CSR world news wrap

Free online CSR courses

BetterManagement is offering a free, three-part online course about CSR. The Learning Series explains commonly used definitions, clarifies the difference between philanthropy and CSR and reveals how organisations can use it to create competitive advantages. Jeanette Slepian, President of BetterManagement, says a focus on ethical imperatives can provide a clear competitive advantage and stimulate corporate innovation.
http://www.bettermanagement.com

Business Wire, CSRwire alliance

Business Wire and CSRwire have formed a strategic alliance enabling Business Wire clients to reach the CSR community. CSRwire is a newswire dedicated to corporate social responsibility news and reports to interested journalists, analysts, investors and academics. The alliance means that corporate activities promoting social initiatives will reach a far broader audience, according to Cathy Baron Tamraz, president of Business Wire.
http://www.csrwire.com

US$500,000 for Arab Freedom Index

Canada-based Fraser Institute has won US$500,000 from the John Templeton Foundation for a new initiative to measure economic freedom in the Arab world. The Arab Freedom Index will last through 2007, and regional governments will then be encouraged to use it as a means of promoting economic development. Dir Michael Walker, executive director, Fraser Institute, says he believes the project will contribute to the solution of "one of the most vexing social and economic problems the world has ever seen."
http://www.fraserinstitute.ca

Global map of poverty 2005

To coincide with the G8 Summit being held on the 6-8th of July,
CSR specialist Maplecroft has created an interactive online Global map of poverty 2005 to coincide with the G8 Summit being held on the 6-8th of July. It describes the role of business and features examples of how proactive companies are engaging through partnerships to alleviate poverty.
http://maps.maplecroft.com

Public expectations rising

Global public expectations for business are rising, but vary by region, according to a report by GlobeScan. It reveals that the most important practice in Turkey is seen as philanthropic giving; whereas in Australia, Canada, Indonesia and the US, it is environmental protection; and in China, India and Russia, product quality is considered most important. It also found that consumers are more likely to punish companies seen as performing poorly on the operational front than reward those that exceed their expectations on the citizenship front.
http://www.globescan.com

Europeans want strong environment policy

Nine out of ten Europeans say that decision-makers should pay as much attention to environmental considerations as to economic and social factors when taking decisions, according to a EuroBarometer survey. People are most concerned about water pollution, man-made disasters such as oil spills, and climate change. The survey confirms a remarkable finding from the February 2005 EuroBarometer on the Lisbon agenda: 63 per cent of Europeans think that protecting the environment should take priority over economic competitiveness, against 24 per cent