The other day, I attended a presentation on Corporate Social Responsibility by fellow Cuso International volunteer Sean. CSR is essentially a fancy way of saying that a business takes an interest in people not just as consumers, but as citizens of a nation. Here is the United Nations’ official definition:

Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. CSR is generally understood as being the way through which a company achieves a balance of economic, environmental and social imperatives (“Triple-Bottom-Line- Approach”), while at the same time addressing the expectations of shareholders and stakeholders. In this sense it is important to draw a distinction between CSR, which can be a strategic business management concept, and charity, sponsorships or philanthropy. Even though the latter can also make a valuable contribution to poverty reduction, will directly enhance the reputation of a company and strengthen its brand, the concept of CSR clearly goes beyond that.

Sean’s excellent report seemed to be well-received and I plan on writing a more extensive post on it. For now, you can check out the Gleaner’s unfortunately less than comprehensive story on the presentation.