Centre of Social Excellence (CSE)

Transcription

1 Centre f Scial Excellence (CSE) Transfrming the way we cllabrate thrugh educatin What is the Centre f Scial Excellence? The Centre f Scial Excellence (CSE) is a unique educatinal initiative fcused n cultivating the skills and capacities f scial practitiners. The missin f the CSE is t create an enabling envirnment fr scial harmny and realized human rights by equipping cmpanies, civil sciety and gvernments with well-trained scial practitiners frm the regins where they perate. Businesses, gvernments and investrs are increasingly understanding the value f investing in gd cmmunity and wrker relatinships, but there is a lack f trained prfessinals frm the regins in which the cmpanies perate t help them implement the wrk. The CSE aims t change that by first recruiting students with the right values, wh already have strng basic scial skills, and wh are seeking careers as scial practitiners in their hme regins. The CSE then prvides them with best-inclass training, caching and experiential learning t help them develp their skills and knwledge. CSE als ffers practical curses fr early and mid-career prfessinals n the cncepts and methds needed t cultivate cnstructive relatinships with diverse stakehlder grups in places where natural resurce r agricultural develpment take place. The fundatinal training prgram ffered by the CSE is a ne-year curse cnsisting f five mnths f theretical and practical implementatin methds and tls, fllwed by a six-mnth internship with cmpanies in

2 which the students carry ut agreed scial activities while still under the caching f CSE leaders. The year finishes with a ne-mnth review and write-up f the prject at the CSE, where students are als given supprt t link t emplyers seeking trained scial practitiners. The training mdules f the five-mnth theretical curse are taught by expert practitiners frm academia, the crprate sectr, gvernment, and civil sciety; and are made up f individual mdules n tpics deemed mst relevant fr the regin. These ften include: Stakehlder Mapping Wrking with Indigenus Ppulatins Cnflict Reslutin and Negtiatin Hw t implement Free, Prir, and Establishing Scial Management Prgrams fr Cmpanies Infrmed Cnsent (FPIC) Prcesses Participatry Mapping Scial Impact Assessment (SIA) Qualitative Research Methds Security and Human Rights Facilitatin Wrkers Rights and Labr Relatins Cmmunicatin Skills (frmal, infrmal Grievance Mechanisms and Prcedures and adapted t different audiences) The CSE als ffers shrt-curses fr prfessinals already wrking as scial practitiners. These include an Intensive Scial Affairs Specialist Training, which is a 10-day training bringing tgether diverse participants frm cmpanies, NGOs, cmmunities and gvernment t practice cllabratin n natural resurce management. Participants gain deep expsure t perspectives frm the varying stakehlders in the class and leave with cnfidence t engage in dialgue with grups they are traditinally at dds with. The CSE prvides custmized shrt-curses t cmpanies, rganizatins, and gvernments based n the needs and requests f the audience. The CSE websites in each regin als prvide resurce materials fr scial practitiners, including manuals, case studies, and teaching resurces. CSEs als hst rund tables, spnsr needed research identified by ur netwrks f alumni and trainers, and hst wrkshps explring new develpments and challenges emerging frm the field.

3 The Need fr the CSE and Scial Practitiners In many parts f the wrld, the establishment and peratin f large-scale plantatins, farms, frestry peratins and mines ften leads t serius cnflicts with lcal cmmunities r wrkers that create huge csts and prblems fr everyne invlved. Fr example, a 2008 study by Gldman Sachs f 190 internatinal il prjects fund that the time taken fr prjects t cme n-line nearly dubled in the preceding decade, causing a significant increase in csts. Seventy-three percent f the causes cited fr the delays were plitical r stakehlder related issues, making up the single largest categry f causes fr these delays.1 Land tenure disputes are ften at the rt f many scial cnflicts. T ften, cmpanies are given land develpment rights t areas in which lcal cmmunities are already living, but d nt yet have legallydcumented land tenure. While internatinal laws such as the UN Declaratin n the Rights f Indigenus Peple and the UN Declaratin f Human Rights require businesses and gvernments t respect the custmary land and use rights f lcal peple, many rganizatins lack the training and persnnel t implement the laws n the grund, especially where lcal laws are inadequate (i.e. they have nt yet fully incrprated internatinal law) r are nn-existent. Cmpanies are ften left n their wn t srt ut hw t engage with cmmunities already using r living n the land allcated t cmpanies by gvernment fr prductin. If they make a mistake, there may be civil sciety grups there ready t launch a campaign against them fr vilatin f cmmunities rights. Gvernment fficials invlved may als nt be aware f internatinal laws r best practices in issuing use permits. In rder fr cmpanies, gvernment and civil sciety rganizatins t wrk tgether effectively n such challenges, they need staff trained in hw t implement participatry mapping, resurce use and sharing agreements, scial impact assessments, and free, prir, and infrmed cnsent (FPIC) prcesses. Such skill sets are hard t find in mst cuntries, and cnsequently cmpanies ften must rely n shrtterm internatinal cnsultants. The tasks f managing relatinships with diverse stakehlders are ften taken n as extra duties by technical agrnmic, frestry r engineering staff wh usually lack specific 1 Gldman Sachs (2008) 190 Prjects t Change the Wrld (Gldman Sachs Grup).

4 training in effective stakehlder management and already have ther full-time respnsibilities, thus making effective reslutin f the situatin even mre difficult. Anther cmmn rt cause f cnflict is related t wrk frce management. Often cmpanies will recruit large numbers f wrkers frm utside the regin, which, if nt managed well, may create cnflict with lcal ppulatins and put large amunts f additinal pressure n lcal infrastructure and natural resurces. Participatry Scial Impact Assessments f wrkfrce plans can help cmpanies t navigate these challenges and put in place measures t ensure a smth entry f wrkers t a lcatin. Wrkers recruited frm far away may be frced t pay high recruitment fees t recruitment agencies subcntracted by the cmpanies, and may arrive at the wrksite already in debt (unbeknwn t the cmpany emplying them). In agriculture, the cmmn practice f paying wrkers accrding t the amunt they harvest in a day may result in cmpensatin belw the minimum wage rate, and may als create cnditins that lead t child labr r gender discriminatin as wives and children cme t help their husband r father meet his designated quta. Many cmpanies, civil sciety rganizatins and gvernments are aware f this prblem, but d nt knw hw t address it. Scial practitiners wellversed in hw t carry ut ethical recruitment practices, prevent frced and child labr, and prevent gender discriminatin can nt nly guide cmpanies away frm these pitfalls, but als help them t build cllabrative and healthy relatinships with their wrk frce. Histry f CSE The first Centre f Scial Excellence was established by TFT in 2008 in Central Africa. The CSE was inspired by the experiences f TFT s funder, Sctt Pyntn; Frest Peples Prgramme s frmer Africa Lead, Jhn Nelsn (nw TFT Scial Mentr), and Jerme Lewis, Prfessr f Anthrplgy at the University Cllege Lndn. They jined tgether in a unique partnership when Cnglaise Industrielle des Bis (CIB), ne f the largest frestry cmpanies in Africa, reached ut t TFT fr guidance n hw t sustainably manage 1.3 millin hectares f trpical frest in Cng-Brazzaville that it had been granted t manage fr timber extractin. Over 10,000 peple lived within the cmpany s cncessin, including indigenus Mbendjele tribes wh lived nmadic frest lifestyles (cmmnly referred t as Pygmy Cmmunities in Francphne Africa). As a leading supprt rganizatin fr the rights f frest cmmunities, Frest Peples Prgramme was serving as a civil sciety watchdg and advcate fr the Mbendjeles rights t free, prir, and infrmed cnsent (FPIC) fr any activities that CIB might have wanted t carry ut in their traditinal use areas. Greenpeace was als clsely mnitring the situatin and advised TFT t bring in Prfessr Jerme Lewis, the leading

5 anthrplgist expert n the Mbendjele, wh had lived and studied with them fr seven years as part f his anthrplgy PhD research. At that time, althugh the cncept f free, prir, and infrmed cnsent (FPIC) was already established in internatinal laws such as the UN Declaratin n the Rights f Indigenus Peples, there were few examples f its implementatin by cmpanies, let alne in regins as cmplex and remte as Central Africa. Tgether, with CIB as a willing cmpany partner, the grups came tgether t develp nvel mapping technlgy which allwed the Mbendjele t use hand-held GPS devices t map their traditinal areas2 and als facilitated negtiatin f access rights and benefit sharing between the tribe and cmpany leaders. It subsequently led t Frest Stewardship Cuncil (FSC) certificatin fr CIB; the first FSC certificate awarded and maintained in the Cng Basin. Yung Mbendjele men explain t an lder man hw they can map their frest-related activities with icn-driven sftware n handheld GPS receivers. TFT, FPP and Prfessr Lewis saw the benefit f extending this successful initiative acrss the regin, but als realized that the cmmunity mapping develped as part f this prject was nly ne element in a cmplex range f scial issues. Furthermre, regular imprting f freign expertise t undertake such wrk was lgistically challenging and financially unfeasible. T help cmpanies in Africa effectively engage with lcal cmmunities, there wuld need t be a pl f trained scial experts riginating frm African cuntries. And s, the cncept f the Centre f Scial Excellence was brn. 2

6 Results and impacts t date CSE Africa, based in Yaundé, Camern, has nw successfully carried ut eight years f lng-curse trainings, prducing ver 66 graduates frm ten Central cuntries and West acrss Africa. Anther 88 prfessinals have been trained in CSE shrt curses. The graduates f the lng-curse have a 90% jb placement as scial practitiners and are serving a diverse array f cmpanies in the fllwing sectrs: Frestry Sectr (66% f graduates) Agribusiness Sectr (26%) Mining Sectr (5%) Oil & Gas Sectr (3%) Graduates have als gne n t wrk in gvernment psitins Cuntries where graduates f CSE Africa wrk, and percentage f CSE graduates in each cuntry. in Camern, Ivry Cast, and the United Natins; as well as wrking fr a variety f NGOs, cnsulting firms and research rganizatins such as the Zlgical Sciety f Lndn (ZSL), the Wildlife Cnservatin Sciety (WCS), GIZ, and CIRAD. A full list f CSE Africa graduates and their current emplyment is available upn request. CSE alumni are linked thrugh their shared practices and training, as well as their driving values fr enabling diverse stakehlders t cllabrate. Thrugh TFT s wrk with cmpanies acrss Central and West Africa, we have been able t witness first-hand that hiring a CSE graduate results in a much higher standard f scial engagement and management within cmpanies, wh are nw equipped t prevent large-scale cnflicts frm ccurring. CSE graduates cntinue t be in high demand acrss the regin, with cmpanies frequently cntacting the CSE fr help in identifying gd candidates t wrk fr them n develping their scial management prgrams. Part f the success f the CSE graduates is nt nly the best-in-class training that they receive, but als the mnths f careful wrk that ges int recruiting a select grup f the mst talented students wh are sincerely seeking a lifetime career as a scial practitiner in their hme cuntry.

7 The success f CSE Africa is nw being replicated in ther regins arund the wrld where raw materials supply chains and lcal cmmunities are cming int cnflict. In 2015, TFT established the Centre f Scial Excellence in Indnesia, mdeled after the prgram in Africa. Based n a needs assessment f TFT member cmpanies, CSE Indnesia launched a ten-day training curse aimed at prviding already-hired scial practitiners in cmpanies, NGOs and gvernment an intrductin t the key cmpnents f a Scial Management Prgram fr cmpanies. The ten-day curses are designed t place students frm diverse backgrunds with ther stakehlder grups with whm they traditinally have cnflicts. Students leave the curse with a willingness t enter int cnversatin and seek cllabratin with thse grups that are nrmally seen as adversaries. T date, ver 100 students have participated in these shrt curses. The cntinued & grwing need fr CSE skills Scial cnflict is a risk in many rural areas arund the glbe where the prductin f agricultural cmmdities and extractives is expanding. This is particularly the case where supply chains begin in remte Cmpany testimnial In 2012, we received fur CSE graduates, and the results were gd. They wrked with lts f rigr and prfessinalism, and they brught tls frm CSE that helped us achieve ur gals, bth internally and externally. Almst every year we hire CSE students. Our satisfactin with CSE is reflected in ur effrts t recruit s many f them. rural areas with insecure and cmplex land tenure, large - Ferdinand Saha, Crdinatr develpment needs, and pr fr SEBC (Sciété d'explitatin gvernance systems. In many des Bis du Camerun) and CFC cases, we believe that cstly cnflicts frm new disputes and existing legacy issues culd be (Cmpagnie Frestière du Camerun) prevented r guided tward reslutin if well-trained scial practitiners were t lead early engagement with cmmunities and actively influence the planning and develpment f new peratins. The scaling up f CSE arund the wrld cmes at an pprtune mment when the need fr skilled scial practitiners is urgent and prducer cmpanies are lking fr a way frward. Mre agribusinesses are seeing the need t establish, expand r better equip their scial team as they becme aware f hw these issues affect business. There is als increasing pressure n agribusinesses frm clients and financers that require scially respnsible prductin practices. Since 2010, nearly 450 cmpanies, including many glbal industry leaders, have adpted plicy cmmitments t N Defrestatin and N Explitatin. 3 These cmmitments have brught int fcus the real shrtage in skilled scial practitiners needed at the farm and frest level t help prducers meet basic scial standards. 3

8 At the same time, civil sciety grups are realizing that campaigning against a cmpany fr treating cmmunities prly is nt enugh t change behavir. They need t be able t bring pragmatic slutins t the situatins they encunter if the lives f cmmunities are ever ging t imprve. CSE training prvides future scial practitiners fr civil sciety grups with a wide range f activities they can help implement with cmpanies and cmmunities t reslve cnflict. Gvernment als plays a pivtal rle in helping t create an enabling envirnment fr gd scial practices. By having staff in gvernment wh understand internatinal laws and can help facilitate prcesses that create cllabratin between cmpanies and cmmunities, sustainable and just develpment scenaris will be mre likely realized. Cmpanies prducing sugar, palm il, timber, and ther cmmdities are beginning t respnd t market trends and realities f nging cstly scial cnflicts by develping scial teams and recruiting new staff. Fr example, ne large multinatinal African cmpany set plans t hire dzens f sustainability and scial staff in 2017 alne. This emerging shift presents an pprtunity t equip cmpanies with yung scial practitiners wh can effectively engage and partner with lcal stakehlders, while als guiding the evlutin f imprved sectr practices and values frm within. CSE is set t play a key rle in frming the new cadres f scial prfessinals t meet this need.

9 The Centre f Scial Excellence Our Ambitin It is peple wh manage natural resurces and human relatinships. It is peple wh will stp cnflicts, stp envirnmental damage, heal ur relatinships with ne anther and find the slutins fr a balanced future. Our ambitin with the Centre f Scial Excellence is t cntinuusly expand the quality, reach and impact f the trainings and supprt that we prvide t future scial practitiners, thus better equipping cmpanies, gvernments and civil sciety grups t cllabrate n these challenges. This ambitin includes the fllwing cncrete actins ver the next ten years: Establishing Centres f Scial Excellence in each majr regin where TFT wrks, thus allwing us t build n ur experiences reslving scial challenges and better address the unique challenges ccurring in thse regins with students wh are frm the same regins. This includes: A new CSE in Spanish-speaking Latin America that will train yung graduates frm cuntries such as Peru, Ecuadr, Guatemala, Hnduras, Chile and Nicaragua in scial appraches develped by Latin America scial experts wh have deep experience in the regin and can speak t the unique dynamics f reginal cnflicts A new CSE in Singapre fcused n training future leaders (C-suite actrs, Directrs, Gvernment leaders, etc.) in the skills necessary fr effective stakehlder engagement and realized human rights A new CSE in Malaysia fcused n imprving the rights f migrant wrkers and addressing A new CSE in Brazil fcused n reslving cnflicts related t land distributin and natural A new CSE in India which builds n TFT s decades f experience wrking t imprve the the rt causes f mdern day slavery in the agricultural sectr resurce decisin making in the Amazn and Cerrad bime regins. human rights f wrkers in stne quarries, and trains future scial practitiners n hw t guide stakehlders thrugh these prcesses Building up secure lng-term funding surces fr CSE prgrams internatinally thrugh establishment f a Scial Excellence Fund, thereby allwing precius leadership time t be devted t the nging imprvement f CSE s curriculum and trainings, expansin f CSE s rster f experts, and supprt t CSE students and alumni. Establishing a glbal CSE steering cmmittee cmprised f internatinal experts and experienced scial practitiners which can guide curriculum develpment, impact mnitring and prgram enhancements. Imprving ur supprt and netwrking with CSE alumni and trainers thrugh new digital platfrms fr cllabratin, as well as regular cmmunicatin and events.

10 Increasingly capturing case studies f scial challenges and their slutins thrugh vides and print, and in cllabratin with ther academic institutins. Over the next 10 years, the expanding Centres f Scial Excellence will prduce: 75 yung prfessinal graduates each year, resulting in 750 prfessinals ver 10 years placed in bth leadership and field psitins in cmpanies, gvernments and civil sciety rganizatins. This will include: Over 500 cmpany peratins with imprved cmmunity and wrker relatins, likely Rural gvernment ffices acrss SE Asia, Latin America, and Africa with prfessinals n impacting ver 5,000 rural cmmunities. staff wh are equipped t prevent and reslve land cnflicts, human rights vilatins and carry ut participatry natural resurce management. Civil sciety rganizatins with pragmatic requests and slutins fr cmpanies and gvernments related t the scial prblems that they priritize. A reginal and internatinal netwrk f scial practitiners sharing lessns learned and cntributing t the evlutin f best practices in scial management systems, multiplying CSE s impact acrss the wrld. Watch vides abut CSE:

11 Abut TFT TFT is an internatinal nn-prfit rganizatin registered as a charity in the United Kingdm, with headquarters in Switzerland. TFT is a membership rganizatin that wrks with member cmpanies and their supply chain partners t develp and implement new prductin mdels that respect cmmunities, wrkers and nature. Thrugh ambitius cmmitments and measurable wrk plans, TFT and its member cmpanies wrk tgether t reduce and eliminate defrestatin and scial explitatin frm a range f raw material sectrs. TFT s members include internatinal cmpanies such as Wilmar, Nestlé, Cargill, Glden Agri Resurces, Asia Pulp & Paper, 3M, Lindt, and Mars, as well as many thers that can be fund here n ur website. TFT s experience helping dzens f cmpanies t better engage with stakehlders in diverse scenaris, including mediating numerus benefit-sharing negtiatins and reslutins f cnflict, has inspired the develpment f Centres f Scial Excellence in Africa and Indnesia, and cntinues t infrm its evlutin as we expand lcatins. TFT currently has ver 250 staff perating acrss >15 cuntries, distributed acrss Sutheast Asia, China, India, West and Central Africa, and Latin America, with apprximately 70% f staff wrking n field prjects at the farm r frest level.