Centre for Social Markets, Kolkata : Newsletter for January - March 2007

CSM UPCOMING EVENT(S)

CSM’s ‘CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS’, June 2007, Kolkata

So far in India, the debate on climate change has largely remained confined to the scientific establishments and the academia and has hardly involved the common people who are possibly least aware of the gravity of the impact that this phenomenon will have in their lives. CSM has already begun the awareness generation initiative with its Climate Conversations seminar series, with an opening seminar at Kochi which generated wide interest. Building on that initiative in India’s mega cities, CSM will follow up the successful seminar at Kochi (see below) to bring the ‘Climate Conversation’ series to its home city Kolkata. To be held in June, the programme will attempt to bring together planners and policymakers, civil society organisations, business people and experts to put together a practical time-bound agenda to raise awareness on climate change and security issues.   

If you would like to pre-register, please email Dr Tapati Ghosh at <tapati@csmworld.org> Further details will be available on CSM’s website shortly.

2.   CSM EVENT/ ACTIVITY UPDATES

CSM’s ‘CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS’: CLIMATE SECURITY: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE UK AND INDIA, WITH UK-BASED E3G, 6 March 2007, The Taj Malabar, Kolkata, India

This seminar kicked off a major new programme of work by the Centre for Social Markets, in association with leading national and international partners, on a pro-active agenda for climate security in India. It will have a three-pronged focus on public education and engagement; the challenges faced by India’s highly-populated metropolitan areas; and the opportunities for business innovation, growth and livelihoods. This seminar, held in Kochi was the first in the list of Climate Conversations, a public debate series that focuses on public education and engagement.

Held in collaboration with the UK-based E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism), whose CEO Nick Mabey spoke at the seminar, the event was a resounding success, with an agenda for further action waiting to take shape. 

For further information, please visit our website: http://www.csmworld.org

3.                  3.       PARTNER NEWS

CSM Supports Diversity and Inclusion in Asia: Moving Beyond the Rhetoric

CSM is delighted to support the Diversity and Inclusion in Asia conference 2007, being organized by Community Business bi-annually now. This one will be held on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 June 2007 at the Cyberport Convention and Exhibition Centre (CEC) in Hong Kong.

Building on the momentum of the first event in 2005, this conference will focus on the key issues of women in the workplace, Asian culture in the workplace as well as addressing the less widely discussed issues in Asia of disability, sexual orientation and generational issues in the workplace.

For more information: http://www.communitybusiness.org.hk/diversity2007/welcome.html 

4.                  4.       ENGAGEMENT AT PARTNER EVENTS: ***

CSM Director Malini Mehra and General Manager Tapati Ghosh participated in

·       ·         Seminar on Delivering Urban Regeneration Projects: The UK Experience, organized by the British Deputy High Commission on 29 March 2007 at The Park in Kolkata

CSM General Manager Tapati Ghosh participated in:

·       ·         An interactive business session on Sir Nicholas Stern’s Review on the Economics of Climate Change organised jointly by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata, on 21 March 2007 at Oberoi Grand

5.             5.       CSM REPORTS UNDER PREPARATION

·      Corporate Responsibility and SMEs in West Bengal: CSM’s SME Initiative (This report aims to provide a complete overview of CSM’s work involving Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises in West Bengal, as a part of the SME Initiative under the banner of the West Bengal Forum on Business Partnerships for Sustainable Development).

Offshoring: The New Development Paradigm? (This report is the outcome of CSM’s 5^th Annual Conference of the same theme held in 2005 in New Delhi, India and will be published in Spring 2007)

CSM Reports on Corporate Responsibility and Economic Development in the Pharmaceutical and Financial sectors in India will soon reach you hot off the press. For further information, write to info@csmworld.org    

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