Social Responsibility in Binational Centers

Michele L. LeeExecutive Director

Centro Venezolano Americano de Merida

Agenda

Definitions 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 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

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 & Society

Government is stepping back:

Government & Society

Business is rising to the challenge

The Role of Business

Traditional role: management must maintain its wealth-producing resource intact by making adequate profits to offset the risk of economic activity.

SR model management must also increase the wealth-producing capacity of these resources and with them the wealth of society.

Working definition

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.

Two Principles

Principle of Charity

Principle of Stewardship

Two roads to take

Global Issues

Local Challenges

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´s

1. organizations benefit from society, therefore, have an obligation to improve it.

2. It is in the interests of business to improve its community

3. Improves public image

Con´s

1. High cost involved

2. Resources diverted to non profitmaking activities

How to

1. List your stakeholders

2. Identify the issue(s):3⃰ that most identify you with your stakeholders

within a global or local context3⃰ Where BNC can make a difference

(obtainable objective)

3. Decide to which you would like to or you could most contribute?

How to

3. Identify the expected outcome

4. Identify alternative outcomes

5. Determine your action plan

6. How can you incorporate your Social responsibility plan in your binational center plan

7. Write a mission, vision, and values statement with social responsibility in mind.

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.

3⃰ Assembly, board of directors3⃰ Directors, teachers, and staff3⃰ Clients, students, community3⃰ Country, world3⃰ Special interests

Cevam believes

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

Teaching Content

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, we add social responsibility content to our language classroom.

CEVAM’s Example

We 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

Cevam’s examples

The World Cup

Appreciation for other cultures, cultural differences

Repower America’s WallWe added our Voice

Bob Marley’s Earth Day Remix

Thank you

Michele L. Lee de León

Executive Director

CEVAM

References

http://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/

docs/gbus-8306-spring-06-syllabus.pdf