & Compliance Manager Brookside Agra has hired Mary Doerschuck of Okawville, Illinois as Product Registration & Compliance Manager. In this role, Doerschuck will coordinate product registrations, trademarks and renewals, as well as handle Brookside’s tonnage reports, export documentation and accounts payable and receivable. She will also provide sales, customer service and administrative support. Doerschuck comes to Brookside Agra with more than 10 years of combined customer service, and account management experience, with a focus on contract administration, global trade compliance and export regulatory compliance.

Bobcat Donates Over $325,000 in Equipment to Assist with Hurricane Relief Efforts Doosan Bobcat is donating over $325,000 worth of Bobcat equipment and Doosan Portable Power light towers and generators to assist with Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma relief efforts. The company is also providing financial assistance to affected Doosan Bobcat North America dealership employees and their families, and Doosan Bobcat North America employees will direct annual charitable drives toward assisting those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Florida-Based Toro Dealer Expands to Alabama and Mississippi Southern Drill Supply Inc., a trusted Toro equipment dealer, announces a new location in Biloxi, Mississippi, which will provide sales and service primarily to the Florida panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Southern Drill Supply was founded in 2009 in Pensacola, Florida, and previously served the utility construction markets in Florida and Georgia. Southern Drill Supply and Toro have been working together since early 2016. Southern Drill Supply offers sales, rental, parts and service for Toro’s entire portfolio of underground products including directional drills, trenchers, vibratory plows, compact utility loaders, tree care and compaction product lines.

Grigg Brothers Re-brands As GRIGG Grigg Brothers, a turf nutrition brand, is being re-branded as simply GRIGG. BRANDT, who bought Grigg Brothers in 2014, is a leading manufacturer of specialty products for the turf and ornamental market. The rebrand effort celebrates GRIGG’s commitment to science-based products, turf research and proven agronomic principles and embraces the research-driven approach that the Grigg family has created. The rebranding includes a new website and a revamped social media presence on Facebook and on Twitter using the handle @GRIGGco.

Toro Announces 2018 Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program The Toro Company is pleased to announce the 16th annual Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program. In January 2018, one lucky turfgrass science student will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to help the grounds crew prepare the field for the biggest game in football. Starting with the inaugural World Championship in 1967, the NFL grounds crew has relied on Toro for its expertise and equipment in preparing the game field and multiple practice facilities. In 2002, the organizations partnered to establish the Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program. This year’s recipient will work alongside NFL field director, Ed Mangan, George Toma, and the Super Bowl grounds crew at U.S. Bank Stadium on synthetic turf maintenance, logo painting, field preparation for media day, halftime preparation and field clean-up. Beginning on January 27, 2018, the winner will be on hand at U.S. Bank Stadium preparing the field leading up to the game on February 4, 2018.

Brandt Partners With SiteOne Brandt, a manufacturer of specialty products for the turf, agriculture and lawn and garden markets, signed a distribution agreement with SiteOne Landscape Supply. With this agreement, all Brandt and Brandt iHammer turf and ornamental products are available at all SiteOne locations. This is Brandt’s first national distribution agreement that covers the U.S. and Canada.

Vandalia Rental to Open Doors in Sharonville on October 2nd Vandalia Rental has announced that they will officially open on Monday, October 2, at their new facility in Sharonville, Ohio. The third generation family owned and operated business is known for its diverse fleet mix and honest sales approach that began when it was founded in 1961. With this latest expansion to Sharonville, the rental company will now service the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area in response to the increasing demand from the contractors requesting their presence. This expansion in Sharonville will be the third rental facility for the Ohio based company.

Read last week’s industry news roundup: ECHO Expands Illinois Headquarters

The post CASE Begins Heavy Equipment Operations for Hurricane Harvey Recovery: This Week’s Industry News appeared first on Turf.

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[rightsinexile]

Publications

“This book contains stories from this small group of successful refugees, who have managed to receive higher education in a country that neither recognizes that they exist nor offers them even basic education. It identifies the factors that aided their success, and charts the challenges that they and their communities have faced.” Access to Higher Education: Refugees' Stories from Malaysia. Lucy Bailey, Gül İnanç. CRC Press. September 2018.

“This article explores the development of the Bali Process from a forum heavily focused on the securitisation of borders, to one which now considers refugee protection.” “The Bali process and refugee protection in Southeast Asia.” Carly Gordyn. Asylum Insight. 2018.

This report “reveals the disturbing parallels between the steps Hungary took to dismantle asylum and the United States’ increasingly restrictive and punishing asylum system.” A Cautionary Tale: The United States Follows Hungary’s Dangerous Path to Dismantling Asylum. Rachel Gore Freed, Amber Moulton, Mayuri Anupindi, and Joshua Leach. UUSC. July 2018.

“This research argues that a wide range of stakeholders should be involved in the development of a transitional plan; civil society in particular can help to identify and articulate the challenges that refugees face in becoming self-reliant and in accessing social welfare.” Challenges in transitioning recognised refugees away from humanitarian assistance in Greece. Ben Mascall. Refugee Law Initiative Working Paper No. 28. 2018.

This article “discusses how asylum and migration policies produce hierarchical categories of migrants and refugees, producing a nomenclature drawing on an imaginary reminiscent of the orientalist and racialized practices of European colonialism and imperialism.” “The Coloniality of Migration and the ‘Refugee Crisis’: On the Asylum-Migration Nexus, the Transatlantic White European Settler Colonialism-Migration and Racial Capitalism”. Encarnación Gutiérrez Rodríguez. Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees 34:1. 2018.

This article aims “to question the state’s and supranational efforts to divide the “migrant mob” into discrete juridical categories of citizens (emigrants), refugees, and illegal immigrants, thereby undermining coalitional struggles between precaritised groups.” “Crisis, What Crisis? Immigrants, Refugees, and Invisible Struggles.” Anna Carastathis, Aila Spathopoulou, Myrto Tsilimpounid. Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees 34:1. 2018.

This book “provides a critical engagement with and analysis of contemporary issues in the field using inter-disciplinary perspectives, through different geographical case studies and by employing varying methodologies.” Forced Migration: Current issues and debates, Alice Bloch and Giorgia Donà (eds.) Oxford: Routledge. 2018.

“Although France has among Europe’s shortest maximum lengths of immigration detention, recent laws double the maximum to 90 days and provide for the re-detention of people shortly after being released.” Immigration Detention in France: Longer, More Widespread, and Harder to Contest.. Global Detention Project. 26 October 2018.

“Poland rarely considers ’alternatives to detention,’ systematically detains families with children, does not have adequate mechanisms to identify victims of torture, and requires detainees to pay for their detention.” Immigration Detention in Poland: Systematic Family Detention and Lack of Individualised Assessment. Global Detention Project. 25 October 2018.

This “study considers whether the reasons for the displacement of Ezidi women from Sinjar (who, by December 2016, were living in Fidanlık Camp, Diyarbakır, Turkey), are consistent with International Refugee Law (IRL) principles.” Is there a safe haven? Experiences of female Ezidi refugees in Fidanlık refugee camp. Faika Deniz Pasha. Refugee Law Initiative Working Paper No. 27. 2018.

“The research documents exploitative conditions Rohingya face during their journeys, including extortion and deprivations of liberty, food, and water. Human traffickers caged and withheld food and water from Rohingya men, women, and children in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Thailand while demanding payments for onward journeys.” -  “Mass Atrocities and Human Trafficking: Rohingya Muslims on the Move”. Fortify Rights Human Rights Specialists Puttanee Kangkun and John Quinley III. Humanitarian Practice Network in Humanitarian Exchange Magazine. October 2018.

This author argues “that the interplay between discourses of the 'bogus economic refugee' and Canada's extraterritorial bordering practices is crucial to understanding human security in North America.” “The Mexico-Canada border: extraterritorial border control and the production of ‘economic refugees’.” International Journal of Migration and Border Studies (IJMBS) 4(1/2). 2018.

This collection focuses “on the interrelations between urban policy, governance, forms of labour, migration, and neoliberalism as the political ideology motivating increasing urbanisation of India. It also shows how cities are increasingly turning into sites of conflict, fragmentation and gentrification, fragmentation and acute class conflict.” Migrants and the Neoliberal City.  Ranabir Samaddar, (ed.) Orient Blackswan. 2018.

“[F]eatures several articles focusing upon issues discussed and negotiated by United Nations (UN) member states in producing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (“the Compact”). [...] The report also includes shorter essays from special contributors to CMS addressing other important topics addressed by the member states during the negotiations of the Compact.”  Perspectives on the Content and Implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. Scalabrini Migration Study Centers. Center for Migration Studies. September 2018.

“Featuring on-the-ground reports, the paper examines the diverse ways migrants and refugees put social media to use during their journeys and helps address gaps in current literature regarding the role of digital platforms in contemporary migration contexts.” Physical Fences and Digital Divides. A Global Detention Project Investigation into the Role of Social Media in the Context of Migration Control. Part II: “Why Would You Go?” Tom Rollins. Global Detention Project. 19 October 2018.

“Drawing on previously unpublished material from the UNHCR archives, this article shows how, in both the 1970s and 1990s, large numbers of Rohingya refugees were returned to Myanmar in a manner that was premature, involuntary and unsafe.” ‘Primitive people’: the untold story of UNHCR’s historical engagement with Rohingya refugees. Jeff Crisp. Humanitarian Practice Network. October 2018.

“This paper problematizes the logic of the European Union (EU)’s provisional relocation system for internally re-distributing asylum seekers. It argues that the tenets embedded in the current relocation scheme disregard the idea of distributive equity and apply the principle of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibility asymmetrically between Member States.” Problematizing the Norms of Fairness Grounding the EU’s Relocation System of Shared Responsibility. Raluca Bejan. European University Institute Working Papers. RSCAS 2018/35. 2018.

“Examining resettlement practices worldwide and drawing on contributions from anthropology, law, international relations, social work, political science, and numerous other disciplines, this groundbreaking volume highlights the conflicts between refugees’ needs and state practices, and assesses international, regional and national perspectives on resettlement, as well as the bureaucracies and ideologies involved.” Refugee Resettlement: Power, Politics, and Humanitarian Governance. Edited by Adèle Garnier, Liliana Lyra Jubilut, and Kristin Bergtora Sandvik. Berghahn Books. August 2018.

“This book looks at the Rohingya in the South Asian region, primarily India and Bangladesh. It explores the broader picture of the historical and political dimensions of the Rohingya crisis, and examines subjects of statelessness, human rights and humanitarian protection of these victims of forced migration.” The Rohingya in South Asia: People Without a State. Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury and Ranabir Samaddar (eds.) Oxford: Routledge. 2018.

“This study compares outcomes for refugees from South Sudan who are now in two places in northwest Kenya, the Kolobeyei settlement established in 2015 using a self-reliance model and the older Kakuma camp that uses more of an ‘aid model’. The authors consider how to assess self-reliance of refugees in the two locations, examine to what extent self-reliance is greater in the new Kolobeyei settlement compared to the old Kakuma camp, and how to enhance self-reliance.” Self-reliance in Kalobeyei? Socio-Economic Outcomes for refugees in northwest Kenya. Alexander Betts, Remco Geervliet, Claire MacPherson, Naohiko Omata, Cory Rodgers and Olivier Sterck. University of Oxford Refugee Studies Centre and the World Food Programme. 2018.

“The following report describes OIG’s [Office of the Inspector General’s] observations in the field and its analysis of family separation data provided by the Department.” Special Review - Initial Observations Regarding Family Separation Issues Under the Zero Tolerance Policy. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General. 27 September 2018.

“This submission is made under Article 45(a) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and addresses implementation of Article 3(1) and Article 37 (b)(c)(d) in the context of immigration detention.” Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: Luxembourg. Global Detention Project. 26 October 2018.

The author “examines the current outflow of people from Syria to neighbouring states as individuals and families seek survival with dignity, arguing that though the future remains uncertain, the resilience and strength of Syrian society both displaced internally within Syria and externally across borders bodes well for successful return and reintegration.” Syria: The Making and Unmaking of a Refugee State. Dawn Chatty. London: Hurst Publishers. 2018.

“[This] report then examines how the United States’ implementation and interpretation of the ‘particularly serious crime’ bar provision fails to comply with its responsibilities under the Refugee Convention and diverges from the interpretation endorsed by the international community and implemented in other countries.” United States Failure to Comply with the Refugee Convention: Misapplication of the Particularly Serious Crime Bar to Deny Refugees Protection from Removal to Countries Where Their Life or Freedom is Threatened. Philip L. Torrey, Clarissa Lehne, Collin Poirot, Manuel D. Vargas, and Jared Friedberg. The Immigrant Defense Project & The Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program. Fall 2018.

“This report describes the myriad ways in which this program [the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)] serves US interests and values.”  The US Refugee Resettlement Program - A Return to First Principles: How Refugees Help to Define, Strengthen, and Revitalize the United States. Donald Kerwin. Part of Journal of Migration and Human Security. Center for Migration Studies. 2018.

Commissioned by the Norwegian Red Cross, “[t]his Global Detention Project Special Report systematically compares conditions and operations at detention centres in five European countries—Norway, France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland—to identify practices that may be used to develop “harm reducing” strategies in detention.” Harm Reduction in Immigration Detention. Izabella Majcher and Michael Flynn. Published by the Global Detention Project. 2018

A new report focused on female genital mutilation (FGM) “claims that the legislation against FGM in many [African] countries is failing to protect women and girls from the practice. Anti-FGM laws are rarely enforced and the continuing absence of prosecutions is putting millions of women and girls at risk. The study, shows that although 22 out of 28 FGM practising countries in Africa have national legislation criminalising FGM, law enforcement is generally weak or non-existent, and any sentences are usually short or suspended. In addition, 6 of the 28 practising countries remain without laws, meaning FGM is effectively still legal there.” The Law and FGM: An Overview of 28 African Countries. Amy Hurn. Published by 28 Too Many and TrustLaw (Thomson Reuters Foundation). 2018

[csrgood]

Partnerships for Sustainable Development - Global Sustain Group and DCarbon Egypt Strategic Partnership

With the vision to lead sustainable business transitions, Global Sustain Group and DCarbon Egypt entered a strategic partnership aiming at Knowledge and Knowhow transfer, international best practices and solutions sharing, and developing opportunities for emerging markets.    

The consortium has high level and extensive practical experience in corporate sustainability, sustainable finance, investments and climate change, working with international and local financial institutions, governmental authorities, public and private corporations, sovereign and private equity funds in USA, EU, Asia, MENA, and the GCC in addition to Egypt.

The first Executive Training Programme on Sustainable Finance in Egypt marks the beginning of this cooperation.

The ultimate purpose of this Executive Training Programme is to provide the Egyptian financial sector with the necessary practical knowledge to integrate the principles of sustainable finance, attract and mobilize sustainable finance and investments.

The training modules include the main principles, benefits and managerial steps for the development and implementation of sustainable finance and responsible investment framework. The Programme is addressed to top-level executives from Banking, Insurance and Private Equity Funds, in addition to finance, strategy, risk, business and sustainability managers across Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals, Telecom, ICT, IT, FMCG, Pharma, Real Estate, and Agribusiness sectors.

To join the Executive Training Programme on Sustainable Finance: https://dcarboneg.com/lines_of_business/executive-training-programme-on-sustainable-finance/

About Global Sustain Group

Founded in 2006, Global Sustain Group with companies in London, Berlin and Athens and representation offices in Brussels, New York and Nicosia, creates awareness and inspires and supports companies and organisations to embody sustainability, through advisory, communications, networking and training, with a focus on the people-planet-profit philosophy. Its members include corporations, non-governmental and non-profit organisations, municipalities and local authorities, educational foundations, media, professional bodies, think tanks and other public or private entities. Global Sustain is a signatory to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a GRI Gold Community and Data Partner, an affiliated member of the Academy of Business in Society, Social Value International, Institute of Directors, TCFD, CEO Clubs, CAPITALS Club and EFQM.

The Global Sustain Group is a TCFD official supporter since December 2018 and participated in the inaugural TCFD Conference in New York City (May 2018). Ever since the Group provides tailor-made TCFD-related services to organisations and companies. Global Sustain Group has recently completed successfully trainings on sustainable finance and EBRD Environmental and Social Policy (ESP) and Performance Requirements (PRs) for 55 PE Funds (EBRD clients) managing more than USD 30 billion in Athens, Tunis, Istanbul and Warsaw; developed an ESG Rating Tool for an asset privatisation fund, with the funding and collaboration with EBRD ESD; delivered up to date hundreds of live and online training hours on E&S management and sustainable finance; assisted EBRD Partner FIs to develop and implement Environmental & Social Management Systems (ESMS). Global Sustain is also a qualified EBRD Consultant for SMEs (ABS Programme) through EBRD RO Athens.

In the following hyperlink, you can view customer testimonials in the field of ESG, Sustainable Finance and Sustainability Training, Corporate Responsibility, Risk, Corporate Governance and Sustainable Development. http://globalsustain.org/el/aboutus/testimonials

www.globalsustaingroup.com | www.globalsustain.org

www.esgconference.com | www.sustainabilityforum.gr   info@globalsustain.org

About DCarbon Egypt

DCarbon Egypt is a privately-held, boutique consulting firm specializing in consultation, education, certification, and assurance services to enable the transition to sustainable business, low-carbon, and climate-resilient development. DCarbon is the only certified training partner of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in Egypt, a member of the GRI Gold Community, a member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) as well as a partner of the US-based Millennium Institute, and the Talent United (TU) in Gulf. DCarbon assists both the public and private sectors to develop opportunities for emerging markets and establish an integrated ecosystem for sustainable growth. Dcarbon specializes in developing and assuring sustainability reports for different sectors including Banking, Telecommunications, Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, F&B, and ICT. DCarbon Consultants were members of the National Expert Committee that developed Egypt’s National Sustainable Development Strategy - Egypt Vision 2030 (SDS) and Egypt’s National Voluntarily Review Report (NVR) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda delivered to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in 2016. They also developed the sustainability strategic review of the World Food Program (WFP) for the period of 2017-2023 and last but not least, DCarbon team assisted the Arab Republic of Egypt in the preparation of its first Biennial Update Report (BUR) for the fulfillment of the obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

www.dcarboneg.com | info@dcarboneg.com

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/45339-Partnerships-for-Sustainable-Development-Global-Sustain-Group-and-DCarbon-Egypt-Strategic-Partnership?tracking_source=rss

[avantgardistes]

SDG5 - Gender Equality

"Women’s status in society has become the standard by which humanity’s progress toward civility and peace can be measured." – Mahnaz Afkhami

This is the sixth installment of the SDGs spotlight series.  Sustainable Development Goal 5 is to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.”  Ahead of SDG5’s review at the High Level Political Forum next month, here’s some quick background.

What is “gender equality”?

MDG3 – “promote gender equality and empower women” by 2015 – brought necessary attention to gender disparities around the world but there is still significant work to do.  At the current rate of change, it will be 100 years before gender equality is achieved.  Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and political and economic representation will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large.  Although SDG5 is a stand-alone goal, it is clear that gender equality must be fully integrated into the remaining 16 SDGs. Unfortunately, a recent UN report revealed,

Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will require more vigorous efforts, including legal frameworks, to counter deeply rooted gender-based discrimination that often results from patriarchal attitudes and related social norms.

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Legal frameworks are a first step towards assuring women’s rights and addressing gender discrimination.  In 2014, 143 countries had guaranteed equality between men and women in their constitutions, while 52 countries had yet to do so.  132 countries had equal statutory legal age of marriage for women and men, while in 63 countries, the legal age of marriage was lower for women than for men.

Gender-Based Violence

From 2005 to 2016, in 87 countries, 19% of women between 15 and 49 years of age said they had experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the 12 months prior to the survey.  In the most extreme cases, such violence can lead to death.  In 2012, nearly half of all women who were victims of intentional homicide worldwide were killed by an intimate partner or family member, compared to 6% of male victims.

Human trafficking disproportionately affects women and girls, since 70% of all victims detected worldwide are female.

In 2012, only 52% of women between 15 and 49 years of age in 45 countries (43 of which are in a developing region) who are married or in union make their own decisions about consensual sexual relations and use of contraceptives and health services.

Although global statistics are unavailable, at least 200 million girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation/cutting in 30 countries with representative prevalence data.  The practice has declined by 24% since 2000, but today, in the 30 countries with available data, around 1 in 3 girls aged 15 to 19 have undergone the practice, versus 1 in 2 in the mid-1980s.

Child Marriage

Child marriage is declining but still prevalent: Around 2000, nearly 1 in 3 women aged 20-24 reported that they were married before 18 years old.  Around 2015, the ratio was just over 1 in 4.  The decline is driven by an even steeper reduction in the marriage rate among girls under 15 years of age during that period.  Child marriage is most common in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, with 44% of women married before their 18th birthday in Southern Asia and 37% of women married before their 18th birthday in sub-Saharan Africa.  The marriage of girls under the age 15 is also highest in those two regions, at 16% and 11%, respectively.

Political Power

Globally, women’s participation in single or lower houses of national parliaments reached 23.4 per cent in 2017, just 10 percentage points higher than in 2000.  Slow progress in this area is in contrast with more women in parliamentary leadership positions.  In 2016, the number of women speakers of national parliaments jumped from 43 to 49 (out of the 273 posts globally); women accounted for 18% of all speakers of parliament in January 2016.

Work & Economic Power

In every region, women and girls do the bulk of unpaid work (namely caregiving and household tasks). The average amount of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work is more than threefold higher for women than men, according to survey data from 83 countries and areas. Available data indicate that time spent on domestic chores accounts for a large proportion of the gender gap in unpaid work.  The responsibilities of unpaid care and domestic work, combined with paid work, means greater total work burdens for women and girls and less time for rest, self-care, learning, and other activities.

Women are still underrepresented in managerial positions.  In the majority of the 67 countries with data from 2009 to 2015, fewer than a third of senior- and middle management positions were held by women.

However, women touch every aspect of business and are important drivers of economic growth.  Empowering women and girls has a multiplier effect and helps drive up economic growth and development across the board: One Goldman Sachs study shows that when women’s spending and decision-making power increases, they affect consumer trends, such as household spending for family welfare, which has implications for the apparel, childcare, consumer durables, education, financial services, food, and healthcare sectors.  A McKinsey study found that the advancement of women is also crucial to business success, with companies with women in leadership outperforming their competitors by 55% in average company earnings.

SDG5 Targets

The targets set for SDG5 are:

End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere

Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation

Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation

Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate

Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences

Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws

Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women

Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels

What can we do?

BSR proposes three main ways that businesses can promote gender equality: creating decent and empowering jobs for women throughout the value chain, designing products and services to address women’s unique needs, and working with local businesses to integrate women’s empowerment.

The UN Global Compact break downs its recommendations by sector: Financial Services, Food/Beverage/Consumer Goods, Health Care & Life Sciences, Industrial Manufacturing, Transportation, and Energy/Natural Resources/Chemicals. The gender-specific themes include considering women-led businesses along the supply chain, creating a gender-sensitive work environment, providing training and support, and developing products suited to the women’s market.

Who’s taking action?

Multilateral initiatives

UN Global Compact offers many resources to companies interested in SDG5, including an industry breakdown of opportunities to pursue the SDGs and various related webinars, such as “Creating Opportunities for Economic Empowerment and Employment for Young Women” and “Advancing SDG 5 through Inclusive Sourcing”.

UN Women is the UN’s entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment and has a long list of activities dedicated to issues related to SDG5.  One such activity is UNITE to End Violence Against Women.

The Women’s Empowerment Principles are a joint initiative of UN Global Compact and UN Women and endorsed by 1,000+ companies.

UNDP is currently implementing women’s education and empowerment programs in countries across the globe, including in Mali, Afghanistan, Iraq, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ghana, and Indonesia.

Nonprofits

Camfed is an international non-profit organization tackling poverty and inequality by supporting girls to go to school and succeed, and empowering young women to step up as leaders of change.  Since 1993, Camfed’s innovative education programs in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Malawi have directly supported nearly 2 million students to attend primary and secondary school.

Clinton Global Initiative partnered with 32 companies and organizations to launch the Girls, Women & the Global Goals coalition.  The partners have collectively pledged over $70 million to advance the full participation of nearly 900,000 women and girls in over 60 countries across 6 continents.

Private sector*

Dove/Unilever formed the Dove Self-Esteem Project was formed in 2005 to work on building self-esteem for women.  The program has helped more than 19 million young people build self-esteem through body confidence education and self-esteem workshops.  As part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, Dove is committed to helping an additional 20 million young people build body confidence and self-esteem by 2020.

Coca Cola focuses on expanding the entrepreneurial potential of women to help families and communities around the world prosper.  In 2010, Coca-Cola launched its 5by20 campaign to help economically empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2020.  This initiative means “building women’s self-esteem so they become mentors and role models to other women, empowering them through the development of business skills and increased access to financial services, capital, peer networks, and mentoring.”  By 2014, 5by20 empowered a total of 865,000 women and expanded to eight new countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Ghana, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi, and Burundi. 

ANN INC. is a signee of the WEPs and participates in BSR’s HERproject.  The company has taken a holistic and integrated approach through its 100,000 Women Commitment, targeting women’s health and well-being, financial literacy, and workplace empowerment.  In addition to training 100,000 women in its supply chain by 2018, the company revised its supplier code of conduct to ensure that the company and its suppliers share a vision to support women.

Standard Chartered developed the Diva Club account to serve the specific financial services needs of women in Africa.  According to BSR, “In addition to addressing banking convenience and linking to lifestyle benefits, the account responds to customer demands for networking opportunities and joint savings clubs with other women.  A focus on women has helped Standard Chartered differentiate itself from its peers and connect with to its female consumers.”

*SDG5 seems to be so far one of the trendier Sustainable Development Goals, with many, many lists of companies that are working towards empowering women and girls.  For instance, WEP put out a report of “Companies Leading the Way” on 100 companies that are implementing the Women’s Empowerment Principles. This list here is nowhere near comprehensive and was not abbreviated with any rhyme or reason.

Individuals and companies can donate to Global Impact’s SDG Fund, which is a philanthropic nonprofit that supports charities working on the SDGs.  Donations to this goal's fund will support the following charities: CARE, Cordaid, ECPAT-USA, Heifer International, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), Plan International USA, Women for Women International, and World Vision. 

[global-justice-blog]

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Corporate Supply Chains: Aspirations and Reality

By Mahveen Azam, MSFS’11

Photo: This was taken on March 31st, 2017 in Islamabad at the Supply Chain Diversity Expo organized by USPWC and WECREATE  The Expo brought together USPWC corporate members and women owned businesses to facilitate information exchange which can lead to potentially more women in corporate supply chains. Here is the owner of a business showing the products and interacting with a corporate representative.

[Mahveen Azam works for the U.S.-Pakistan Women's Council. The Council is a partnership between the U.S. State Department and American University to promote women’s participation in Pakistani workforce.]

The linkages between women’s empowerment and corporate sector and the background behind this relationship are more complicated than meets the eye.

A growing body of research identifies women as the “world’s most underutilized resource,” and proves that women empowerment and participation in the workforce bears enduring social, economic and health benefits. Over the years, gender-specific economic growth programs have continued to be a major focus of most of the bilateral and multilateral donors.  However, such efforts remain isolated and limited in impact -- underscoring the need for a more comprehensive, integrated and multi-actor approach.

Out of all actors, the corporate sector is increasingly seen as the most well-positioned to leverage lasting women empowerment through an integrated approach. A report commissioned by Oak Foundation defines this integrated approach as the one which

addresses the underlying structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment. It utilizes all of a company’s potential levers to create impact: people, investments, brand, customers, purchasing power and partnerships.

Partners of the corporate sector may include industry peers, non-profit organizations, government policymakers, investors, and social entrepreneurs. This approach aims to impact women along the complete supply chain as suppliers/distributors, employees, customers, and members of the community.

In their report, “The Business of Empowering Women,” McKinsey & Company researchers note, “64 percent of companies surveyed in the United States stated investments in women had or would increase employee productivity and retention in emerging market.” The Oak Foundation report also argues in support of women-focused impact investment, calling it a smart business strategy paying off in enhanced productivity, reduced employee turnover, and creation of sustainable consumer markets. An Ernst & Young (EY) study titled “The State of Sustainable Supply Chains: Building Responsible and Resilient Supply Chains,” explores “how companies are embedding sustainability in their supply chains by managing risks and adopting corporate commitments to human rights, ethics, the environment and the communities from which they source goods and services.”  The report recommends diversity in supply chains by emphasizing the competitive edge the practice generates through more innovation; efficiency; growth of products and services serving multicultural and female consumers; and global market penetration. Brand recognition, enhanced reputation, and appeal to value-driven stakeholders are a few more of the benefits stemming from such initiatives.

Business leaders like Sir Ronald Cohen -- also the Chairman of the Global Social Impact Investment Steering Group -- are stepping forward saying “Investors in the 19th century talked about return, in the 20th about risk and return, and in 21st century, it is risk, return and impact.”

While we may have to wait for a few more decades to witness the full manifestation of this statement across the board, emerging trends in that direction have certainly been positive. “Impact”-oriented investments have begun to take place in the corporate sector or the newly emerging “fourth sector,” defined as “for-benefit organizations that primarily pursue social or environmental aims, while raising a substantial proportion of their revenue through earned income or commercial activities.”

The Reality:

In terms of gender-focused impact investment, the bulk of the work has occurred on the fringes of business operations, usually carried out by corporate foundations or the corporate entities themselves through small-scale programs primarily concentrated on bringing women into the supply chains. The aforementioned EY/UN Compact report, though supportive of supply chain diversity, does caution that such programs are “not easy.”

Companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Walmart have taken the lead in rolling-out large programs geared towards advancing employment and entrepreneurship. Coca Cola’s “5by20” initiative launched in 2010 seeks to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs across the company’s value chain by 2020 in more than 200 countries around the world by offering business skills training courses, financial services, and connections with peers or mentors. PepsiCo has been running a strong, inclusive supply chain program for decades, and so far has spent USD 20 billion on minority and women-owned entrepreneurs (MWBEs). In 2011, Walmart kicked off programs to train 200,000 women in retail, start an e-commerce outlet to feature products created by women, and provide grants amounting to US $ 100 million to boost women-led enterprises.

One of the major initiatives of the US Pakistan Women’s Council (USPWC) called the Supply Chain Diversity Initiative focuses on women-owned enterprises in Pakistan and facilitating their growth through linking them up with academic and training institutions, local and multinational corporations, and capacity building organizations.

Let’s explore some of the insights that USPWC has captured through its work in Pakistan, whose small and medium enterprise (SME) environment for women more or less mirrors the same characteristics as the majority of the developing world. In Pakistan, growth of SMEs is constrained by the country’s limited technology base, access to finance, market information, skill development opportunities, and value addition—plus many regulatory hurdles. Making matters more complicated are the added layers of gender-based cultural and religious biases that women-led SMEs face. Some of the biggest gaps identified by women-owned businesses participating in USPWC’s Supply Chain Diversity Initiative include limited networking opportunities with the private sector, access to finance, family backing, self-confidence, and role models and mentors, as well as competing household obligations including childcare. The British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioral Science in its report on the gender-specific barriers adds lack of mobility, discrimination, and men’s grip on the market to this list of barriers. With these challenges at hand, it comes as no surprise when World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2016 ranks Pakistan 143th of 144 nations ranked on women’s economic participation and opportunity index.  

Given this general situation, there are a number of key lessons learned by USPWC through its Supply Chain Initiative. First, consistent engagement with corporates to cultivate relations with them and informing and educating them about the benefits of having women entrepreneurs in their supply chain is critical. For the last two years, USPWC has been providing shared value platforms to identify and close capacity- and information-gaps between women entrepreneurs and the private sector. Even though the road ahead is clearly long and bumpy, the Council’s grassroots-level coordination work with the local and Pakistan-based multinationals has engendered promising interest followed by suggestions by corporations themselves and concrete initial steps to absorb women entrepreneurs into their supply chains.

USPWC’s engagement with the leaders of the companies has always paid off in more support for its initiatives. If a company is to graduate from a single corporate social responsibility department overseeing a few efforts on the sidelines of its operations to embedding inclusive diversity at the institutional level, buy-in from the leadership of the company is imperative. As the EY/UN Global Compact report notes, “executive ownership” is critical to adopting the change. Walmart, Pepsi,and Coca Cola launched their prodigious gender inclusive commitments with the active blessing and stewardship of their leaders.  With more than 1453 business leaders around the world committing to gender equality through the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the future looks promising.

Before diving into any initiative, companies should gain a thorough understanding of all their functional units along their own supply chain. This assessment may eventually be followed by gauging needs that can be potentially catered by women entrepreneurs. USPWC’s networking events have allowed its member corporations to identify a few sectors that may have the flexibility to accommodate women entrepreneurs into their supply chain.  A similar lesson emerged from Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s study of Coca Cola’s “5by20” plan as well. The global team sits with the leaders of local supply chain units to understand their goals and identify the points of entry for women entrepreneurs. The joint global and local team collaborates with key stakeholders to create a plan that factors in the cultural context and needs of women-owned businesses.

USPWC’s corporate members are alert to the challenge of lack of compliance with global standards in goods and services sourced from local women-owned businesses. A Devex article studying Walmart’s “ambitious undertaking,” similarly concludes “that bridging the gap between a large multinational and small women-owned businesses will require both types of entities to change their business practices.” The article mentions Walmart leaders’ struggles to “scale down” their compliance systems to accommodate small businesses in the supply chains.

Based on these lessons, “it’s the right thing to do” approach may not be enough to convince private sector to act decisively to promote female empowerment in a context of free markets driven by laws of efficiency, economies of scale, and profit-making.

Despite making a strong business case for diversity in supply chains, most of the studies available are not backed by strong evidence. Inclusive supply chain models currently stand at a low level of maturity and there exists no long-term data yielding conclusive evidence. The Harvard Kennedy School Report on Coca Cola’s “5by20” initiative alludes to the challenges in how to define success when it comes to gender diversity in the supply chain, saying, “ To date, its global supplier diversity goals have been set in terms of procurement dollars spent, while its 5by20 goals have to do with the number of women reached. “ As Walmart realized,

“if you really want to integrate women into global supply chains, you’ll have to hold their hands and walk together with them in the process. That’s the challenge for Wal-Mart or any large corporation.”

This handholding demands attention and resources from all concerned partners, not just the corporations. As the leaders in supply chain diversity keep marching forward and blazing trails, the rest of the private sector should be guided and encouraged to gradually ease its way into these new territories reaching first for the low hanging fruit.

[dxdevilx]

Fab Info the top digital magazine in India presents http://fab-info.com/iilm-fifth-international-conference-onresolution-resolve-sustainability-practices-industry-education/

IILM's 5th International conference on Resolution to Resolve: Sustainability Practices in Industry and Education

IILM Institute for Higher Education, a leading Indian B-School committed to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) as envisaged by UN Global Compact, is organizing the 5th International Conference on Sustainability- “Resolution to Resolve:Sustainability Practices in Industry and Education” on 15th, 16th, and 17th of February, 2018 at IILM Lodhi Road Campus, New Delhi.

This year’s conference is inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those focused on the aspects of Quality Education, Innovation, Infrastructure and Industry.One of the key objectives of this conference is to create awareness about SDGs among companies, educational institutions, policy makers, NGOs, etc. to initiate activities for inclusion of SDG related initiatives in business school courses, research and in the corporate world. IILM is an Advanced PRME Signatory, designated by United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), an initiative of the United Nations. Its Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) have inspired us to organise this International conference and work onthis idea, advance its reach, practice and understanding among all sections of society.

The United Nations has declared 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the key to its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. IILM, in its capacity and reach, mobilizes its network and resources to bring together other signatory business schools, thought leaders,policy makers, researchers, pioneers in the field, industry experts and most importantly,engages with the next generation of business leaders through the platform of its International conference to proactively analyse, debate the roadmap for future, supporting the advancementof the Sustainable Development Goals.

The conference will commence on February 15, 2018 with the inaugural session wherein Mr.Vinay Kumar, Director Artificial Intelligence, Azure & Search Partnerships, Microsoft, will deliver the keynote address and Prof. Furqan Qamar, Secretary General of Association of Indian Universities will share his thoughts. This landmark event will be set off with the release of a flagship publication entitled “Sustainable Development Goals – The Key Element of Responsible Management Education” (to be published by Oxford University Press). This book has contributions from some of our Nation’s most well-known and eminent academicians, practitioners, authors and intellectuals highlighting some of the most effective thoughts and ideas related to the focus SDGs as mentioned above.

This compilation of thoughtful and well researched contributionsis not only a great value add and gravitas to the event but also provides a thought provokingplatform to the discussions that will ensue. The book, published by IILM, has been edited byIILM faculty along with Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Senior Director, IILM.The book release will be followed by a panel discussion on the same topic moderated by Dr.Bhaskar Chatterjee, Senior Director, IILM.

The first plenary session is on “Laying the Foundation: Alignment of Management Education with Sustainability”. Education has always been considered the foundation to bring any kindof reform and it is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The focus of this session will be SDG 4, which aimsto provide equal access to affordable vocational training, to eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to a quality higher education. Distinguished panellists for this sessions include Mr. Parijat Chakroborty, Executive Director, IPSOS PublicAffairs & Loyalty, Mr. Charu Gupta, Senior Manager, Delloitte, Mr. Siddharth Sibal, VPAccenture, and Prof. P Hemlatha Reddy, Principal, Venketeshwara College, Prof. JohnVarghese, Principal, St. Stephen’s College.

The second session on “Infrastructure through the Lens of Sustainability” revolves around theimplementation of SDG 9 – to develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.

This session willhost Col. Prakash Tewari, Executive Director, CSR, DLF Foundation, Mr. Sudeep Singh,Principal, Accenture Strategy India, Ms. Bhavna Sethi, Chief of Sustainability, Jindal Steel& Power, Mr. Sameer Sharma, Additional Secretary, MoUD, Mr. Ajay Tyagi, ManagingPartner, Lex Terrae.

Session 3 on “Innovation and Sustainable Competitive Advantage” looks into the application of SDG 9 – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Mr. Ravi Bhatnagar, Head External Affairs & Partnerships, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. R. Ramanan, Mission Director of the Atal Innovation Mission, Niti Aayog,Mr. Rachit Ranjan, Head of Policy, North India & Federal Affairs, Uber are some eminen tspeakers for this sessions.

Session 4 is on “Sustainability Practices & Quality Education” – While the first session of the conference focused on policies and reforms to make education truly sustainable, this session will lay emphasis on implementation of those policies to bring about radical reformation of education. Dr. Onyebuchi Felix Offodile, Department Chair / Professor Department of Management and Information Systems, Kent State University, USA , and Mr. Rohit Katyal, Senior Director Droom Technology among others, will address the gathering on this topic.

Session 5 on “Sustainability Footprints of Industry” explores why industries must strive tobecome sustainable in true sense by addressing the three pillars of sustainability – economic,social, and environmental – simultaneously. Mr. Karun Varma, Executive Director DLF, Mr.Puneet Mathur, Brand Manager, Tissot, Ms. Deepti Rastogi, Director TMF Group, Mr. Gagan Sardana, Super Banker HDFC among others will share their views on this subject.

The conference will come to an end with a closing plenary session.