Does it give me another bag, please?

For Carolina Herrero. It is what we usually listen to in the Uruguayan supermarkets, trades or any establishment where in it we find some article acquired. And I do not talk of biodegradable bags, that they are not those that deliver us freely and with so much lightness, but of those that are done of polyethylenes and polypropylenes (derivatives from the oil), and so much its manufacture contaminates the atmosphere with broadcasts of CO2, as its desecho, which generally end up being cremated.

And it is that for these payments, the problem that is the generation of so much waste, has not been posed with the problem that entails its very slow natural degradation or the management of it itself yet. The fact that its natural degradation takes several hundreds of years, which do not manage to define scientifically in an exact way, is of special interest, but yes they rate at about 400.

And while they wait patiently for its natural degradation, they contaminate oceans and grounds, causing death for suffocation of different sea animals as well as intoxicating birds that by error, feed on them.

Different is as this subject is being lived in Spain, where a certain consciousness has started to be generated that makes evident the ecological damage that is taking place with the indiscriminate consumption of this item type.

According to a study, "The Catalans use 14 million plastic bags in a single weekend", and goes that it frightens the cipher, but they are at least starting to take action about this, as charging by the use of this article or inhaling to its composition being biodegradable. Also some of our Latin American neighbors are at the biodegradable bags, as Argentina and Chile, betting. In Uruguay? Well, graces.

And to generate conscience will be difficult until they do not start to charge us for each of those small bags that with so much kindness they offer us; until does not touch the fact that it requests "one" from that article "more, please", than once arrived home the own pocket for us, we will discard quickly. Because to generate the habit of taking the bag of the purchase itself, there is not anything more effective to involve to the home economy. It keeps reading > > >

The added value of intending ethical values

For Martín Lescano. The process of release and integration of the market at world level is a fact that represents a threat for many local economies, but also an opportunity for whom it is prepared to confront this new context. The world role of different international actors, has surpassed that of many national states and the impact on the environment and the society in general comes conditioned by actions taken in the world business atmosphere. The increasing extension of the commercial activity to the exterior generates globalization of the productive processes striking planetary scale in the economics. This situation leaves the countries in way of development vulnerable but it also takes aspects as the laws of the working people and the exploitation of the environment to first plan.
In this context, the perspective of the Businessman Social Responsibility (RSE) intends a sustainable development through the active and voluntary contribution of the company in the society.

There are two great motivations that they project to the company in the world of the RSE: one of aspect philanthropist, where the company recognizes its impact in the atmosphere and the society and tries to reduce it to the utmost, with the vision that the sustainable development is a mission of all the world for equal. Another more rational, where the company understands that a socially responsible behavior is a strategic inversion that it leads to create profit and competitiveness, one.
Beyond the motivation, managing to systematize the socially responsible actions, an economic benefit can be obtained and social, pointing to the sustainable development.
In the last years in Uruguay attention individual is lending himself to the questions of global sustainable development and to the impact that the company activity has on the atmosphere and the society. For the Uruguayan company of today, to represent an active paper in the society and to be part of the solutions to different environmental and social problems can be converted in an attached value in terms of reconocibilidad, reputation, efficiency of management and internal cohesion. The social responsibility of the citizenship and the consumption has kept evolving doing pressure on the companies. In the world market, always competitive and uncertain in several aspects, the attention that the quick company to the RSE comes considered by the customers as an important criterion of choice and preference of a product or a brand.
In the social plan, the business role is tied up with a strong tradition of beneficence. In the last years, many companies have esponsorizado different social projects and actions to reduce the impact in the environment. In turn the dialogue with the working people and its representation has been increased. The problem lies in the accomplishment of isolated actions, taken ahead without a program that guarantees a continued action. To systematize the good practices, it must exist a normative frame and a business policy with a mission and clear vision with regard to the social and environmental issue. The RSE can contribute to the transformation of the beneficence in long-term financing of social and environmental projects and to formalize its actions through a certification (international or national) that allows her to create added value.
Regrettably in Uruguay the RSE is still in an informal phase with a weak normative structure, to the utmost use not being made of its economic and social utility.

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Do we make contact?

For Carolina Herrero. The application to annul situations that involve a behavior of doubtful ethics on the part of multinational companies is a tool of current scarce utility, but why?

One of the inconsistencies of the attitude of a government is to be stuck voluntarily to international initiatives and not to jeopardize afterwards his to work to guarantee that the same ones are complied in the country. In this case, I refer to the Directive Lines of the Organization for the Cooperation to the Economic Development (OCDE) for multinational companies.

These directive of voluntary character they enunciate beginnings and norms to regulate the responsible business behavior, in grounds as publication of information, employment and work relations, environment, fight against the corruption, interests of the consumer people, among another.

The same ones, the one who will be ordered of introducing the laws that the civil society to present complaints has and specific applications on multinational companies with little ethical activities fix the need that every country that is stuck must establish a National Point of Contact (PNC). But clearing, if the governments do not introduce this figure (that of the PNC) and as the procedure of presentation of this application must be developed, so that the PNC can act as mediator in the process among who denounces and the denounced multinational, of little the pennons that shake the governments as a sign of its adhesion to beginnings act.

If the people "of to I cheeped" does not know that it can denounce little ethical behaviors, in an extrajudicial application, if they do not know how before whom to be directed, or if they mistrust the impartiality of that mediatory PNC, these applications remain alone in mere good intentions.

In the factory organized through the Observatory of RSC together with Setem, "Towards a European model of National Point of Contact", the need that the PNC had a quadripartite constitution (gobierno-empresa-soc.civil-sindicatos), as well as the need to endow them with resources (human as well as material) so that they can exert its function, having the adequate promotion and institutionalization of the channels of participation, remained of manifesto.

Likewise, in this factory very enriching experiences could be shared, as for example the Australian experience, where they sat previous when including in the final declaration of the PNC all those aspects in which it was arrived to agreement among the parts, as well as the points where the multinational did not want to embark on the suggested improvements.

These applications are extremely valuable if they are introduced, if its existence and modality of operancia are spread. But if a dependence has it relegated in an Exterior Board of Trade, subject to pressures of the chambers of commerce, of industry, of exporting companies and others, they are destined "to die without sentence nor glory".

It is extremely showy that in the last year not even a single application has been presented in front of the Spanish PNC; data that I made evident perplexed in the annual meeting of the Spanish PNC to inform about the advance and performances of the last year. It seems then, that there has not been either a single breach to the laws of the working people, nor a single case of corruption (notorious this since there are countries where it is impossible to operate regardless of corrupt actions).

The society must be conciente of its laws, and clearing is that from the government is not going to be generated the information flow necessary. We owe, from the third sector, to try to generate conscience and to spread the existing rights to make them be valid.

We try to mend the bare cable and power like this, to make contact.

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Speculative bubble also in RSC?

For Carolina Herrero. "Profesionistas with degree level, Mastership in Administration or similar areas, and speciality in Corporate Responsibility, are requested for managerial and executive posts in multinational companies" (published here).

This note is curious, since precisely we debated as for this situation, with the and the colleagues of the Master in Corporate Social Responsibility that we passed on last year. Clear that, arriving to other conclusions one so much opposed has been mentioned in this note.

Part of those who we carry out this formative course with the total conviction (other people kept developing it throughout this formation, and another remained impermeable and indifferent) of the necesariedad of the adoption on the part of the organizations, civil society and State, of responsible practices with the Environment and the Society. On the part of the companies, the need for adoption of a serious appointment, real, based on the honest and transparent intention of incorporating the management of the Corporate Social Responsibility (RSC) in its strategy of business; on the part of the civil society, that of incorporating criteria of sustainability in the daily decisions (purchase, use of energy / water / fuels, transport, etc.) like this as that of requiring bigger information, and more transparency, from the companies that act in the middle on the type of practices that they carry out.

But after having the conviction of such a need, as I sieves us with the people there where we were, we confront the sad reality that it is not such a need, not even the concept itself that underlies behind RSC, spread. And sadder still, in our search of work insertion in this area, we still warn with great worry that the demand for this type of professionals especially formed in the matter is scarce, and worse, in the event of to exist it, it moves in closed circles, of difficult access. Then I wonder, will it be that in Mexico they are betting for a professionalization of the management of the RSC, and that in Spain is not yet generalized, or will be that there is a sort of "speculative bubble" as for the formation in RSC?

Personally, I am convinced of the need for professionalization of the technical staff that manages the RSC or cual or the area of its performance, as of any other profession where they are necessary knowledge solid and founded to manage with efficiency and efficiency towards the achievement of the established goals. And like this it has remained of manifesto in the Congress and Room of the RSC that took place in Madrid on the 30th and the 31st of January last. In the work group on Transparency and Certification, it was exposed clearly that one of the possible weaknesses at the time of implanting with success strategies of RSC as well as its subsequent verification and certification, is the lack of specific formation on the part of those who carry out these works. That yes, among those who there we gave ourselves appointment, the companies shone for its absence, since the assistance to the congress was in its wide majority belonging to the Third Sector.

Then, if since the formative offer is every time larger, I can not but to ask me where is that professional profile placed afterwards, in the work ground? which real opportunities find who egresan of training courses in RSC? Because it would be sad to think that the posts to manage the RSC will be "reserved" to the same people of always, and that who we have with a specific formation in the matter we will not find a work exit, done that it would provoke eventually, a big descreimiento about the seriousness and appointment of those who make out that they carry out responsible practices.
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The unbearable lightness of the ciphers

For Carolina Herrero. It is extremely showy the results by which "Social Responsibility of the companies" is extrapolated of the enquiry in Uruguay: the perception of the citizens", enquiry carried out by the Department of Economics of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of the Republic.

According to this enquiry, the/the Uruguayan/to half/to knows what is the RSE: 43,6% of the population heard to talk about the RSE, 30% of the citizenship opines that the information offered by the companies on the RSE is reliable, and the areas where it should be acted more and better in RSE, priority has been given by the interviewed ones, in the following way: 1) Community, State and medioambiente, 2) Employees/ace; 3) Stockholders and 4) Clients, proveeduría and competence.

We go step by step, disintegrating the information: personally the result that the "average Uruguayan" knows what is the RSE is me very showy, particularly because I have carried out, at personal level, an opinion poll among people of different areas, although in its wide majority they are university students/ace professionals, and the great majority of these/ace does not have very clear that the RSC goes. That is, they do not know well what is what in fact is behind these initials, identifying the relation with environmental subjects, philanthropy and patronage in its great majority. Therefore, if among professionals there is mostly a disturbance on the meaning of the term RSC, considering to such a group as people with access to a certain education and information, I sense that a disturbance among the population that does not have access to literary areas will much more still be given, of research or simply, of information.

On the other hand, that the citizenship considers that the information offered by the companies on RSE is reliable, is ridiculous. And this because the Uruguayan companies inform little or anything with regard to aspects linked to the RSE. In a meeting that I contributed to in last November, a participant who represented one of the institutions that, under the support of the BID, the RSE in Uruguay is invigorating, mentioned that the "first five Labor Relation Reports (Memories of Sustainability in the European context)" have been carried out. Taking into account that the best business practices as for the working conditions of its staff, are not commonly spread to the community, except strange exceptions, and that the environmental impacts of the company activity are not known either publicly, except also precise cases, what is what those who have considered that the information provided by the companies on the RSE is reliable evaluate? I deduce that they can be referred to the philanthropic activities, since they are the that bigger social broadcasting have, due to his positive impact on the public opinion estimated, limiting a minimally insignificant aspect of what covers the RSE.

First the people, of all the areas, sectors and classes, must be educated for afterwards that this citizenship can evaluate the business behaviors, as well as behave as responsible citizenship. But clear, the education can not be attractive, since it ends up being a weapon of double cutting edge:

• Education


• Responsible citizenship


• Demand for information to the companies

The latter, not always want voluntarily "to share" information as for his to work.

Finally, the subjects in the which the interviewed people consider that more efforts should be carried out, from the point of view of the RSE (which is going to know you what they understood for such a concept), they are in general similar to those that the Spanish consumer people, according to had been relieved in the Report Forética 2006 (or its press release), expressed the environmental aspects and the referred ones to the staff being the more distinguished, the queue having aspects linked to the clients.

And would be logical that like this outside, to consider that the company must watch before anything for its staff, that it is who contributes to its activity being carried out and, as much as more as it is, more embarrassing will be felt with the attainment of the goals suggested, thus as for the impact that the company activity has on the medioambiente, not alone in terms of fulfillment of the environmental legislation, but surpassing this, challenges of minimization of the environmental impact being posed.

When they will start to educate, for that the citizenship he concientice and requires like this bigger information from the companies? Afterwards, we will be able to consider its evaluations on the information that it is provided with.

RELATED POSTS: Dog / Sin love work responsibility there is not social responsibility / La RSE in the Latin American frame

RELATED CATEGORIES: Resources: Studies / Consumption responsible (CSR)

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Getting drunk

In the afternoon of today I attended a round table on Business Social Responsibility in Montevideo (Uruguay) directed by Dr. Djordjija Petkoski -specialist of the World Bank and director of the program of Businesses, Competitiveness and Development of the Institute of the World Bank. For Carolina Herrero.

In this application (since I must say that, before setting off towards Spain to obtain my Mastership, I shared several other applications of presentation of the RSC and its approach to the business sector) we inform about a reduced group of agents original from different sectors of the society: from educational entities, ONG ´ S, independent professionals (among the which I found I), employers, media, financial institutions and students.

The sensation that I keep having is that, most of these and these participants go to such applications for... "seeing that this of the social responsibility goes". And is that the concept (and less still its application) seems to be a little "ethereal", little tangible for the knowledge of the population in general. Not even among professionals there is a clear idea about what we refer ourselves under the initials RSC or RSE, but this subject I leave it to a side to take it up in future notes and analysis.

What has remained of manifesto in the application of today, is the need to look for a common interest in the companies to develop, it is already as for company groups or clusters, the subject of the implementation of the Social Responsibility in the companies, and more still in the PYMEs, those who adjust in overwhelming majority the Latin American business fabric, and the ones that are hardly considered in programs of implementation of the RSE or for whom it is difficult more to arrive to the professional assistance in this matter. And this common interest can come given by the increase of competitiveness that the companies acquire when they manage adequately its RSE, and, it can be considered here in Latin America by the management of the RSE still that it will provide a competitive advantage for who develops it and manages, since we "are" still in diapers" in these subjects.

The data that Dr. Petkoski shared with us, about 90% of those who get in touch with it for subjects of RSC/RSE originating from areas of Management of Public Relations/ Institucionales, is showy. The social responsibility should stem from natural way, as an unrest and need for the management of the company because its business strategy of socially responsible beginnings "was" inebriating, and it translated them into the respective actions.

A tacit appointment to take part in groups of analysis has remained as for which they should be the subjects considered preferential in the management of the social responsibility of our Uruguayan employers, for that afterwards this adopt them in its business strategies, the government in its legislation, and the consumption in its demands. We, all and all, have to take part, is a circle where every actor has its role and must exercise it, and we all are responsible in so much we do not demand its fulfillment.
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Jack, Horse, King

The conflict about installation of plants of cellulose in Uruguay acquires unbelievable edges. For Carolina Herrero.

To the service request on the part of Su Majestad el Rey Juan Carlos I, as mediator in the search of an understanding among the governments (Argentinian/Uruguayan), and while these professions are waited, is thrown from the presidency Argentina a note with a certain character "intimidating" on the complaints posed by the Uruguayan Government as for the constant cuts of international routes that affect the country. In this note, is accused to Uruguay of "diverting the attention on the central subject that originated the controversy", that is, the installation of the plants of cellulose, and that "the unilateral acts that Uruguay continues realizando...generan worsenings". All this referred to the fifth claim raised by the Uruguayan Chancellery as for the cuts of route, on which the Argentinian Government is waited takes one posture.

However, he does not torment himself expressly, on the part of the Argentinian president Néstor Kirchner... the commercial "blockade" of which Uruguay is being a casualty, not knowing an infinity of international treaties that to anybody, from the other edge, does not come it in desires to remember; that are not adopted measured, from the Argentinian government, for the cessation of the cuts of routes, very on the contrary start to be extended towards other international bridges. That yes, is gone to an International Tribunal (the Court of the Beech) for afterwards not to know its arbitral decision. Of course, in the face of a failure contrary to the expected one, it is enough to look for the other side and to do as if nothing had happened, continuing the measures of international instigation.

While, our trade remains in stand-by, the tourism confronts a great risk to remain paralyzed in this summer season that is shown, since most of it originates through the transport cart driver, from the Republic it "joins".

Which will it be the understanding that which looks for reconciling the Crown? It will take into account the mediator of Su Majestad, the shortages of which is casualty the Uruguayan State and that is confronting without lifting pickets or without involving to third foreign to the issue?

That yes, the environmentalist piqueteros of Gualeguaychú are prepared for a "summer in route", building showers to be cooled down of the heat and baths. I wonder: will they be connected to the sanitation system, or will be poured without dealing on the Uruguay River? Clear, this always of the other side of the River.


RELATED POSTS: To a side and to the other one of the river (Responsible Blog URUGUAY) / Las wastebaskets that separated to two brother people (Responsible Blog ARGENTINE)
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To a side and to the other one of the river

Subject debated about if there is one, the one that comes struggling since several months ago at both sides of the Uruguay River: THE WASTEBASKETS. For Carolina Herrero.

From the decision of both companies (ENCE and BOTNIA) of margin of the Uruguay River being installed on this, it has been an incessant pitched battle, the one that has given our Argentinian vencindad of Gualeguaychú. Not alone have been cut frontier routes of access to our country, important indirect ways of merchandise, but the authority of the Arbitral Tribunal of MERCOSUR has not been known to solve the problems that are responsibility for the countries that integrate it, going to the Court of the Beech in the pursuit of a condemnation to the construction of these factories (to say that this court has been appeared contrary to the preventive suspension of the works of the plants of cellulose asked for by Argentina).

First reasons of accumulation of pollutants were claimed, in the case of the construction of both plants on the same bank of the River. But once one of the plants has given up in the project, they go for the other one. And there the mentioned accumulation would not be verified, therefore the doubt is sharpened on the real motifs of a rejection so enfebrecido.

Being that Uruguay suggested the joint monitoring of the effluents of the plants of cellulose, evident result that Uruguay wants to cooperate to achieve a solution to this conflict, and besides, offers a real possibility to the Argentina Republic of taking part in this. Since the Impact Statements have been required Environmental pertinent, to think that we are not capable of carrying out the corresponding environmental controls is to be unaware of the professional capacity of our technical staff and/or its ethics, as well as to assume the irresponsibility of a whole Government of State like this as of the International Organisms that will finance these projects.

Is it socially responsible to cut systematically routes, leaving stopped trucks with merchandise, damaging enormously the trade? Is it socially responsible to build walls that they divide up, as the one that the activists of Gualeguaychú lifted on the route that it joins to the country with the international bridge? Wall that was built during the XVI Latin American Summit of presidents, where sentence was done expresses another wall, the one that lifts the United States in front of its neighbor Mexico. It is socially responsible to press to the international organisms that will finance the projects, so that they fail these backgrounds, when there are Impact Statements Environmental that justify its sustainability? Is the silence socially responsible that the other members of the MERCOSUR keep in the face of this controversy?

Maybe what started as a flag with electoral ends, has left them the hands, and the worst thing would be that it ended up damaging to a country that, in its search of development, sustentable, kept without inversions and without generation of wealth, to this bank of the river.


POST-RELATED: The wastebaskets that they separated to two brother people (Responsible Blog ARGENTINE)

RELATED LINKS: The National Country / Address of Environment of the Government of Uruguay

RELATED CATEGORIES: Sustainable development / Medioambiente / Public Sector

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