Adding Value in Emerging Markets and Local Communities

The title of this blog is the title of this year’s Global Corporate Citizenship Conference convened this week by the Business Civic Leadership Center and held in Washington DC.  For me, the most inspiring talk came from Microsoft’s General Counsel and EVP of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Brad Smith.  He passionately spoke of the need to correct the “opportunity divide” in order to solve the world’s problems.  One side has access to education and they are prospering.  The other side lacks the skills necessary for a clear path to education.  While the US unemployment rate is high, it should be noted that the rate of those unemployed with a college degree is half the national rate.  Smith stated that we need a national education goal to graduate students in needed disciplines.  Other notable speakers included Ambassador Stanley Lucas of Haiti who told us that aid to Haiti has not been effective as it should and needs to be restructured.  President Lobos of Honduras told us that for freedom in the world we must invest in CSR and he made a plea for businesses to invest in his country.  Much of the two day’s centered on how business investments in developing nations create powerful societal benefits.  Jane Nelson of Harvard’s Kennedy School spoke of Urgency!  We have to move, and move economic growth faster and it needs to be more inclusive, smart and responsible.  Corporate citizenship needs to be mainstreamed within companies.  We need to get away from profit
being a dirty word.  Business has a critical role to play!  http://bclcglobal.uschamber.com/