Category: Economic Development

VC4Africa launches first African Venture Capital platform – Crunch your business idea!

Today VC4Africa starts the first African online venture capital matchmaking platform. Many investors are looking for businesses to get involved with but have difficulties in finding promise. At the same time many businesses seek knowledge, capital and practical support. Without matchmaking their promise is never realized, hindering economic growth. The VC4Africa community currently consists of […]

MicroWHAT?? From Microfinance to Microinsurance.

As a social business dedicated to improving access to insurance among economically disadvantaged communities in the US and across the globe, Avana wants to raise awareness about the importance of microinsurance in development and poverty reduction. Our first several blog entries will be dedicated to answering some of your most commonly asked questions about the […]

Aureos committed to ensuring its investments contribute to the Millennium Development Goals

PRESS RELEASE, AUREOS Private sector institutions investing in areas suffering from high poverty and poor healthcare must step up their efforts to advance the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, says Aureos Capital Ltd, the private equity fund management company specialising in investing in small and medium-sized businesses in emerging markets. The UN launched the Millennium […]

A New Era Of Private Sector-Led Development Work

In a milestone speech last night, the UK International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, placed the private sector at the heart of the new coalition government’s development agenda: “I want this department to be the place that lives and breathes the new DFID culture of private sector-led development, an example for other development bodies to follow. […]

IBLF – Expert Insight: Shell's Executive Director Malcolm Brinded

IBLF – Expert Insight: Shell’s Executive Director Malcolm Brinded from Business Fights Poverty on Vimeo. “Socially responsible investment is not just a marginal fad, it’s a mainstream investor interest”IBLF’s Expert Insight webcast sees us in conversation with Malcolm Brinded, Executive Director, Upstream International with Royal Dutch Shell. Malcolm offers his insight on economic migration, stressing […]

IBLF – Expert Insight: Shell’s Executive Director Malcolm Brinded

IBLF – Expert Insight: Shell’s Executive Director Malcolm Brinded from Business Fights Poverty on Vimeo. “Socially responsible investment is not just a marginal fad, it’s a mainstream investor interest”IBLF’s Expert Insight webcast sees us in conversation with Malcolm Brinded, Executive Director, Upstream International with Royal Dutch Shell. Malcolm offers his insight on economic migration, stressing […]

Donor agencies publish joint statement on importance of business to development

In an historic move, 11 of the world’s largest bilateral donor agencies have published a joint statement “in support of private sector partnerships for development”. The statement, launched at the UN Private Sector Forum on 22 September, is striking in two ways. First, it is the first time that so many donor agencies have been […]

Stakeholder Governance: An Analysis of BITC Corporate Responsibility Index Data on Stakeholder Engagement and Governance

Some critics of Corporate Responsibility falsely claim that it represents surrendering the running of business to Greenpeace and other NGOs. That is nonsense. Engaging stakeholders is not an abdication of management responsibility. It is how effective and successful modern management thrives. Good management involves reconciling customers, employees’, suppliers’, owners’ and society’s wants and needs with […]

Podcast: Water – A Business Imperative

Podcast: Water – A Business Imperative from Business Fights Poverty on Vimeo. A podcast from Diageo for the Water: A Business Imperative programme. This content was produced by the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and is reproduced with permission.

Andy Wales: Big Business, Big Responsibilities: from ‘villains’ to ‘visionaries’

Big Business, Big Responsibilities: from ‘villains’ to ‘visionaries’ charts the journey that many major companies have been on over the last twenty years, where issues that were previously defined as corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropy or environmental compliance are now becoming core to future growth strategies. We welcome your comments and thoughts in the debate […]

Using Internal Marketing to Engage Employees in Corporate Responsibility

Corporate responsibility (CR) – also known as Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Sustainability, Corporate Citizenship or Responsible Business – is gaining currency around the globe. The concept involves creating innovative and proactive solutions to societal and environmental challenges, as well as collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders to improve CR performance. While we could say […]

Corporate Volunteering: Why It Works & How To Prove It

This is a recent presentation I gave to the International Association of Business Communicators at their World Conference in Toronto, June 8, 2010. I used a format available a Prezi.com. I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to figure out this new style of presentation. I absolutely love it. It’s free and fairly intuitive. You’ll never […]

Corporate Volunteering: Why It Works & How To Prove It

This is a recent presentation I gave to the International Association of Business Communicators at their World Conference in Toronto, June 8, 2010. I used a format available a Prezi.com. I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to figure out this new style of presentation. I absolutely love it. It’s free and fairly intuitive. You’ll never […]

The Impact of UK Companies on the Millennium Development Goals

2010 – In its role as Secretariat for the UN Global Compact UK Network, IBLF conducted extensive surveys and interviews with UK Network member companies on how they are contributing to the achievement of the MDGs. The report was produced with financial support from the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.