corporate social responsibility

As Secretary of State John Kerry has pointed out, “Now more than ever, economic policy is foreign policy.” Rivkin’s appointment to lead the Economic and Business Affairs bureau comes after a long, entrepreneurial career in the entertainment industry, making him the first non-career bilateral ambassador to hold the position. 

Palestinian schoolchildren in the village of Kafr Sur in Tulkarem this week received footballs from Spanish giant FC Barcelona. The balls are apparently replacements for those lost over the separation fence between the West Bank and Israel over the years, the Guardian reported. A Spanish journalist, Anna Alba, who spoke about the “gift” said she hoped that it would encourage other teams to come to the area and support local athletes.

Last week saw five workers shot dead, at least thirty injured and twenty three arrested in a crackdown during a nationwide strike by garment workers, calling for an increase of the minimum wage in Cambodia from $100 to $160 per month. The deadly clashes took place near the Canadia Industrial Park in Phnom Penh, home to factories producing clothing for brands such as adidas, Puma and H&M.

I spent the past few weeks in the Dominican Republic with United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), witnessing workers’ grassroots efforts to further basic human rights in the workplace. Conducting cultural diplomacy, American college students of USAS also work closely with Dominican workers to reform corporate social responsibility.

I spent the past few weeks in the Dominican Republic with United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), witnessing workers’ grassroots efforts to further basic human rights in the workplace. Conducting cultural diplomacy, American college students of USAS also work closely with Dominican workers to reform corporate social responsibility
(See my previous blog post for background information).

Social responsibility is no longer just an option for businesses, brands are learning. From TOMS shoes which fund the giving of shoes for people in need, to Warby Parker, which provides glasses to people in need for every pair sold, buying where your buck goes further (globally) is appealing. charity: water is a little different, as it is a proper non-profit, rather than a charity-driven business.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd (BTMU) Chennai Branch, supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Chennai, donated furniture and stationery items as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, to the Sriperumbudur Girls Higher Secondary School.

On a recent MPD trip to Beijing, a research group focused on Corporate Diplomacy. We listened to Chinese corporate social responsibility (CSR) experts including practitioners from a state-owned enterprise (SOE), a corporate philanthropy magazine, and several public affairs firms, all of whom shared their thoughts on the different concepts of CSR that currently divide the East and the West.

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