Best corporate social responsibility project
Applicants in this category have all developed a project addressing business and their social responsibility actions towards community, environment, workplace and marketplace activities. Out of 17 applicants, the five chambers below have been selected by the jury to present their projects at the ICC WCF 8th World Chambers Congress in Doha, Qatar, 22-25 April.
CadetMax - Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry
CadetMax is a solution-based programme developed by the Auckland Chamber to respond to youth unemployment and to build a future workforce. The programme is a partnership between local government, central government, employers, a community and the Chamber and provides career opportunities for at-risk youths. In 2008, the New Zealand economy was growing with unemployment at 3.8 %. But the benefits weren’t reaching youths in South Auckland, one of New Zealand’s largest industrial areas and a low socio-economic community with high unemployment. Businesses needed a reliable supply of new staff with the skills and motivation to work so the Auckland Chamber shifted its training focus and CadetMax was born. Since 2008, CadetMax has worked with more than 600 young people, providing essential life skills, mentoring and career counselling on the journey to education and employment, resulting in major changes in every aspect of the health and wellbeing of young people, their family and the community.
Greentouch - Cambodia Chamber of Commerce
This project was set up to meet the specific needs of businesses wanting to improve their levels of environmental impact management. This is becoming a large issue around the world and businesses that can demonstrate sound environmental practices stand to be more successful. The Chamber, as a key organisation in Cambodia, is involved in supporting the project to its members and offers a business friendly, easy to access business accreditation system, that rewards businesses with recognition as they make their journey along a roadmap to develop their environmental management systems.
Best CSR project - Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
When the Dubai Chamber started its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives back in 1997, CSR was not a buzzword like it is today. These initiatives started organically, they were innovative, involved many challenges and required the investment of considerable resources. Today Dubai Chamber has various CSR initiatives - from green building to the University of Dubai, the Centre for Responsible Business and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award – which it groups as part of its CSR project. Each one plays an important role, helping the Dubai Chamber to improve its own sustainability and its contribution to its stakeholders, strengthening job skills and entrepreneurship among the community, as well as improving and celebrating the responsibility of its members.
Better Calcutta project - Indian Chamber of Commerce
The project aims to create an environment awareness among school children. It aims to assist them in acquiring important values, supporting environmental initiatives and becoming responsible citizens.
Huge efforts are needed in changing the adults mind-sets and leaving anti-environmental practices. It is sensible to paralelly invest in the next generation. This project engaged 100 schools and thousands of school children.
VECCI Timor-Leste Chamber project - Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI)
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VECCI Timor-Leste Chamber project’s objective is to assist the Timor-Leste Government and private sector organizations to establish a united and functioning Chamber of Commerce leading to the strengthening of the private sector capacity and the first united Chamber of Commerce in Timor-Leste since the country’s Independence in 2002. The project was crucial in establishing some structure in the private sector and enable business investment leading to job creation and economic growth for the country and a UNITED VOICE to represent and advocate its business needs. This initiative reaffirmed the broad principles that underpinned the establishment of chambers of commerce in the first place. VECCI was established over 160 years ago and today the same broad principles applies in a young nation like Timor-Leste.