Blog Archives: August 2011
August 30, 2011
Where BSR Will Be in September
Summer is over for BSR staff in the Northern Hemisphere with September shaping up to be a packed month. Here are a few of the places we’ll be and events we’re hosting. We hope to see you there! Read more
August 29, 2011
Why Did the ‘Tweenbot’ Cross the Road? (To Teach Us About Kindness)
Virginia Terry, Former Director, Advisory Services
At the Museum of Modern Art’s ambitious new exhibit, “Talk to Me” (curated by Paola Antonelli, who spoke at the BSR Conference 2010), visitors are greeted by a “Tweenbot,” a small, cardboard-covered, constantly moving robot that depends on the kindness of strangers to reach its final destination. Videos show the Tweenbot maneuvering through Washington Square Park as passersby rescue it from potholes, protect it from dangerous streets, and usher it toward its goal. Read more
August 23, 2011
How Companies Can Help Prevent Trafficking
Celine Suarez , Manager, Advisory Services
It’s estimated that 80 percent of global trafficking victims are women, and the vast majority are ensnared in sexual exploitation through the promise of legitimate jobs, marriage, “a way out,” or the lure of love from a male figure. Women and girls often become trapped in their situations through the threat (or reality) of violence, physical bondage, psychological control, and drug addiction. Around the world, poverty and illiteracy are some of the most common factors among female victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Read more
August 18, 2011
Empowering Women Through Mobile Technology
Cammie Erickson , Manager, Global Partnership Development
Google’s announcement this week to buy Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion signals its move into the telecommunications hardware business and provides further evidence that mobile technology is on the rise—and here to stay. Read more
August 18, 2011
6 Tips for Selecting a Local Partner
Jennifer Schappert , Manager, Partnership Development
While the benefits of partnering with a local civil society organization may be widely recognized, finding a local partner can be a challenging and daunting task for any business. Businesses frequently ask questions such as, “What percentage of costs should go to program activities?” or “What should the organizational structure of a partner look like?” Read more
August 16, 2011
VIDEO: How the Tech Sector Should Address Human Rights
Dunstan Allison Hope , Managing Director, Advisory Services
Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved new Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. As a result, more clarity exists today than ever before on governments' duty to protect human rights and business' responsibility to respect human rights. Read more
August 12, 2011
Water, Water, Nowhere?
Linda Hwang, Former Manager, Research
It’s impossible to read the news these days without coming across an article about water scarcity: Read more
August 9, 2011
For Financial Services Companies, Women Represent an Enormous (Missed) Opportunity
Chhavi Ghuliani , Manager, Advisory Services
As BSR’s recent report on the topic highlights, the world’s working poor need access to a range of formal financial products and services—including credit, savings, insurance, and remittances—in order to invest in economic opportunities, manage their money more effectively, and reduce risks related to illness or loss of employment. Read more
August 1, 2011
Audits Are Falling Short for Women
Racheal Meiers (née Yeager) , Director, HERproject
Last month, the Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights (formerly the National Labor Committee), released a report documenting widespread human rights abuses at a factory in Jordan that supplies apparel products to international buyers. Among the allegations were numerous reports of sexual abuse by facility managers, highlighting a history of abuse by one manager in particular. Buyer responses, to date, have been to cite their commitments to rigorous auditing protocols and established social-compliance standards. Read more
August 1, 2011
How to Tell Your Sustainability Story: the Messier the Better
Melanie Janin , Managing Director, Communications
We all know that a picture tells a thousand words and creative visuals are a powerful way to engage audiences around an issue of concern. In the world of sustainability communications, slideshows, video documentaries, and case study success stories are common—and often very effective—tools to highlight the many environmental, social, and economic challenges and opportunities facing global business today. So the question becomes, in the mid of all this creative cacophony for the greater good, how will your company’s own sustainability story stand out from the crowd? Read more
