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It's a healthy thing there are demonstrators in the streets. We need a discussion about whether the rich world is giving back what it should in the developing world. I think there is a legitimate question whether we are. William H. Gates, Co-Founder, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USA, Jahrestreffen des Weltwirtschaftsforums Davos 2002. Those who have the power and means, governments and businesses, must show that economics, properly applied, and profits, wisely invested, can bring social benefits within reach not only for the few, but for the many and eventually for all. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan The 33rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum takes place during an extraordinary climate of global uncertainty and complexity. The past year witnessed the breakdown of trust in many sectors of society. Restoring confidence in the future is the most important leadership challenge today. Consequently, Building Trust, the theme of the Annual Meeting, is more timely than ever. Weltwirtschaftsforum Davos als Einleitung zu seinem Jahrestreffen 2003 "Building Trust". Poverty remains at the core of the global development agenda, although tremendous improvements in global welfare have been achieved. Despite a relative drop in the worldwide level of people living in extreme poverty, from 29% in 1990 to 23% in 1999, unfortunately absolute poverty levels remain stable, with almost 1.2 billion living on less than US$ 1 per day. The average income in the world’s richest 20 countries is now 37 times greater than that in the poorest 20. Within high inequality countries, the poorest 20% of the population receive just above 2% of the national income, while the richest 20% receive more than 60%. Weltwirtschaftsforum Davos zum Thema Global Governance beimJahrestreffen 2003. Whether you call it "social responsibility", "corporate citizenship", "social and ethical accounting" or just "the way we do business", organisations are increasingly trying to improve their impact on society and their relationships with their stakeholders. The debate on social accountability is shifting from "why should we?" to "how can we?". AccountAbility/ISEA in ihrer Einleitung For the business community, sustainability is more than mere window-dressing. By adopting sustainable practices, companies can gain competitive edge, increase their market share, and boost shareholder value. What's more, the growing demand for 'green' products has created major new markets in which sharp-eyed eco-entrepreneurs are reaping rewards. BSDglobal.com in ihrer Einleitung The solution lies in business practices that reflect and respect the competing claims for all stakeholder groups. No longer simply a matter of publicity or philanthropy, socially responsible business practices affect all aspects of business operations and contribute significantly to corporate productivity and profitability. A company must regard corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an essential and integral part of business mission, strategy and operations. Business for Social Responsiblity in ihrer Einleitung
Survival and Well Being as related to per capita GNP. Source: R. Inglehart, Modernization and Postmodernization (Princeton, 1997). |
