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did not want to focus on generating been in place for over fifty years - aid We are developing a system where any
further publicity for corporations. creates dependency, whereas invest- individual who would like to contri-
Instead, we identified companies with ment ensures independence, since bute can sign up. We call it "Personal
a genuine desire to help shape econo- incentives are more aligned. We are Social Responsibility" - by engaging
mic and social development, which committed to supporting the call of everyone, not just governments and
can use their business models to Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon to organizations, we stand a much better
create sustainable growth. invest in developing countries. His chance of finding real solutions.
remarks at IV LDC Summit sum it up
For example, if a company has a very well: "Investing in LDCs can pro- Q: You are also the co-founder of
factory in Africa, we are happy for vide the stimulus that will help to pro- the Pearl Initiative? How did you
them to manufacture things locally pel and sustain global economic reco- get this idea and what would you
as cheaply as possible. However, we very and stability. This is not charity, like to achieve?
also want them to think about how it is smart investment."
the community is affected by the en- The Pearl Initiative is another very
vironment, education and health etc.; The current financial crisis and bud- exciting project. It was originally for-
how the supply chain is handled; and get tightening in developed countries mulated during Dubai's financial cri-
to consider long-term sustainability of provides a rare opportunity for civil sis to address the foundational issues
the community, especially the young. society, corporations, foundations, of competitive markets, sustainable
Ultimately, if people learn better, they governments, and international or- economic growth, and social develop-
earn better and live better - leading to ganizations to form new alliances and ment. Badr Jafar, Executive Director
the well-being of society as a whole. partnerships to promote economic of the Crescent Petroleum Group of
growth and positive social change in Companies, and I agreed that the best
Q: Would you say that what you developing countries. way to tackle these challenges was to
are doing is a kind of social en- promote a culture of accountability,
trepreneurship? The Global Partnerships Forum is transparency, and responsibility in
essentially an open society for indivi- the Gulf Region. We wanted the pri-
Actually, it goes beyond social entre- duals and organizations. We encou- vate sector to take the lead and as-
preneurship. Social entrepreneurship rage everyone to get involved and work sume ownership for the initiative, so
is about creating investment models in partnership with others to address Mr. Jafar suggested engaging CEOs
that also look at the social rate of re- the world's most pressing challenges, in the Gulf Region. We discussed the
turn. What we are saying is that we as it is clear that the issues facing us idea for the Pearl Initiative with com-
must go beyond that to take an inte- today, - from sustainable growth, to panies across six countries, and were
rest in the well-being of society - we the fight against HIV/AIDS, to ensu- immediately amazed by the response.
would like the private sector to see the ring access to clean drinking water, - The Pearl Initiative received requests
poor as a market, as a business oppor- are far too complex for any one sector for involvement from over 100 CEOs
tunity. There are a growing number to confront alone. and currently works with 22 Private
of companies out there who believe Sector Partners.
in this concept. For instance, look at We want to engage partners from
Nestlé's Creating Shared Value, which across sectors, so that together, they The Pearl Initiative launched at the
utilizes its business model to tackle form global networks, and drive inno- UN on 20 September 2010, and held
challenges surrounding nutrition, vative solutions. Since each sector its Inaugural Board Meeting at the
water and rural development. Like and organization has its own com- American University in Sharjah in the
Nestlé, companies should integrate parative advantage, it is integral to United Arab Emirates on April 19th,
corporate social responsibility into partner with entities as diverse as the 2011. We look forward to continuing
their core business, by involving the International Chamber of Commerce, to develop this initiative and positi-
entire system - from investors and a business-led umbrella organization, vely impacting the business, econo-
supply chains to employees, custo- and Synergos, which manages mic and social environments in the
mers, stakeholders and communities. development projects on the ground. Gulf Region. (See the interview with
Only by harnessing the expertise of Badr Jafar.)
Q: What would you like to business, the capital of philanthropy,
achieve? the local knowledge of governments
and the rigors of the marketplace, can We wish Mr. Dossal all the best in
Our goal is to create a global network we develop and deliver innovative and these endeavours, and hope that
where companies share expertise, ex- system-changing solutions. there will be a lot of readers who will
periences, and lessons learned across be inspired by his and his partners'
a central platform so that their models Q: What should people do if they actions to continue building a better
and initiatives can be replicated to the want to get in touch with you? world for all. www.globalpf.org
benefit of all the world's citizens.
On our website we have a section that
When foundations give grants they tells you how you can participate -
create dependency. We want them to "How can I become an expert and join
think about investment models and the expert network?" We want people
real sustainability. The aid agenda has to contribute through that process.

22 International
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