“Business Team Stacking Hands”. Freedigitalphotos.net.
Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. (Nelson Mandela).
In these days of globalism, a new digital era triggering change in communication and increasing awareness across nations, corporate social responsibility and actions towards improving circumstances and conditions are more actual than ever.
Consumers can no longer be fooled. After a century of industrialization mankind is finally realizing that our past actions have been a foundation for a new sustainability needed to save planet Earth from destruction.
Learning takes time, and requires repetition, but fortunately our globe is inhabited by individuals who have managed to take the necessary steps to progress and take the necessary actions towards creating a completely New Green Economy.
Examining and evaluating the developments of the 20th Century gives us the possibility to build an image about the most significant changes that took place, and how much society has changed since then. One only needs to take a look at significant developments shaping and changing our societies in the past decade, or two decades, only. Things we hardly knew about 20 years ago are today evolving and affecting us all more than we could ever have imagined.
The 21st century will be different. We are in the middle of a transforming global economy, where intelligent and morally aware, responsible individuals will reshape economies in completely new ways, enhancing economic development across our globe, leading to completely new ways of life and increased well-being of all citizens across the world.
New standards and actions will lead to improvements in global businesses operations, and in how states are being led. Individuals and corporations involved in corruption and unethical practices will have to step aside, giving way to conscious leaders both rebuilding and developing businesses and societies in a fresh manner, excluding anything outside generally accepted and legal behavior.
The importance of corporate social responsibility, including ecology, social responsibility, and taxation (including changes in how e.g. thin capitalization and transfer pricing currently used at micro-economic level), can no longer be neglected. Future trends are being created, and the lessons learned from past mistakes are a foundation for wiser actions now, and in future.
Business has a responsibility of giving back to the community.
Today we are making a difference for tomorrow.
Conscious capitalism is mindfully making decisions and staying core to your purpose (Kate Walker, Conscious Capitalism)
We hired a CSR person at Twitter, years before we hired our first sales person, to make sure we had a culture and impact of doing good. (Biz Stone).
Thank you for taking time to make it your daily habit to execute social responsibility, be it in your private or business life. Thank you also for reading, liking, commenting, and sharing your experiences about corporate social responsibility.
Economic growth without social progress lets the great majority of people remain in poverty, while a privileged few reap the benefits of rising benefits. (John F. Kennedy)
Is your business/state on a level that allows for social progression, or is your only purpose to generate as much capital as possible without any social progress planning? Can people feel safe and socially valued when entering your territory, or do you treat people in-equally? If so, perhaps you might as well design a “DO NOT ENTER” sign on your business card, place a similar sign on your website and prohibit tourists from traveling to your country. Aware consumers have no interest in traveling to places, or spending money upon unethical businesses/products, or in unethically managed countries/states. And, the number of conscious tourists/consumers is constantly growing.
Social progress index measures multiple dimensions of social progress in a state, leading to greater human well-being, abolishing poverty and corruption. (Socialprogressimperative.org. 2015). See Social Progress Index figure below for details:
As the figure above illustrates, the social progress index measures basic human well-being needs in comparison to GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which simply is an indicator for the average per capita income in a country. The main differences between SPI and GDP are as illustrated in following figure:
Socially progressive people, countries, and businesses have some things in common. These include following facts:
These businesses, organizations, people and governments are non-corrupted.
We all know what corruption signifies. Keep your ethics at a high standard and refrain from corruption.
These businesses, organizations, people and governments are working for (a) purpose(s) rather than only for the purpose of maximizing profits at any cost.
Please make it your purpose to refrain from merely making a profit, to redirecting your profits to benefit higher causes, such as healthcare, paying taxes rather than avoiding them, enabling education for all citizens + a number of other commonwealth causes.
Planning long-term initiatives rather than living only three months ahead at a time.
We see, and have seen, enough of businesses and corporations incapable of planning more than three months ahead. If this is the case in your large corporation, or in your state, you may as well outsource your planning to a consulting firm that knows how to support you in creating a long-term, sustainable plan. Stop sprinting – instead, focus on building a sustainable future and healthy practices in your operations.
Watch following video about the Social Progress Imperative to learn and understand more about GDP and SPI:
Thank you for reading, reflecting, commenting, for taking action to create sustainable business, and for sustainable organizational development.
It takes less time to do things right than to explain why you did it wrong. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
As citizens of planet Earth, those of us who have been fortunate enough to have access to education and good living standards have to take responsibility and progressive actions in order to improve living conditions for less fortunate individuals.
There are certainly many ways of contributing to sustainable global development, starting with using the knowledge that we have in responsible ways through integrating ethics and sustainability into our societies, into our business practices, and into political activities. In fact, into all activities, be it political or non-political.
According to forecasts by the UN, two-thirds of all world population will live in water scarcity in 2025. If and when this occurs, it is not difficult to understand that this will affect every single citizen of the world either directly or indirectly. Actions need to be taken NOW.
Currently about 57 million children worldwide have no access to primary schooling. The reasons behind this vary, starting from the fact that there is a shortage of about one million teachers in the regions affected (the situation is worst in Sub-Saharan Africa, but also many other geographical regions worldwide suffer from shortages in the very basic human needs, and human rights). Those who have the privilege of education ought to realize how important it is for all children worldwide to have access to primary AND secondary education, and support the development of regions where education is a luxury that currently only wealthy families can afford for their children.
Primary and secondary education is a cost that poor families cannot afford. Instead, poor parents are obliged to send their children to work rather than giving their children the opportunity to work themselves out of poverty through the benefits that education could offer them.
Around 168 million children worldwide work every day instead of going to school. Girls are obliged to drop out of school more often than boys, due to cultural traditions supporting the old beliefs that a girl is a burden for a family rather than a gift like a male child. Nevertheless, both boys and girls are being exploited and utilized as workforce, many of them working long hours in hazardous working environments or forced into becoming child soldiers (in certain areas).
The majority of child labor occurs in Asia and the Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The reasons for this vary – often due to the fact that poor parents prefer sending their children to work because they need the money to support their families, or, parents prefer sending their children to work because the job is too poorly paid – thus, it “makes more sense” to send the child to the poorly paid, often hazardous job (slavery?). Agriculture is by far the largest sector employing children. Child labor is a violation against human rights, and against the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Why, in a world with so many laws, conventions, declarations, standards, policies, and transparent business processes, do we still have to face child labor and lack of education?
Poor people, including children of poor families, without any external support or support from their state´s governments, are weak to defend themselves taking into consideration the fact that they lack the skills and knowledge to defend themselves and their human rights. Our world has 750 million illiterates alone. Having no reading or writing skills makes it so much more difficult for an individual to improve his/her living standards, unless given the opportunity to learn these basic human skills for thriving and having access to a human life.
Developing sustainable societies and economies brings along many benefits for mankind and helps us leave a legacy for our children and for generations to come, rather than destroying our planet through unethical business practices, ignorance and intolerance.
What are the benefits of creating, and developing ethical and sustainable business/societal practices? A few suggestions to start with:
SAVE OUR PLANET AND ITS INHABITANTS. Sad but true: Our world is running out of water. Instead of panicking, take action NOW and do what you can to improve/prevent the situation. It is not hard to figure out what an impact water shortage will have upon all mankind. If one region runs out of water, it most definitely will have a huge impact on all other regions worldwide as well, leading to significant problems around the world.
IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS PROCESSES AND MAKE THEM TRANSPARENT (UNLESS THEY ALREADY ARE). Your business activities and consumption have direct and indirect impacts on just about everything, including child labor. It is never too late to make a difference.
SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS & GOVERNMENTS TO TRANSFORM AND TO GIVE ALL CHILDREN ACCESS TO BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION. Education improves people´s lives and helps them to work themselves out of poverty & to develop their societies. It is a long-term investment serving us all.
EMPOWER WOMEN WORLDWIDE. Women are suffering in many countries (in fact, in most countries worldwide), and the suffering of women increases the suffering of children as well. The best way to help children is to help their mother´s first.
PLEASE SPREAD THIS MESSAGE AND TAKE ACTION. It will benefit us all.
The Importance of Developing an Effective Ethics Program (The ACFE):
Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching – even when doing the wrong thing is legal (Aldo Leopold)
A leadership strategy without ethical clarity produces moral and economic bankruptcy (Bill Donahue)
Our Planet does not need more successful people. Our planet craves for more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kind. (The Dalai Lama)
Ethics is the aesthetics of the soul. (Pierre Reverdy)
Thank you for reading, reflecting, commenting, for taking action to improve living conditions for all human beings.
(Little Asian Girl With Computer At Home. Artist: pat138241. Freedigitalphotos.net. 280513)
Take a profound look at the photo above. Do you recognize this girl? She could be you, your daughter, me, or any one of us. Realizing this and the fact that we are all interconnected is integral in our growth and development into a truly humanitarian world, where leadership is based upon living and leading according to virtues and selflessness, rather than merely fulfilling the often evil needs of the ego. Learning to observe other individuals as a part of ourselves is a key factor in our willingness to express love, and compassion, towards other human beings. Mirroring ourselves in other people enhances our spiritual growth, as we realize that we receive what we do send out to others.
The girl on the photo above is one of all 1,9 billion children worldwide. She isone of our future leaders. The continuous growth of young population worldwide presents us with an ever-increasing, huge potential for greatness enabling us to develop the world into a positive direction, focusing upon virtuous leadership qualities, individuals growing and developing into responsible leaders who focus on creating sustainability and thus developing stable economies across the world.
Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders throughout the history of mankind, already long ago highlighted:
“Education is the most powerful catalyst for change in the world”.
Through education we are given the opportunity to improve, and to influence, the course of evolution. Education is not only a privilege for a certain amount of children – it is a basic human right for every child in this world. Nevertheless, in today´s world, an estimated amount of 57 million children worldwide do not have access even to primary schooling, due to a number of reasons contextual to poverty. In certain geographical regions, there is an immense shortage of teachers. This is especially the case in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Child labor is another reason for children being denied access to education. Although child labor has decreased, currently an estimated amount of 168 million children are part of the global workforce. This alarming number is an actual problem that needs to be resolved, and we are all driving forces in allowing this positive change to take place.
Every child has the right to education, to a safe childhood, and to at least one responsible adult taking care of them. If this particular adult is having problems with raising a child according to the Rights of the Child, he or she needs support, education, and interaction from adults who possess a larger amount of awareness and wisdom in regard with this. A child, not knowledgeable about his or her rights, needs support and protection from responsible adults.
Child labor and a shortage of education lead to multidimensional problems across our globe. Solving these problems across societies is possible, and will quickly lead to improvements that benefit us all:
Education is helpful in decreasing poverty, increasing both welfare and justice in the world.
Education allows us to develop a more balanced world, where sustainable economic development can be created and maintained.
Abolishing child labor and granting every child the possibility of having a childhood also leads to a world where an increased amount of adult population has access to work. The major industry employing children is agriculture (almost 100 million children involved), followed by the services sector (54 million), and industry (12 million). In addition, there is an estimated amount of 300.000 child soldiers in our world today. The APAC region (Asia and the Pacific), employs an estimated amount of 78 million children, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (59 million), Latin America and the Caribbean (13 million), and Middle East and North Africa with 9 million. Would you send your own children to work while personally staying at home? Could you imagine seeing your own child, or children in your neighborhood, being forced to become child soldiers? However much this may sound as a cliche, the capability of putting ourselves in the shoes of others, even thinking about our personal childhoods, helps us understanding that we are all responsible for helping children of this world.
Education allows us to create and to build a better future, a future where children of today become responsible adults of tomorrow, making better decisions, and developing humanity into a greater state than the reality we are living in today.
How does this involve businesses, and business decision-makers? In EVERY possible way!
Responsible organizations all over the world, global enterprises, multinationals, but also small business owners, understand the importance of developing sustainable business practices, reducing poverty through participation in the creation of a balanced global economy, and the implementation of a CSR strategy together with an action plan in all activities, including at least following major factors:
The definition of what CSR (corporate social responsibility) signifies in the first place.
In all business activities, making sure that the CSR strategy is successfully actualized, especially in terms of supply chain and human resources management. In other words, this signifies a transparency in all business activities, making sure that no child labor is involved at any stage of production processes.
Efficient and thorough communication of the CSR strategy to all stakeholders, including business owners, shareholders, employees, customers – anyone, who is involved in the activities of the organization.
Mankind is more peaceful than ever throughout its history. Despite of this, we are faced with severe societal problems that need to be resolved. An increasingly globalized world and technological evolution, where access to information has become easier than ever for the majority of world population, together enhance and help us in the development of increasingly sustainable economies, where every child has, not only the right, but also the possibility, to a childhood it deserves, and where every adult has access to work, and being part of the global labor force – working together for the development of a sustainable, flourishing global economy.
More information, detailed reports, and numbers are available through a number of sources, including the following:
Thank you for taking the time for reading, liking, commenting, and sharing this article! Together we can drive essential changes and be catalysts for positive improvements, and development, on a global level.
Your participation, and becoming part of a global change and development movement, is extremely valuable.
Keep in mind:
“You are not a drop in the ocean – you are the entire ocean, in a drop” (Rumi).
Every voice counts and every positive action is needed.
Anne-Maria Yritys 
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