Global Development

BCLC's Global program helps businesses navigate the international development and partnership landscape while showcasing solutions to some of the world’s most complex development challenges. BCLC works closely with public and private sector partners, including the Global Partnership Center at the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the World Bank, and the United Nations, to provide supporters with connections and resources that will advance their global corporate citizenship interests and help business development in emerging markets.   

 

Key Issues

  • The business role in addressing food security, clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
  • Access to medicines and mobile health solutions
  • Job creation and skills training at the bottom of the pyramid
  • Rural and urban development
  • Aid and trade
  • Women and girls empowerment

 

Events

  • Spring Forum:  Hosted in partnership with the United Nations
  • Global Corporate Citizenship Conference: Every October, this conference is the convening place for companies, multilateral organizations, entrepreneurs, and NGOs that are creating a movement of change and progress.  The conference consists of interviews, enlightening plenary discussions, active audience participation, best practice models, breakout and networking sessions, and TED-style conversations.
  • Forums, briefings, and working meetings throughout the year

 

Initiatives

BusinessCorps, a platform for business people using their skills to help communities in emerging markets flourish and succeed. Through BusinessCorps, companies donate their employees’ technical skills to address community needs on a pro bono basis. Building on the inspiration that led John F. Kennedy to establish the Peace Corps in 1961, companies are coming together to make a difference, whether they operate in Brazil, the U.S., or around the world.

 

BCLC Lead

Laura Horton (email, @LauraMHorton) is the interim program manager, while Taryn Bird, is on sabbatical in Rwanda until July 2012. Laura first became interested in global development while teaching English in South India, and gained a deep appreciation for the potential positive private sector impact in global development while working as a management consultant. She enjoys combining her two passions while working alongside BCLC’s supporters to build partnerships, showcase innovative business solutions to complex development challenges, and create events and program content that provide insight and promote best practice sharing to enhance the private sector’s global development work.

 

Business Co-Chairs

  • Bo Miller, Director, Corporate Citizenship, President, The Dow Chemical Company Foundation at The Dow Chemical Company
  • Kathy Pickus, Divisional Vice President, Global Citizenship & Policy , Abbott

 

Global Program Headlines:

New Submarine Cable for Haiti Recovery and Growth

Author

I was working 400 miles away from Haiti, the day of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that caused significant damage and loss of life more than two years ago.  As the weeks passed, I was invited to be a part of a delegation, convened and hosted by the U.S. Chamber’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC), who met with leaders from the Haitian government and leading NGOs during a trip to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.  I represented Alcatel-Lucent to Haiti as part of the delegation.

Business Fights Malaria - Today, and Year Round

Author

Today is World Malaria Day, when we pause and recognize global efforts to eradicate a disease that has plagued humanity throughout recorded history. This year brings us one step closer to eradicating a disease that in 2010 alone afflicted an estimated 216 million people worldwide – roughly the equivalent of the adult population of the United States – and annually accounts for 10% of the world’s disease burden (World Health Organization). In 2010 malaria took the lives of an estimated 655,000 people, most of whom were under age five and living in sub-Saharan Africa.

CDC Development Solutions: The 3rd Annual ICV Conference

BCLC is proud to join CDC Development Solutions as a co-sponsor for the panel and networking session on Measuring the Impact of Your Corporate Volunteerism Programs for the 3rd Annual International Corporate Volunteerism Conference on April 11th in Washington, DC.  The panel will feature The George Washington University Capstone Team sharing the preliminary results of a George Washington University Graduate Research Team study on quantifying the ROI and associated benefits of International Corporate Volunteer Programs versus traditional leadership development courses.

Employers' Guide to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

To:    USCIB Corporate Responsibility Committee

        USCIB Labor & Employment Policy Committee

Ending the CSR Inferiority Complex

Author

External Forces Drove CSR 1.0. CSR 2.0 Is Being Driven By Business Value.

Want to Play the World's Largest Game of Tag? It Helps Finance Women Entrepreneurs.

Author

A couple of weeks ago I caught up with Dermalogica founder Jane Wurwand and chatted about the latest happenings in the joinFITE campaign. This initiative to fund 25,000 woman-owned microbusinesses across the globe launched last year at BCLC's 2011 International Women's Day event. On International Women's Day this year, Jane gave this exciting update:

joinFITE and #tagURit Described by Jane Wurwand, Founder of Dermalogica

At BCLC's International Women's Day event on 3/8/12 at the United Nations Headquarters, communications director Kitty Keller caught up with Jane Wurwand to learn about year one of joinFITE (Financial Independence through Entrepreneurship) and the new, March-only #tagURit campaign.

Do your part to #SolveWater

Author

Growing up I spent more hours than I care to admit reading mystery novels.  Often, the critical link in solving a case was a watermark on a piece of evidence.  The watermark always revealed something important and meaningful.

Xylem Watermark launched in 2008, as a way for Xylem (formerly ITT) to help solve a real-life case: to provide and protect safe water resources in communities around the world.   

During Taryn Bird's sabbatical in Kigali, Rwanda, with Indego Africa, Laura Horton is stepping in as interim global corporate citizenship manager. She's helping oversee the spring and fall global CSR events and the development of the International Business Corps.

Businesses Take Up the World's Water Needs

Author

The humble molecule dihydrogen monoxide is so ever-present that it is often forgotten. Yet this one substance – water, the universal solvent, H2O – is fundamental for regulating the temperature of our planet, it’s the chemical basis of all life on earth, it constitutes as much as 78% of our bodies, and it was the fount of human civilization. It’s for these important reasons (and many more) that today we celebrate water, and draw attention to our stewardship of this life-giving substance.

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