Sunday, March 17, 2013

The Saida Trash Mountain Saga

This catastrophe has been on going since 1982.  Needless to say when incomptence coupled with corruption & greed can't lead but to such disastrous results.  In this video, one is to notice the huge divide between the official stance: "no worries, we have this issue solved and very soon all will be rosy and good", and the civil society & professionals: "This has been dragging for so long and the results to show for are way way below par, and we highly doubt that this solution will ever be workable in the long run". 
Well watch this video and judge for yourselves.

تستمر كارثة مكب جبل صيدا منذ 1982. لا شك إن عدم الكفاءة، والفساد والطمع لا يمكن أن يؤدوا إلا لهذه النتائج الكارثية. في هذا التقرير، على المشاهد أن يلحظ الهوة العميقة بين خطاب الجهات الرسمية وجهات المجتمع الأهلي والخبراء. فيما تصرّ الجهات الرسمية أن معضلة الجبل والمعمل الجديد قد حُلت وأن النتائج ستظهر قريباً وستجري الأمور على ما يرام، يصرّ المجتمع الأهلي وبعض الخبراء على أن الحل تأخر كثيراً وما هو مطروح من تقنيات لا تبعث بالإطمئنان على إستادمة العمل على المدى الطويل.ـ
 
شاهدوا هذا التقرير وإحكموا بأنفسكم.ـ (صُوّر هذا التقرير في كانون الأول 2011 ولتاريخ عرضه لم يبدأ أي عمل فعلي على أرض المكب أو المعمل)ـ
 


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Moving Beyond Business as Usual: Next Frontiers for CSR in the MENA region


The Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) at the American University of Beirut held the first CSR Practitioner's Conference at AUB on May 4 & 5, 2012. The conference is intended as a platform for regional business leaders to address the emerging challenges and opportunities presented by the ascendancy of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Through the gathering of renowned speakers, panels and interactive discussion forums, the conference will offer a regional platform for practitioners to network and exchange best practices in relation to effective sustainability and CSR management. Sustainable business is no longer a luxury, but a necessity in a fast-­paced and changing global context. Empowered citizens, consumers, and social movements across the globe are demanding that governments and businesses behave more responsibly. There is also a worldwide call to learn from the current failings of the global industrial economy and move towards more creative forms of capitalism, in which companies embrace responsible attitudes and orientations and engage in practices that expand the pie and contribute to social justice and social progress.