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“Every meetings organization, irrespective of size, scale or scope, is linked to the global marketplace – and that marketplace is increasingly engaged with CSR.”MPI Green Power: Fuel for Change, Supplement to January 2012 CSR Report.
ZOË Alliance just became a new member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and I am excited to have recently joined the Events for Communities of  Sustainability (ECOS) Committee.
I am really looking forward to being an active member of this community because I believe that the meetings industry has an incredibly important role to play for business and society. Meetings are about people getting together to work on “something”. Growing a business, solving a technical, environment, social challenge….whatever the shared task at hand.
Gathering talented individuals to accomplish something is not a “nice to do”, effective meetings whether in person or virtual are the foundation of accomplishing anything at all.
It’s the same sort of thing with CSR or sustainability. This is not a sideline activity, and while it is about the environment, it is equally about people. The Meetings Industry is uniquely positioned to have significant impact on the sustainability of our society and, not surprisingly, has taken some really exciting steps toward providing leadership in this area with the 3-year research study that MPI has commissioned Leeds Metropolitan University to perform.
Sustainability initiatives within the private sector can address the critical shared global issues of poverty, insecurity, social injustice and systemic barriers to inclusion.
That was a mouthful, so lets sit with that statement for a minute and let it soak in. The economic power of the private sector cannot be understated. The Meetings Industry alone in Canada generates $33.8 billion in GDP. The little niche that ZOË focuses on represents $40 billion in spending annually in North America.
How we decide on where we will spend our money when we acquire the goods and services we need to perform our businesses or live our lives wields tremendous power. It directs the focus, business practices and yes…even the values of the supplier communities that vie for that business. In fact, how we decide on where we will spend our money reflects our values.
I love the framework that the MPI study has developed for categorizing the continuum of CSR activity. Must, Should and Can levels of action that range from merely meeting regulations, to honouring societal expectations, to proactively addressing societal issues that can be addressed through the business choices of a specific entity.
The best illustration of this concept that I can give is from our little sphere of action. The other day I was sitting with one of our advisors who has over three decades of experience in international sourcing of products. He was showing me picture of a typical working environment in an offshore factory that technically met all the guidelines of the UN Global Compact or most Company Supplier Codes.
It was clean, there was no coercion, no child labour, benefits, all the right boxes were checked off. It met the local societal and cultural norms in terms of working conditions and pay levels. It was a Should Do level operation.
So what is the problem? In developing countries rural poor survive by one of the family members migrating to urban centers to work and send money back. Families are separated for most of the year and the family member who is working in the urban center, works almost all of the time willingly because there is nothing else to do and they want to maximize the amount they can send back to their family. The factory above provided the benefit of small “bedroom” stalls that the workers lived in. This is a benefit because it meant they did not need to live in local urban slums.
What do you think? I think we “Can Do” better, which is why I like the common framework of the MPI continuum as a way to capture the essence of the opportunity we have to address global issues that will increasingly affect us all.
This worker’s family still lives on less than $1.25/day along with 1/3 of the planet. For our little niche, we have some ideas on models to address poverty, (see 2 minute video), for your business you will have different ways.
Each organizations implementation of the “Can Do” level of impact will vary, however it is clear that as companies within the Canadian Meetings Industry that wield $33.8 billion in economic decision-making power, the solution is in our hands. All we need to do is dust off our RFP’s and add a couple of criteria to the evaluation matrix for our suppliers. I think we “Can Do” that, don’t you?
ZOË Alliance has been working with the team at Asociación Hogares Internacionales Para Ninos for just over two years and we all got together in Guatemala this past February to review our progress, and to work on some key areas to ensure growth in the impact of this collaboration. This month’s blog is our trip update including some great learnings and takeaways from a local leader named Ramiro.
The best part of our work is getting to spend time with the amazing people we work with around the world. It was so good to be together. Rudy, Sully, Jorge and I were able to catch up on each other’s lives. I was able to practice my fledgling Spanish speaking abilities with them, Cindy and Maria. In the evenings I especially enjoyed my broken Spanish chats with Cindy, and even though I probably speak at a 2-3 year old level, she was very gracious and helped me to learn more.
Overall the trip was fantastic, we were able to review the progress of the past two years and identify the challenges we face in growing the scope and impact of the effort.
Progress Over the Past 2 Years
In terms of progress we celebrated that a business with 1 leather portfolio product has developed into an 8-item product line that the team has made and shipped on time to many customers for their client events and tradeshows. All this has led to skills development, income for local workers and their families, and income for the local suppliers to the business and their families. A good solid start, we all agreed.
Challenges To Overcome
In terms of challenges, we have a few remaining. Our purpose for gathering was to take these head on so that we can continue to increase the impact of this project.
The key challenges include access to capital for the local business, the need for advanced leather-working training so that we can make more sophisticated product designs, and the need to reduce non labour production costs such as raw material costs, operational procedures and shipping so that the products can be more competitive.
During the course of the trip, we worked through all of these in great detail. Some of the trip highlights included:
- Developing 6 very stylish and competitive new products (New products on our website coming soon)
- Developing a practical 3 year business & funding plan for the local business
- Identifying great local trainers & sourcing the right equipment for the job
- Auditing the tannery and realizing the positive social & environmental impact achieved through this wonderful business.
What We Learned From Ramiro
 Ramiro centre with Son Pablo on the left, and nephew Esteban on the right.
I was so impressed by Ramiro and his tannery business. His father started this business 50 years ago, and he has been personally running it for 32 years. I think we all know instinctively when we meet someone who is genuinely passionate about their trade and their people. Ramiro is one such gentlemen and he shared three things that I think we can all learn from.
- Excellence in Your Trade: He shared how when he was a young man he did not understand why his father spent so much time on experimenting with leather finishing techniques. He thought at the time that he should be focused on other aspects of the business, but came to appreciate and be passionate about the finer points of design and technique. As he toured us through his small business that employs 40 local workers, every aspect of the work showed commitment to excellence in design, production AND environmental impact.
- Environmental Leadership: Excellence in product design was not enough for Ramiro. In his country he has shown great leadership in the area of environmental responsibility. His little business has achieved 3 different levels of environmental certification for it’s leather production processes and the government and environmental groups regularly sponsor him to advance his training. The facility is a zero waste facility with waste being either recycled or utilized to create by products such as glue for the local shoe industry.
- Social Leadership: As impressive as all of that was, the third point was so consistent with our heartbeat at ZOË that it really resonated with me. He said that part of his business strategy was to intentionally support local small producers. He was attracted to working with Asociación Hogares Internacionales Para Ninos because they help benefit marginalized local people in a way that enhances skills and future opportunities. He deals exclusively with local businesses to support the growth of the local economy.
The Take Away for All of Us
Industry can be intentionally or unintentionally exploitative of workers in the course of pursuing larger profits or more competitive offerings. This statement sounds harsh and is a bit of a hard pill to swallow. But the reality is that our everyday buying decisions fuel this. It takes an intentional commitment to find out if our next giveaway came from a production facility with questionable practices or one that we can trust.
The good news is that, because the Meetings & Incentive Industry is so large, there is great opportunity to influence substantive social change. This is exciting!
Local economies in developing nations, (where most promotional products are made), can only achieve sustainability as their small to medium size business sector grows strong. This is crucial to funding the investment required to improve the quality of living in the country for everyone.
It is true that our model at ZOË achieves social impact through the sale of competitive products. It’s that simple. Our commitment to the M&IT industry is that the competitiveness of our partners businesses and ours will be achieved through excellence in value, design, and operations. And the heart of our businesses will always be the people, a bit like our friend Ramiro.
If you like where we are going and want to be a part of the movement here is our suggestion. Consider asking your suppliers two additional questions on all of your formal and informal RFP’s for promo items and gifts:
- Where are the items you are proposing manufactured?
- Describe the human rights, social and environmental policies of the manufacturer.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, merely asking the questions will start to build momentum behind the movement. There are lots of good resources available on social sourcing guidelines, a good starting point are the fair trade principles. You may have some within your organization now that are applied to other areas of your business. Please feel free to get in contact with us if we can be of support to you in developing a social sourcing evaluation framework.
For this month’s blog, we bring you a video blog update with Mercy Abraham Imondi, the Managing Trustee and leader of Mahalir Aran Trust and our partners in India. Enjoy!
A BRIEF BACKGROUND FOR CONTEXT
India, while a prospering and growing nation, continues to be home to 40% of the world’s poor and 1/3 of the world’s malnourished children. Mercy Abraham is a strong national leader standing in the midst of that reality and her registered charity has helped train and develop over 200 women who are now earning incomes and providing for their families.
They also provide a home for 75 orphaned girls, and 25 destitute women. Her approach to development is extremely well thought out, providing food and shelter, emotional support, education, training and even work opportunity. We are very proud to be partnering with Mercy and her team.
While Mercy was here late last year, we took advantage of the opportunity to tape this video update so that you could meet her too! In it she provides background on how business is benefiting the rural community she serves and how she hopes to expand the impact to include HIV/AIDS affected and disabled women.
Collaboration is so powerful. We have all heard Margaret Mead quoted many times, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Well, I’d like to take this blog to tell you about three people. People just like you and me who decided to put their heads together and change a little piece of the world.
At the tail end of last year one of our partners, Mercy Abraham Imondi from Dharmapuri in India visited Canada. She and I share a common vision and while she was here we got down to business. Mercy’s tenacity and commitment is unbelievable and she is 1,000 percent committed to the people in her community. We talked, learned, laughed and dared to imagine a future with greater and greater impact on lives in rural India. (You can read about Mercy and her work under our “Out of India” category.)
As you might imagine, one of the key factors to success in our model is coming up with market based ideas that are well designed and cost effective so that they will be of interest to many customers. To do that we need the input of many people. Enter Ranee Lee of raneeleedesign.com. Ranee is an accomplished commercial designer and educator who lends her design services pro bono to ZOË
Customer feedback told us that we needed a competitive summer product, something not too expensive, fun and that would be good for golf tournaments, trade shows, employee picnics, etc… Mercy and I had been collaborating and while she was here, she, Ranee and I met for a design meeting. The initial sample turned into a product concept that we all thought would be a great fit and the numbers lined up. Now all we needed was client feedback, enter Travis Gardiner and Alexandra Garant of CA Source.
 CA Source purchased the recycled paper pens that Mercy’s team makes last year as one of their trade show giveaways and we had planned a meeting during Mercy’s visit. We decided to get their feedback on the lunch bag concept, largely because Travis had previously mentioned that this would be an item of interest. It was such a valuable conversation, and their input helped shape the final product. So much so that we are happy to share that the lunch bag will be one of their trade show gifts this year!
Much of what we have done to date has been accomplished just like this. All it takes is an organization like CA Source to share their creativity and experience over a coffee and powerful things happen.
So what can a village business leader, a Canadian social entrepreneur, a commercial product designer and marketing people at an accounting services firm accomplish if they put their heads together? The best answers come from the women in the villages and their families.
This year we are working with several organizations on some pretty big village changing initiatives, stay tuned for the updates AND give us a call if you have a half hour or so to roll up your sleeves on a project. Ask any of us, you will have the time of your life.
This year has been one of fortifying the foundation of our work, deepening the impact, and growing participation in the movement. Read on for a year end glimpse into some of 2011’s highlights and where our sights are set for 2012!
Fortifying the Foundation
This past year has seen each of our four partners grow in their experience as they have been supplying over 15 products. Each business is making more than one item and growing in their ability to build their businesses in supplying to ZOË and to others.
It is very exciting, and a great example of enhanced capacity to do business is with our friends in Guatemala. Recently they made their first shipment this year directly to ZOË’s client in Paraguay for their tradeshow without the need for quality control support. This is indeed a big step forward and shows that this team will be able to continue to expand their business.
Deepening the Impact
We are so excited that we have been able to give multiple orders to each partner, helping to make the workflow more consistent for the teams. This is a key part of our focus to ensure that people are working consistently in each business.
We were also able to have a small part in the realization of the dream of the medical clinic in Dharmapuri through income generated and a donation. The ribbon was cut at a ceremony in October this year and this was a key milestone in the life of this community in Dharmapuri. You can read more about it in the archive.
Growing Participation
We saw amazing growth in the movement here in North America as over 32 new companies decided to take the challenge.
There aren’t words to describe the impact of their decisions on the lives of the people working in the communities. It seems like such a small trivial thing to us, an order for 100 portfolios here or 5,000 pens there. We are hard pressed to understand it here, and even at ZOË we often fall into the thinking that we are not doing enough yet.
Fortunately, each time we get an update about a family’s progress hearing how they have invested their income to multiply and extend it’s impact, or a child’s progression to the next grade in school it all comes back into clear focus.
If its real lasting change then the number of people we impact can’t be too small and it can never be too big.
Much More to Do
So the little movement that could has a long way to go. As with all things that are worth doing, we are slowly and surely increasing our impact in a way that will last. Future generations in the villages will look back and know that their mother worked in a village production unit and that this funded their education. They will know that had it not been for this, they might still be working the fields for very little pay and with little opportunity for growth or change. And they will know that people in companies half way around the world played a key role in shaping their future.
In the next year, our sights are set very high because the need and the urgency of the need is very high. We have developed a model together with our partners and we know how to help local leaders establish small businesses. And so now it’s time to grow, to establish rural regional cooperative units that are able to supply very large volumes on contract to companies who would choose to source items like employee uniforms, pens for hotel rooms, or one or two items within their product line from these centres.
There is great potential to create enhanced value for companies in purchasing a staple item like employee store aprons. They could buy them at a competitive price while at the same time help to create a rural regional economy providing dignified employment and a future for thousands of people. This is just one example, the possibilities are only limited by our imaginations and somebody has to supply those aprons.
So stay tuned for some fun new gift and promotional product options, and please do get in touch with us if you would like to share some input, or explore a way in which your organization could get involved.
On November 15th, 45 speakers representing business, charities, and non governmental organizations will be gathering for a day long conference at Algonquin College in Ottawa to explore Corporate and Community Social Responsibility. ZOË Alliance will have the opportunity to be among them.
The theme that will be the common thread throughout the 11 sessions is Creating Shared Value. This idea has been a topic of much dialogue for several years now, with the term “Shared Value” coined by co-authors Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer in their January/February 2011 article entitled Creating Shared Value.
In it they define shared value as: “…policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates. Shared value creation focuses on identifying and expanding the connections between societal and economic progress.”
Simply put, businesses can pursue economic gain in a way that intentionally creates a positive social impact AND that this is not only a nice to do, as in traditional CSR, but actually a way to achieve even greater business outcomes. It posits that social considerations are core to business decision making and costs, thus challenging conventional business theory that pure profit seeking at the cost of the environment, community, and the social conditions of the people employed produces the best economic outcomes.
Why is this Important?
This is a really important conversation for many reasons, and one in particular. Globally leaders are moving forward, almost as if with one voice, toward a business based approach to addressing gargantuan societal issues such as poverty and environmental preservation. This thinking about the role of charities, NGO’s, government, and business is shaping government policy around the globe, and has far reaching implications for how effectively these organizations can collaborate and their funding models.
As with any conversation that is seeking to address very complicated problems, the answers are never simple. Is it business or charities to the rescue? The answer is yes. Business, NGO’s, Charities, Development Agencies, and Governments all have roles.
Porter and Kramer state at the end of their article that “Not all societal problems can be solved through shared value solutions.” In their article, they stress the value of intentional collaboration between the various entities, each lending their strengths to each particular endeavour.
From our perspective, as a social enterprise that started pursuing a Regenerative Business Model in 2008, we are whole heartedly on board with the reality that business can be profitable, can pursue it’s economic best interest, and can do so in a way that benefits society. Our raison d’être is to make it easy for companies to do this by in essence, creating rural local clusters that can be effective parts of a large companies supply chain, to use the nomenclature of Shared Value.
But as we continue is this dialogue, there is one caution. Beware any strategy that holds up one actor as being the best equipped to solve the world’s ills. It is easier to do this, and it does make for better headlines. Admittedly, it is decidedly more difficult to collaborate across for profit, non profit and governmental organizations. However the reality is, we need each others expertise. And in the extremely difficult situations that many people face around the world, we must find creative solutions, even in the face of extraordinary social costs that cannot be reasonably bourne by business.
It’s a bit like the Aid is Dead argument of a few years ago. Starving people with health issues can’t work, so of course there is room for aid and development to work hand in hand. Similarly, economic drivers are an extremely powerful tool to drive lasting social change. But it’s a rare company that can justify investing resources and training people in the middle of a village that has no access to roads and power without a shared investment by the local government and NGO’s in infrastructure, education and health.
So the answer is in balance and collaboration. In mutual respect and continuing to push the boundaries, leveraging each others strengths. And yes, this next era of CSV, (Creating Shared Value), as an evolution of CSR, (Corporate Social Responsibility), is one of great promise and we are looking forward to what we can accomplish together.
Christian Horizons is the largest government funded provider of support services to adults with disabilities in Ontario. The organization serves over 1,500 families and continually evolves their services to meet the changing needs of the people whom they serve.
Micah Elson is the Program Manager at Ottawa Grow, one of their largest employment solutions programs. One of his responsibilities is to oversee the team that produces the Equitas product line of ZOË Alliance. This month’s blog brings us a glimpse into the goals and larger vision for the work of Grow through an update from Micah.
(To get more background you can find a primer on this project in the December 2010 newsletter)
The Goals of GROW
Employment solutions initiatives began with the dual objectives of helping people develop job skills and supporting them in securing meaningful work in the community. As such our programs were comprised of subsidized businesses and day service programs with a specific focus on skills development.
A key realization has contributed to the evolution of our programming. We still have a strong commitment to helping people develop job skills and securing employment in the community, however our experience in the past few years have brought us face to face with an interesting reality.
The reality is that some people, who had previously been unable to engage in work activities, can be very successful in a workplace setting with some modifications that enable them to participate. We have realized that accommodations for behavioural, physical, and medical needs can create an environment in which almost everyone can contribute in a meaningful way to the success of a business.
We are uniquely positioned to evolve our employment solutions initiatives into self-sustaining businesses that provide working environments that enable people who possess any combination of abilities to participate successfully as part of the work force.
So our goal in the coming years is to create environments that are more than opportunities for training. We will be creating viable ongoing businesses that become long-term employment opportunities for people, and create a model that could be adopted by others. As a result, we will only be pursuing businesses that can be competitive.
We feel that it is very important that we push ourselves to find solutions. It is not enough to settle for a day service program for a portion of the people we serve. It is our responsibility to create meaningful opportunities for as many people as we can to participate.
And these opportunities must be equitable, providing the opportunity to make a good wage in an environment that understands each person’s abilities. Equitable also implies that these are work places and not programs. So there are real work expectations adjusted for ability level, real work for real pay. We want to neutralize factors that would otherwise keep a person who wants to work from being a part of the work force.
The Role of Collaboration
As you can imagine, developing businesses with modified work roles is a challenge. There are many unique considerations in operating such a business that take additional focus and effort. Because of this we see collaboration with partners as an important success factor.
A big piece of our collaboration has been with ZOË Alliance and some stores in the community who sell our items. Every business has to have a sales channel and these collaborations are the only things that enable us to run. Our businesses manufacture products and provide services, so having partners that help create demand for those products and services is a critical part of our business plan.
Vision for the Future
This year we will be evaluating each of our existing businesses to determine if they can be successful. We will be deciding which businesses to exit, and which ones to continue to invest in for growth. For each business we will be identifying the two or three things that we are really good at, for which there is clear market demand, and maximizing that.
In our Ottawa Grow location, our expectation is that we are developing a company that it is sustainable and that will employ about 75 people. We don’t wish to establish too large a centre. Once we have established successful experiences in developing modified working conditions that are realistic and can be a part of a profitable business model, we will then look to work with community partners to expand opportunities.
Our role can then evolve toward enabling other businesses in the community to create realistic work environments by providing supports to the workers and the businesses.
This past Saturday, I attended the Toronto International Microfinance Summit (TIMS). It is a gathering of different types of organizations engaged in fighting poverty through microfinance and related efforts. I had been invited by Julie McDowell, Founder of ClearlySo Canada, to participate in her panel discussion about transforming lives through linking markets.
I have to say that I enjoyed myself immensely because I felt at home among others who are equally passionate about finding ways to empower people in extremely difficult circumstances around the globe. I realized that it has been way too long since I have taken the time to meet with my colleagues in international development. The energy and the benefits of discussing ideas and learning from what others are doing were incredible.
The last time I attended a conference with similar professionals was in Washington in 2008. It was the SEEP conference and the ink on my business cards was still wet. I had just incorporated the business, was fresh and full of ideas, and had yet to actually do anything. This conference was foundational to the development model employed by us and led to what really forms the heart of our work at ZOË Alliance.
On the surface we sell gifts and promotional items made by people in villages in developing nations. Kind of a “Ten Thousand Villages” for corporations. But the heart of our work is to fulfill a key role in partnership with other organizations in international development, the role of access to markets. We provide village business people access to North American markets for gifts and promotional items.
To place this in context, there are 5 key spheres of action in international development:
1. Aid – sending money, food, etc…
2. Infrastructure – digging wells, building schools, etc…
3. Microfinance – providing access to capital to enable people to develop sustainable income streams for themselves and their families.
4. Access to Markets – linking markets to these small businesses to help grow the economy and impact
5. Governmental Collaboration – working with governments to establish fair practices and policies in developing nations
I learned that access to markets is one of the most challenging areas for development and in fact, probably the most important area of opportunity for corporations to contribute. That is our niche at ZOË Alliance and the conference highlighted many other innovative approaches by companies who are focusing all or a portion of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives on poverty alleviation. Our approach is to work in partnership with non-governmental organizations, (NGOs) and national or indigenous business leaders. We access markets for our business colleagues in various villages enabling them to grow their businesses.
By far, the best part of TIMS was hearing companies like Citi, Cuppa Change, Oliberte and others share their approaches to alleviating poverty. Also striking was hearing a very dedicated group of microfinance professionals celebrate successes AND grapple earnestly with the issues they face in increasing the social impact of their efforts. Microfinance is a complex tool for change and is not without it’s controversies. Even so, I walked away impressed by the courage of the conversations and the commitment to principled and genuine outcomes.
Finally, the benefit of collaboration for maximum impact was crystal clear. The recognition that microfinance is one tool amongst others and an avid interest in developing solutions that draw together the strengths of different parties toward even stronger sustainable development strategies was evident.
I have to say that working Saturday’s is not my favourite thing to do, especially since this one happened to be my birthday. But I was honoured to have been invited to participate and am very grateful to be a part of such an incredible community of people.
The ZOË Alliance team has the privilege of working with some truly incredible leaders in each country. This month’s blog brings us an update directly from the field in Guatemala. It provides a pretty comprehensive look into their principles, the way in which they engage the communities they serve and some great examples of impact.
UPDATE FROM OUR GUATEMALAN PARTNERS – ASOCIACIÓN HOGARES INTERNACIONALES PARA NINOS – GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA
“We build business opportunities because we see scarcity of education as a fundamental problem. Without
 Rudy & Sully Rojas
training, people are denied jobs because they don’t have the necessary skills. Through the leather projects, we create opportunities to provide people with training that opens the doors to other opportunities for employment income.”
– Rudy and Sully Rojas, Directors, Asociación Hogares Internacionales Para Ninos, a CH Global program in Guatemala.
Rudy and Sully Rojas have been leading the CH Global initiative in Guatemala for 20 years. Headquartered in Guatemala City, they work with both urban and rural communities – some as close as 28 km away in Amatitlàn, and others as far away as Puerto Barrios, 300 km away in the northeastern part of the country.
The primary communities supported include: Puerto Barrios, El Zapatillo, Lake Amatitlàn, El Campanero, Xelaju, San Pedro, three groups in Antigua and four groups right in Guatemala City.
Their programs centre around four key areas of focus: Education; Community Development Continue reading Guatemalan Update – A Glimpse Into Some Great Work!
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