Social Bridges recently conducted an interview of Mr. Ahmad Sarwar, currently working as operations manager at Teradata Pakistan Global Consulting Center. The CSR strategies of the company, along with some general trends, were discussed thoroughly. You can read excerpts from the interview in the following lines.

Social Bridges: How would you define corporate social responsibility?

Ahmed Sarwar: CSR, in my opinion, is the way of giving back to the society from where you make your earnings. Both the public and private sector need to give back to the society, whatever way they deem suitable. Corporations, being private sector, need to be very active part of this giving back. So that’s my definition.

Social Bridges: So what your organization is doing in this regard - fulfilling its CSR?

Ahmed Sarwar: We do a lot many things. We have just launched the Teradata Care initiative. This is a global company initiative and we are starting with blood donation. We have already done the planning and will launch it in very near future. Next week, hopefully.

Additionally, we played an active part during the 2005 earthquake. Whether it was the packaging of food or transportation or other volunteer efforts, we chipped in our resources. However, the volunteer work was later channelized through Edhi Foundation to ensure a smoother flow.

On a related note, we continue doing charity work through the word of mouth. Like we collect donations to help those in need. Also helping the contractual employees like guards, peons etc if they need any financial assistance.

Social Bridges: But that’s just plain charity work. What your company is doing within the industry. Like promoting education and stuff? Read more…

A recently published report reveals that a small but influential group of consumers - almost four percent of total customers - are influencing the buying trends and CSR practices in the U.S. The study involved the interviews of around 12,000 adults by Porter Novelli. Novelli states:

Unlike their counterparts in earlier environmental movements, Greenfluencers are not third-party experts or full-time advocates with a laser-like focus on advancing a specific agenda. Rather, this new highly influential group, which amounts to roughly four percent of the U.S. population, is young, racially diverse and outspoken on a variety of social and political issues.

Novelli gauged the level of greenness among the respondents on a specially designed scale called the Green Gauge. He later identified them as under

Four levels of greenness were identified during the research. Just 16 percent of the population are “Non-Green” and do none of these activities; almost half qualify as “Light Green,” doing between one and four of the activities; more than a quarter (27%) quality as “Medium Green,” doing five or six of them; and just 7 percent do all seven activities and qualify as “Dark Green.”

The full report can be found here.

In the last post, I gave you an overview of the green energy possibilities in this region. I also wrote that wind energy is the next big thing in green energy sector. In the following lines, I have tried to present before you some pragmatic ways of exploiting the vast wind energy potential we are blessed with. The scribbling has also got more importance in the wake of recent ‘explosion’ of petrol bomb in Pakistan (of course I am referring to massive raise in gasoline prices).

According to recent research conducted by the Alternative Energy Development Board, Pakistan’s wind corridors span over most parts of the coastal belt. Just to quote an example, the region between Karachi and Hyderabad itself has a 60 km wide and 180 km long wind corridor. Now this area can be converted into a huge wind farm as the power generation potential stands at 50,000 MWs per annum. We have not yet discussed the wind energy possibilities in the Balochistan province which extends from the coastal region to the Chaghai hills.

AEDB conducted a study of Pakistan’s wind farming potential - with USAID assistance - which puts the country’s wind energy potential at magnanimous levels. Even many areas of Punjab, NWFP as well as northern valleys have wind corridors which can generate power amounting to millions of Mega Watts. The only need is the massive exploitation of these resources. AEDB is conducting some pilot projects but on a very basic level.

As Pickens is planning to build the largest wind farm of the world in Texas with targets of meeting up to 20% of U.S. energy needs, we are just biting our nails. While we can expect little from the government, all we need is the involvement of the corporate sector which is easier said then done. During the second-term of Benazir’s government, IPPs (Independent Power Producers) were allowed to generate electricity and later sell it to WAPDA.

Can we invite the potential wind farming investors in a similar fashion? Yes, but we have to etch out a proper strategy before going out in the market. Wind farming is both cheap and costly. The initial expenditures, which require huge wind farming infrastructure to be installed if we want to generate thousands of Mega Watts, can go into millions and millions of dollars. Once fully functional, an industrial wind farm requires little maintenance and expenditures.

Unilever is ranked among the top FMCGs of the world. Unilever Pakistan, formerly known as Lever Brothers Pakistan Ltd., is doing business in the subcontinent for more than a century. I guess every Pakistani has used Lifebuoy and Dalda at least once in his life. Given this immense popularity and of course the resultant big earnings, I was expecting a massive CSR scene at the company but unfortunately that’s not the case.

Unilever has a very detailed CSR section on its Web site. Browsing through the pages, I found out some interesting facts. The company is focusing its CSR efforts in the following sectors:

• Education
• Health and Hygiene
• Sustainable Development

Education:

In the educational field, Unilever is supporting TCF - The citizens foundation - in building and running schools. Additionally, it has also entered agreements with the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy and The CARE Foundation for building schools. They have also forged alliances with LUMS, GIKI and Beacon House National University whereby they finance the education of selected females. These higher education efforts are commendable but one wonders why they have focused thier attention to just females?

Health:

In the health sector, Unilever’s CSR encompasses financial grants to the Karachi-based Kidney Centre, Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust and Mary Adelaide Leprosy Center. They also support any two breast cancer patients at Lahore-based Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Additionally, Unilever Pakistan has also installed some handpumps in interior Sindh with the help of a local NGO.

Lifebuoy brand worked with LEAD and donated 20 hand pumps to twenty schools in the areas of Khairpur and Sukkur. Through this installation, 3,324 students and 123 teachers are benefiting from having Lifebuoy hand pumps.

Sustainable Development:

Unilever’s sustainable development strategy hovers around installing some hand pumps, bio-sand filters and hand pumps in Thar, and nothing more. They have currently no nationwide sustainable development program, which is strange to say the least. Pakistan’s largest FMCG has a much greater social responsibility then just financing the education expenses of a few female students or installing a few hand pumps.

Of late, the company is also facing a lot of criticism about its relations with employees and many have claimed that the company is not socially responsible as it exploits its workers. Even if we set aside these controversial practices, I still feel that the company’s CSR efforts are not proportionate to its size and financial conditions. What do you guys think? Are they doing other things in CSR that I am not aware of?

This motivational story is about a little boy and the famous writer Lauren Eisely. Lauren writes that he was on holiday by the sea side when one night there was a big storm. Very early next morning as he was walking on the beach he saw that among the debris of the storm were literally hundreds of starfish which had been thrown up on the sand the previous night.

As he walked along, Lauren saw someone in the distance doing what looked to him, like a dance. The person was bending down and standing up and moving along as he did this. As Lauren neared him, he saw that it was a little boy who was picking up starfish from the beach and was throwing them back into the sea.

He went up to the boy and asked, “What are you doing?”

The boy said, “I’m throwing these starfish back into the sea so that they don’t die. They can’t move on the sand and if the sun comes out, they will dry out and die. So I am throwing them back so that they will live.”

Lauren says, he laughed at this statement. He then proceeded to put things in ‘perspective’ for the boy…So Lauren said to him, “Look, do you realize that on this beach alone there are literally thousands of starfish? And then of course there are hundreds of beaches in the world, on which are thrown up millions of starfish in every storm. You are one kid, throwing one starfish into the sea! For God’s sake, what difference does it make?”

The boy looked at Lauren; he looked at the starfish in his hand, he turned and threw it far into the waves and said to Lauren, “It made a difference to that one!”

Lauren writes, “I walked away and kept walking for a long time. Then I returned to the boy who was still there, picking up and throwing the starfish into the sea. I silently picked up a starfish and threw it into the sea. And we did this together for a long time.”

This is what first step towards a small change is about…:)

Corporate social responsibility and ethical spending by consumers have yet to find a common ground. Many people, who are conscious of the ‘excellent’ (NO pun intended) CSR scenes at the hi-fi companies, end up buying their products because they are unable to find alternatives or to put in a more simple manner; the same quality.

That’s exactly what Andrew discussed on his blog that he had no option but to buy Nike’s shoes as he had no alternatives available or he was not comfortable with the alternatives. He put that in this way.

I despise the company’s poor labor practices in emerging economies. Why then, did I purchase the shoes?

Simple - they were a comfortable fit. I live in a foreign country and face extreme difficulty in finding shoes in my size. So, when I find a suitable pair, I buy them. End of story.

What followed in his post is worth reading and pondering over. He discussed that hardly a tiny fraction of consumers will actually consider the company’s ethical practices and CSR activities before making a purchase. Style, fashion, durability, brand name and other factors play the crucial role in buying. On a similar note, lack of awareness and a feeling of disempowerment also plays its part. What difference will it make if I don’t buy the product of a famous brand as they have dubious CSR credentials? The company will still continue to do roaring business. He finally reached the following conclusion:

Although many consumers genuinely care about social, environmental and other ethical issues, the effect of these considerations on consumer purchasing behavior is limited due to a range of barriers to socially responsible purchasing.

As a result, ethical consumerism has some impact on corporate behavior, but the effect is limited.

The same case scenario is applicable on Pakistani CSR scene, even worst. The first and foremost hindrance in developing ethical consumerism in Pakistan is the lack of awareness. Nearly two-thirds of Pakistanis are illiterate and live in rural areas. Talking of Urbanites, most of them are so busy in making ends meet that they don’t care a penny about these things.

Now the tiny fraction of people who are aware of the concept also prefers luxury and style over moral standing of a company. Another interesting aspect of all this fuss is that we hardly have any choices where one company has a better CSR scene than the others. At least in developed countries, people can opt for socially responsible Cos but not us. Right?

Social Bridges team recently got a chance to have a heart-to-heart talk with Mr. Muhammad Nadeem Iqbal, Jang Group/MKRF’s group director of CSR and Special Projects. We were interested to know about what Jang Group is doing in the CSR scene, given its status as the largest media group of Pakistan. Additionally, the role of Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman Foundation (MKRF) also came under detailed discussion. In the following lines you would read excerpts from the interview. Additionally, we’re also able to get some scoop of the future projects of MKRF - a Social Bridges exclusive.

Social Bridges: How would you define CSR especially with respect to Pakistan?

Nadeem Iqbal: CSR is a new buzz word in the Pakistani corporate sector. The idea was recently imported from the west and still has to take roots in the local industry. The western concept of CSR is flawed as compared to the South Asian charity scene. In western countries, no one contributes towards the society unless and until he has amassed big wealth or the government imposes inheritance tax or stuff like that. On the contrary, South Asians have centuries old traditioins of donating irrespective of their financial status and they still give billion in charities annually.

According to a research by John Hopkins University research, Pakistan has the highest charity rate in the world and interestingly the lower rung of the society has more contribution in that. The catch lies in the mismanagement of these charities. As far as CSR by Pakistani corporate sector is concerned, it’s a mere eyewash; just a way of image buiding.

Social Bridges:If you can elaborate more on that?

Read more…

Dawn News is holding a nationwide Mini Documentary Competition pertaining to Social Issues of the society. The Top 3 winning entries will be screened at the Islamabad Film Festival with a sure shot giveaway of a handycam.

Details:
1. Format of submissions must be either in 35mm, Digital Beta or DV cam/ DVD format HD.
2. Duration must be 1-5 minutes on a social issue. Only one film per entrants may be submitted.
3. Entries will only be accepted with submission forms. The form can be downloaded from here.
4. Last day of submission of entries is 1/8/2008.
5. Send your entries to Marketing/DawnNews Plot 12, sector G-7/1, Mauve Area, Near Zero Point, Islamabad.

Good Luck

Nestlé - the world food giant - has been operating in Pakistan for the last 19 years. The company has gradually established itself as the largest consumer firm of the country. Starting with the milk collection and production, Nestlé Pakistan has expanded its business to other consumer goods like bottled water, beverages and prepared food, among other things.

Coming to the CSR part, Nestlé Pakistan defines its strategy as:

We believe that every single company, no matter where in the world it operates, ought to be fully integrated into the local social, cultural & economic life. We must be good corporate citizens, and give back to the societies to which we belong.

The company has devised a two-pronged strategy in this regard.

• Through social investments: giving to charities, leading and supporting cultural or welfare initiatives.
• Through the realisation that business create social and environmental impacts, both positive and negative, through the daily operations of their value chain.

The company has made significant social investments since its inception. According to the company Web site, it donated a sizeable amount to the earthquake relief fund and carried out on-ground relief efforts in addition to taking part in the rehabilitation process. The company currently has following welfare projects:

• Nutrition program for mothers & children
• Providing financial support to NGO
• Well and hand-pump installation projects
• Educational initiatives
• Farmers Training

Nestlé is also running a development program in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program UNDP to train village women in increasing milk production. To date, more than 4,000 women agricultural advisors have been trained under the program.

In addition, they also have a very large initiative covering lady health workers, that we will be looking into later on.

On the environmental front, the company also seems to be quite at par with international standards. The company’s official CSR report can be found here.

Now not sounding too PRish, the company also faces a sizeable amount of criticism. There are rumors that the company promotes its bottled water product by inculcating fears of drinking the normal tap water, as recently commented by one of our readers. How true is the claim is yet to be ascertained. Additionally, we would love to get information about the company’s CSR scene if any of our readers can help us in this regard.

“Education is important to the health of a nation and its people. By giving education to poor children we invest wisely in our future today”

- Edna Udobong, Executive Director of Partners for Freedom

We all are of the same point of view that basic education is pivotal for socio-economic change in developing nation like Pakistan. Our young generation is our leaders of tomorrow. But due to myriad reasons poor children in developing countries are being ignored and have lack of access to basic education. These children are less likely to be enrolled in schools or to complete the basic level of education. They can be beautiful, intellectual and passionate as our privilege children, but are not lucky enough to be born in home like ours!!!

In order to strengthen our nation’s future, we must contribute to make our children’s future promising and for sure the foundation is Education. In this context Zindagi Trust (www.zindagitrust.org) is playing an active role. Four years old Zindagi Trust(ZT) is lead by a young singer Shehzad Roy. ZT is committed to give a better life and a bright future to the underprivileged children of Pakistan. ZT educates working children, who are employed as assistants to the mechanics and assisting employers at the shops, young boys and girls who come to house helping out their parents employed as maid or gardeners and street-side vendors.

ZT has taken on a gigantic task of educating these working children at “I am Paid to learn” schools operating in 3 regions across Pakistan. The monetary incentive of Rs.20 per day given to every child enrolled in a Zindagi school ensures that the children still earns substantial income to provide for their families, and at the same time, it helps to keep them off the streets and brings them to a warm learning environment of a Zindagi classroom.

Well Done ZT….