Social Responsibility in Binational Centers

1. Social Responsibility in Binational Centers Michele L. Lee Executive Director Centro Venezolano Americano de Merida

2. Agenda • Definitions of Social Responsibility • Government and Business • Types of Social Responsibility • How BNC’s can take part • Examples of Social Responsibility

3. Whatis Social Responsibility? • Corporate responsibility • Corporate citizenship • Responsible business • Sustainable responsible business (SRB), or, • Corporate social performance

4. Social responsibility All 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

5. Origins of Social Responsibility We have always had government or caretakers

6. Government & business • Government has always asked business to lend a hand in societal concerns • Obligatory: Taxes • Self determination: Philanthropy • Sustainable development: Responsibility

7. Government & Society • Government is stepping back:

8. Government & Society • Business is rising to the challenge

9. The Role of Business • Traditional role: managementmustmaintainitswealth-producingresourceintactbymakingadequateprofitsto offset therisk of economicactivity. • Social Responsibilitymodel: managementmustalsoincreasethewealth-producingcapacity of theseresources and withthemthewealth of society.

10. Workingdefinition • Business 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.

11. TwoPrinciples • Principle of Charity: • Topracticebenevolentgiving • Principle of Stewardship: • Toactivelyengage in a project (of yourchoice) thatcontributestolong-termsustainability

12. TwoRoadstoTake • Global Issues: • i.e.theenvironmentor global citizenry • Local Challenges: • i.e.citybeautifulcampaignorfeedingthe homeless

13. Hot Topics inSocial Responsibility • Culture and the arts • Sports programs, especially with children • Environment, sustainable development • Community Health and safety • Education and Scholarship

14. The BNC SocialResponsibility Dilema Today’s world has contemporary social, economic, environmental, and political challenges. BNCs can contribute to the tasks required to meet those challenges

15. Pro´s and Con´s Pro´s • Webenefitfromsociety, therefore, haveanobligationtoimproveit. • Itis in ourinteresttoimproveourcommunity • SR improvesourpublicimage Con´s • SR involveshighcosts • Resources(economic & human) divertedto non profitmakingactivities

16. How to • List your stakeholders. • Identify the issue(s): • that most identify you with your stakeholders within a global or local context • Where can the BNC make a real difference? (list obtainable & measurable objectives) • Decide to which you would like to or you could most contribute? 4. Identify the expected outcome

17. How to 5. Identify alternative outcomes & plan for them. 6. Determine your action plan and decide how to incorporate your Social Responsibility Plan in your BinationalCenter Plan. 8. Write a mission, vision, and values statement with social responsibility in mind. 9. Implement your plan.

18. Who are ourstakeholders? 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: • Assembly, board of directors • Directors, teachers, and staff • Clients, students, community • Country, world • Special interests groups or people

19. Cevambelieves We 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

20. Teaching Content From the Abla plenary speakers: • Ricardo Romero: we not only teach English, we teach content • Gary 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.

21. CEVAM’s Example • We do what we do best: • Teach our children • Collaborate with our adults • To raise their conscious about issues important to us • Environment • Civic education • Citizen participation

22. A Couple of Examples from Cevam’s classrooms

23. The World Cup • Teach our students to appreciate other cultures and cultural differences through the world cup example.

24. Repower America’s Wall We added our Voice

25. Bob Marley’s Earth Day Remix We sang our voice

26. Thank you for letting us share with you today. Michele L. Lee de León Executive Director CEVAM cevam@interlink.net.ve

27. References • http://socialresponsibility.vinsign.com/ • http://www.ehow.com/how_2161226_teach-children-social-responsibility.html • http://www.viacom.com/corpresponsibility/Pages/ourinitiatives.aspx • http://www.ashoka.org/ • http://faculty.darden.virginia.edu/leeperm/docs/gbus-8306-spring-06-syllabus.pdf