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Think Tank 2022
International Association for Peace and Economic Development
IAED/UPF-Argentina Discusses “Business Social Responsibility: Social Observer?”
Monday, August 29, 2022
Argentina—On August 29, 2022, the “Business Social Responsibility: Social Observer?” theme was addressed by Vicente Spagnulo, a specialist in social, business, community and social innovation projects, during the inauguration of the IAED/UPF-Argentina 2022 Series. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Jorge Tuero, representative of IAED-Argentina, with comments and questions from panelists. It was broadcast on UPF-Argentina’s YouTube channel.
Mr. Spagnulo suggested that companies are a “social observer,” and that function exceeds the goal of only raising money. First, he briefly explained the concept of “Responsibility,” which came from the adjective “responsible” back in the 18th century to the noun “responsibility” in the 20th century. He talked about ethics of conviction and ethics of responsibility, and the consensual guidance on Business Social Responsibility according to the international standard ISO 26000, useful for private, public and nonprofit sectors.
Later, he shared his experiences at a company where he could put into practice social responsibility with its staff: Work Integration Program for special abilities, housing and summer camps. Projects to aid the community included the 2001-2002 Social Emergency Program to assist Malvinas veterans, Reengineering of San Nicolás and Ensenada Municipalities, and Ramallo Hospital – Emergency Room recycling.
Finally, he answered questions from the panel, consisting of Prof. Julio Nardini, representative of IAAP-Argentina, and Esperanza Gómez, representative of YSP-Argentina. A final commentary was given by Miguel Werner, president of UPF-Argentina, and words of appreciation were given by Dr. Tuero, who invited everyone to the discussion.
The International Association for Economic Development (IAED) (1) is a project of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), an international and interreligious organization with ECOSOC status at the UN and with initiatives and activities in more than 150 counties, under the premises of “Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values” (2).
IAED seeks to contribute to peace in cooperation with other leadership areas and organizations. It was formally inaugurated during the 2020 World Summit in Seoul, Korea with the conviction that we “have the opportunity and responsibility to work in collaboration with other sectors of society to make the world a better place, addressing its most significant challenges, and promoting world peace, long-term mutual prosperity and truly sustainable development.” It was later inaugurated in countries from every region, and in Argentina on October 26, 2021, with the theme: “Challenges for Peace and a Sustainable Economic Development.” On that occasion different objectives and lines of action were proposed (3).
Recording: “BSR: Social Observer?”: https://youtu.be/vaiPg9PNRhk
Quotes:
1) International Association for Economic Development (IAED):
https://www.upf.org/associations/iaed
2) UPF International: www.upf.org
UPF-Argentina: www.upf.org/chapters/argentina
3) Report on IAED-Argentina’s inauguration: https://www.upf.org/363-language/9915-panel-de-empresarios-inaugura-iaed-upf-en-argentina
Recording: https://youtu.be/WhVa9_uWaKQ