Download - Social Responsibility in Binational Centers
Social Responsibility in Binational Centers
Michele L. LeeExecutive Director
Centro Venezolano Americano de Merida
AgendaDefinitions of Social ResponsibilityGovernment and BusinessTypes of Social ResponsibilityHow BNC’s can take partExamples of Social Responsibility
What is Social Responsibility?
Corporate responsibilityCorporate citizenshipResponsible businessSustainable responsible business (SRB),
or,Corporate social performance
Social responsibilityAll organizations have: Responsibility to society Obligation toward the good of a larger social unit as
opposed to the self alone Imperative to improve the quality of relations with key
stakeholders: putting values into action in the perspective of our relations with society at large
Responsibilities as citizens as part of a society and nation.
Need to contribute to the welfare of society and not be solely devoted to maximizing profits
Origins of Social Responsibility
We have always had government or caretakers
Government & business
Government has always asked business to lend a hand in societal concerns
3⃰ Obligatory: Taxes3⃰ Self determination: Philanthropy3⃰ Sustainable development: Responsibility
Government & SocietyGovernment is stepping back:
Government & Society
Business is rising to the challenge
The Role of BusinessTraditional role: management must
maintain its wealth-producing resource intact by making adequate profits to offset the risk of economic activity.
Social Responsibility model: management must also increase the wealth-producing capacity of these resources and with them the wealth of society.
Working definitionBusiness has an obligation to make
choices and take actions that will contribute to the welfare and interests of society as well as the organizational (Richard L.Daft, 1988).
Two principles which provide the foundation for contemporary views on social responsibity, the principle of charity and the principle of stewardship.
Two Principles
Principle of Charity:3⃰ To practice benevolent giving
Principle of Stewardship:3⃰ To actively engage in a project (of your choice) that contributes to long-term sustainability
Two Roads to Take
Global Issues:3⃰ i.e. the environment or global citizenry
Local Challenges:3⃰ i.e. city beautiful campaign or feeding the homeless
Hot Topics in Social Responsibility
Culture and the artsSports programs, especially with childrenEnvironment, sustainable developmentCommunity Health and safetyEducation and Scholarship
The BNC Social Responsibility Dilema
Today’s world has contemporary social, economic, environmental, and political challenges.
BNCs can contribute to the tasks required to meet those challenges
Pro´s and Con´s
Pro´s1. We benefit from society,
therefore, have an obligation to improve it.
2. It is in our interest to improve our community
3. SR improves our public image
Con´s1. SR involves high costs
2. Resources (economic & human) diverted to non profitmaking activities
How to1. List your stakeholders.2. Identify the issue(s):
3⃰ that most identify you with your stakeholders within a global or local context
3⃰ Where can the BNC make a real difference? (list obtainable & measurable objectives)
3. Decide to which you would like to or you could most contribute?
4. Identify the expected outcome
How to5. Identify alternative outcomes & plan for
them.6. Determine your action plan and decide how
to incorporate your Social Responsibility Plan in your Binational Center Plan.
8. Write a mission, vision, and values statement with social responsibility in mind.
9. Implement your plan.
Who are our stakeholders?
Those individuals or groups who have an interest in and / or are affected by the activities of the organization or the behavior of its members. Examples:
3⃰ Assembly, board of directors3⃰ Directors, teachers, and staff3⃰ Clients, students, community3⃰ Country, world3⃰ Special interests groups or people
Cevam believesWe can implement systemic practices that
create safe, caring, and equitable environment so that all young people succeed in school and life, and help shape a safe, democratic, and just world
We can contribute to an education for young people which provides them with hopeful and intelligent engagement with their world
Teaching ContentFrom the Abla plenary speakers:Ricardo Romero: we not only teach
English, we teach contentGary Strong: It’s not just about learning
the language, it’s creating social interaction with the language.
Therefore, at Cevam we add social responsibility content to our language
classroom.
CEVAM’s ExampleWe do what we do best:
3⃰ Teach our children3⃰ Collaborate with our adults
To raise their conscious about issues important to us
3⃰ Environment3⃰ Civic education3⃰ Citizen participation
A Couple of Examples from Cevam’s
classrooms
The World CupTeach our students to appreciate other
cultures and cultural differences through the world cup example.
Repower America’s WallWe added our Voice
Bob Marley’s Earth Day RemixWe sang our voice
Thank you for letting us share with you
today.
Michele L. Lee de LeónExecutive Director
CEVAM
Referenceshttp://socialresponsibility.vinsign.com/http://www.ehow.com/how_2161226_teach
-children-social-responsibility.htmlhttp://www.viacom.com/corpresponsibility/
Pages/ourinitiatives.aspxhttp://www.ashoka.org/http://faculty.darden.virginia.edu/leeperm/d
ocs/gbus-8306-spring-06-syllabus.pdf