Monday, July 12, 2010

Firms told to focus on CSR for social dev’t

The social sector cannot achieve effective impacts without forging cross-sector partnerships and alliances with corporate bodies, Doyin Oluntona, the Chief Executive Officer of Uturn Africa has observed.

“Corporate organisations operating in the country need to develop corporate social responsibility strategies that promote social development in the communities they operate.”

Oluntona made this observation at a media launch of ‘Uturn Africa Forum 2010’, which aims at bringing together civil society organisations and corporate bodies to enhance their strategies to meet corporate social responsibilities through collaborative partnership.

The Forum, slated for July 2010, is under the theme “Catalysing Collaboration for Effective Social Change and Impact’ and will be attended by donor and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Mrs. Oluntona explained that the Forum is to unearth new corporate social responsibility trends in the region, network and interact with key social impact players, and form new strategic collaborative partnerships which will help raise more capital for organisations’ social developmental activities.

“The complexity and scale of Africa’s problems demand that we raise our game. The social sector cannot achieve effective impacts without forging cross-sector partnerships and alliances. The imperative to collaborate is now.”

Uturn Africa Forum 2010 will engage the region’s most influential leaders from all sectors in critical discussions designed to create partnerships, networks, knowledge and collaborative pathways among the social, academic and private sectors.” she said.

Nii Okai Nunoo, the Area Head of Corporate Affairs for West Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, indicated that corporate social responsibility has been a collective action that could bring hope to the people in a community, emphasising that the partnership among corporate bodies will bring about needed changes in the deprived communities and share experiences.

“Standard Chartered Bank’s sustainability agenda is to bring benefit to its communities and make a difference in the lives of the people in its marketplace.

The main pillars of this agenda are its social contribution, economic contribution, environmental protection and governance, which are all firmly rooted in the Bank’s Brand promise that sets Standard Chartered out as the right partner, leading by example,” he said.

Speakers at the Forum will be drawn from high-level officials at the World Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Databank Foundation, Vodafone Foundation and Coca-Cola Ghana Limited among others.
FIN

No comments:

Post a Comment