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In This Issue
Editor's Note
Advancing Social Investment in China
At last week's launch of BSR's new CiYuan initiative, representatives of the business, nonprofit, foundation, and government communities gathered in Beijing to create a new model for strategic philanthropy that helps the private and nonprofit sectors collaborate to address the root causes of social and environmental challenges.
As noted in today's feature article—which includes a case study of the CiYuan model used in a partnership between Nike China and the China Youth Development Foundation—the number of private foundations in China has been growing rapidly, from just a few hundred four years ago to well over a thousand today.
This week we also highlight a new set of tools from BSR's Migration Linkages initiative that will help companies protect the rights of international migrant workers and manage related risks.
And we encourage you to take our survey on how companies in various industries are using worker empowerment programs to increase productivity in their supply chains. The survey findings, which we'll share publicly, will help companies identify opportunities to develop or expand these programs.
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In Depth
Building Strategic Philanthropy in China
By
As China experiences a rapid growth in philanthropy, both companies and NGOs can benefit by forming strategic partnerships. By working with business, NGOs will gain access to new technologies, skills, business models, and networks, and companies stand to benefit through increased customer and employee loyalty, a strengthened social license to operate, and new ideas for business development.
Read more →
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Spotlight
Building a Baseline on Worker Empowerment Programs
By
Worker empowerment efforts—any activity helping workers take a stronger role in asserting and protecting their own rights—are critical to building strong management-worker relationships, increasing worker productivity, and preventing work stoppages in supply chains.
BSR's Beyond Monitoring Working Group includes worker empowerment as a primary pillar in promoting supply chain sustainability, and we are launching a survey to capture baseline information on the worker empowerment programs that companies across all sectors have used in their supply chains.
The survey findings will help companies identify opportunities to develop or expand worker empowerment programs through the identification of models, partners, and lessons learned. The results will be published in a report available to the public in early 2011, and it will also be sent to all survey participants.
To participate, please access the survey here, or contact Blythe Chorn.
Toolbox
New Tools Help Companies Improve Conditions for International Migrant Workers
By Chris Nolan, Associate Director, Advisory Services, BSR
BSR's Migration Linkages initiative just released two tools to help business protect migrant worker rights and manage related risks.
The "Good Practice Guide: Global Migration," which is intended for employers and multinational companies:
- Provides general guidance on key international labor migration issues
- Identifies good practices—on issues from recruitment to termination and repatriation—to inform codes of conduct
- Highlights leading international standards and company codes of conduct
The "Migrant Worker Management Toolkit: A Global Framework"—designed for factory managers and human resources personnel—recommends a three-step framework for responsible management of international labor migration:
- Educate: Build employer awareness of the migrant labor legal landscape.
- Partner: Work with sending and receiving country governments, NGOs, and unions to independently assess issues and build programs on post-arrival orientation and tailored grievance processes. Programs should raise worker and employer understanding of basic rights and responsibilities, and help workers adapt to the workplace and the receiving country environment.
- Build capacity: Increase knowledge of good practices among factory managers, train workers, and integrate practices into management systems.
Learn more about this initiative, or contact Chris Nolan for more information.
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