China Development Brief - Corporate Social Responsibility

Brick kiln ‘slavery’ exposé follows Olympic child labour report

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 03:10:34 +0100

Senior Chinese officials vowed to act on an international NGO and trade union report alleging abusive practices in four Pearl Delta factories contracted to produce goods for the 2008 Olympics, even as the report was overshadowed by shocking revelations of forced child labour in brick kilns in the provinces of Henan and Shanxi.

“Give2Asia” funding channel swells steadily

Fri, 18 May 2007 03:19:15 +0100

At least USD 3 million in donations will be channelled to social development projects in China this year through a “Give2Asia” facility created by the Asia Foundation to link North American donors with Asian grant seekers.

China is the strongest growth area for the facility, which the Asia Foundation first established in 2000. Disbursements began in China in 2003 with a modest USD 166,000, reached USD 1.2 million in 2005 and doubled to USD 2.35 million in 2006. More than 70 China projects are currently funded through the scheme.

Editorial: "GONGOs” are here to stay, but need to reform and open up

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 06:17:53 +0100

Non profit organisations established by the Government of China to mobilise resources for public benefit work are frequently regarded by foreigners as fake, “Government-Organised NGOs.” But the signs are that, as the community of more autonomous, “grassroots” groups mushrooms and spreads, China’s political leadership sees all the more reason to maintain its own stake in the non profit sector. This mirrors China’s management of its industrial sectors and in some ways it makes sense.

Non-profit sector: The management scientists are coming

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 02:14:58 +0100

China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs is campaigning to promote charitable giving, while also hoping to encourage higher standards of non-profit performance and accountability. Meanwhile, reports Chang Tianle (常天乐), multinational corporations and management consultants are also hoping to bring business models—or, at least, a more businesslike approach—to the non-profit sector.

Hong Kong group extends safety, rehabilitation training for factory workers

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:17:54 +0100

A non-profit Workers’ Health Centre, established in 1984 by Hong Kong medical, rehabilitation and occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals, is scaling up efforts to prevent occupational illnesses on China’s mainland through workplace assessments and trainings for factory workers and management staff.

Government centre aims to converge “parallel lines” of charity

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 04:18:40 +0100

February saw the formal launch of a Ministry of Civil Affairs information clearing house designed to facilitate information flows across China’s charitable sector and foster a more favourable philanthropic environment for both donors and beneficiaries.

NGO capacity builder sets ambitious growth targets

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:11:42 +0100

A Shanghai-based organisation that provides support services to China’s growing non-profit sector has set itself ambitious growth targets for the next three years, and is also hoping to enhance non-profit links with business and media.

Editorial: Greens should think twice before accepting Ford Motors money

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:54:25 +0100

In October the Ford Motor Company will, for the sixth year in succession, award grants to Chinese environmentalists and green NGOs in recognition of their ongoing contribution to sustainable development. This year, the car manufacturer is increasing the total prize money to CNY 1.7 million (USD 214,000) which is expected to be divided between fifteen organizations

‘Public-private partnership’ to quell TB, AIDS, among migrant workers

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 20:27:12 +0100

Businesses, government departments, NGOs and multilateral agencies have signed up to a China Health Alliance that will “educate, test, treat and support Chinese company employees, especially migrant workers, at risk of TB and AIDS,” according to the World Economic Forum, which launched the Alliance on September 11 during the second day of a Forum summit in Beijing.

‘Responsibility’ standard for China textile industry emerges from EU project

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 07:06:06 +0100

China’s National Textile and Apparel Council, a government-led industry association, is piloting a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standard among ten member enterprises and is likely to extend this to the whole industry, a Council leader revealed at a EU-China symposium on CSR held in Beijing in July.

Formulated last year, the China Social Compliance standard for the industry (CSC9000T) is one outcome of a five-year EU-China Trade Programme that, since June 2004, has worked to support China’s integration into the world trading system. The European Commission has committed EUR 20.6 million (USD 26.4 million) to the programme, making it the EU’s largest ever trade-related technical assistance project.

Environmental health tops agenda for US foundation

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 05:08:40 +0100

Research, public education and pilot interventions on the linkages between environmental pollution and human health will form the core of a China grant-making program by the US-based Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which is resuming operations in Southern China after a three-year hiatus during which the foundation reassessed its global priorities.

Haemophiliacs thwarted in HIV compensation claim

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 05:09:55 +0100

Shanghai police broke up a small press conference organised on April 20 by 37 haemophiliacs and their family members who contracted the HIV or Hepatitis C viruses via unsafe blood products.

UNDP cultivates corporate relationships for development, AIDS prevention

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 00:35:37 +0100

The United Nations Development Programme and Stora Enso, a Finnish multinational paper products company, are joining forces in south-west Guangxi Province in a public-private partnership that UNDP hopes will set new standards for environmental and social corporate practice.

Growing critique of Beijing's international 'development model'

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 08:57:07 +0000

Massive loans from the government of China to developing countries may lower global standards of aid transparency and corporate responsibility, according to an article in the December issue of Ethical Corporation magazine.

Green NGOs sweep Ford Motors prizes

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 08:19:13 +0000

Green Watershed from Yunnan and Green Hanjiang from central Hubei were placed first in, respectively, ‘environment protection’ and ‘education’ categories of a Ford Motor Company conservation and environmental grants competition that has announced awards totalling CNY 1 million (USD 123,457) to sixteen organisations and individuals in Beijing.