The following audience ideas, comments and personal commitments emerged from interactive conversations with the panelists and discussion groups

(January 23, 2007)

Ideas

• (It is) an interesting idea to bring this notion of citizenship to the classroom.   I see my role (as a teacher) in promoting the learning of citizenship and reinforcing the importance of community beginning at the school level.

• On a personal level, people need re-education away from me-me and materialism to a more communal personal and world view, featuring moderation and sharing.  These people will change corporations.   -Peter Crawley

• Build a knowledge sharing website re: this topic (of citizenship).  Organize by categories:

• Citizenship, Global Warming, Poverty, Leadership for Change, Giving back to the community

• Challenges, Communities-success stories, Roles (that) citizens and companies have.

• Business could partner with schools and community organizations, including faith communities, in exploring social history and environmental needs of the community.  (The) identification of needs and issues of concern could lead to collaborative projects to address those needs and concerns.

• Do not just think about profits or good reputation-(companies should) do/think more (of) themselves as a member of the community.  If they change their perspectives, what corporations produce are not just goods but also hope for people. -Qian Guan

• Support (financially and structurally) the transition of your supply chains to sustainable practice.

• Just as learning goals are set for students in math, science, etc. over grades K-12, perhaps citizenship curriculum/learning goals should also be established in the schools, starting at an early age.

• CSR should include more efforts internationally, especially in 3^rd world countries where many inequalities and social problems are evident.

• Examine business operations and process to identify and minimize any negative externalities.  Work to bring companies together to tackle global problems.

• Respecting and working toward workers rights and environmental issues; giving back to the community; choosing to help countries in economic difficulty over excessive profit; having rules that prevent companies from exploiting.

• Invest in education, especially in school food programs because nutrition and education are the keys to success. Without food, people can not be expected to do anything.  Once fed, they must be educated, to gain not only knowledge, but hope that they can have a good life. Youth will always be our future; we must invest in them.  When students are fed and taught, society benefits and there is less crime, better morale, more hope, a better work force which translates into greater success for businesses and the county as a whole.  Help open schools.  Support breakfast and lunch programs.  Support after school programs.

• Corporations need to build trust from the inside out, by creating cultures in which people are rewarded for how they meet business objectives, as much as for meeting the objectives themselves.  This demands a focus on integrity and accountability.  The culture that firms create on the inside will define their engagement with and perception by the community on the outside.   – Mark Rowe

COMMENTS

• If businesses and community organizations throughout the “developed” world were to get involved in sponsoring village banks, great strides could be made toward alleviating global poverty.

• I think a critical component to change on any level is for companies to make sure their employees know they are empowered-and not to wait for someone else to “do it.”

• Lucas’ story became a centerpiece for discussion.  I believe that more companies should share their stories to inspire others and provide more models for effective CSR.  –Tricia McKenna

• It seems as if a large portion of problems, on a local level and a global scale, stem from a disconnect between citizens and the concept of citizenship, between a business in an area and that business’ responsibility to that area.  Locally, the solution lies in awareness of a citizen’s impact on a community, in awareness of a local business’ input on a community.  Globally, the solution is essentially the same, focusing on the development of the concept of a global community brought together under the simple banner of humanity.

PERSONAL COMMITMENTS

• What can I do?  I can prepare myself to speak intelligently to my friends and co-workers the values associated with CSR.  Our society needs to be educated.  I can help.

• If we think globally and act locally how do we persuade others to ACT as well?  IMHO, education is the key.

• I want to work with corporations to eliminate the negative effects imposed on international communities that are a result of globalization.  Specifically work to have ethical corporate behavior in the use of international resources and labor.  -Marina Pastrana