Category: Honourees
Update on our May 2021 Summit
Friday, 09 April 2021 09:03
Due to the ongoing and unpredictable pandemic situation in Oslo, our Board of Directors has made the decision to postpone our pinnacle annual Business for Peace Summit 2021 events. We will not have an Award Ceremony or host in-person events this May.
In lieu of our usual Summit, we will be hosting a series of digital events, open to the public globally. The events will focus on Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work as we talk about “A Vision for Inclusive Growth”. We will have talks on Rethinking Systems of Decent Work, The Hidden Workforce, Resilient Supply Chains, and more.
We are committed to driving the SDG agenda forward and connecting business leaders with government officials, academics, NGOs, and members of civil society. We look forward to lively, thoughtful, and productive discussions online in May.
Further information and registration details for our spring events will be released soon. We hope you stay safe and healthy, and we look forward to meeting again in-person in Oslo in the future.
We will have a grand celebration of the 2020 Oslo Business for Peace Award Honourees at Oslo City Hall once it is safe to travel.
How our business contributes to peace
Thursday, 18 February 2021 13:31
Written by 2020 Honouree and CEO of Coffee for Peace, “Joji” Felicitas Bautista Pantoja
When we started developing the concept of Coffee for Peace as a business in 2008, we had been working on the ground and listening to the voices of the rural poor, specifically the challenges and the systemic impoverishment experienced by most farmers in the land-based, armed-conflicted areas of Mindanao.
Knowing our resource and time limitations in the field, we focused our attention on the coffee farmers.
We were aware of the many programmes encouraging farmers to produce and plant more coffee, but one thing was missing. The programmes were conceptualised in the offices of the funding organisations, lacking real consultation and deep listening on what the farmers actually need. In the end, the programmes were not the farmers’ project; they were the funders’ project. Despite the accomplishment reports of the officials, the people on the ground did not really embrace them as their own.
Coffee for Peace starts with listening. For us, listening is the first act of love. If we truly love the people, we ought to listen to them — with our ears, with our minds, with our hearts, and with our will.
We also listen to ourselves — what are lenses through which we listen, and what are resources we can access to respond to what we have heard.
We got involved by amplifying the voices of the farmers to the government. We accompanied the farmers’ spokespersons to many assemblies conducted or facilitated by various government and non-government organisations. We actively attended meetings, until they heard the farmers we were accompanying. We wrote proposals to work with the government and with other organisations by being their partner on the ground. In most cases, we served as project managers or consultants. We helped organise the farmers. We initiated trainings to bring them from the position of mere raw material suppliers to the position of being farmer entrepreneurs or ‘farmerpreneurs.’ We vouched for the farmers’ organisations as they received grants from the government. The government saw evidences of transparent, sustainable, and reproductive use of public funds entrusted to the farmers.
The training we provide are all framed in peace and reconciliation (PAR) principles and practices. The PAR training programme includes:
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the fundamentals of peacebuilding
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conflict transformation processes
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cross-cultural understanding
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inter-faith dialogue
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inclusive development
These trainings were conducted in such a way that the farmers would understand the complex concepts using development communications approaches.
Change did not happen overnight. In our experience working with the communities who partnered with us, it would take three years to introduce a new system of thinking and working — from harvesting, processing, to having a mindset of an entrepreneur, to becoming a peacebuilding community. A family or two would apply the way Coffee for Peace, then we see their neighbors embracing the principles and practices, then we see most of the community adopting the transformative process.
Our partnership with the government and other non-government organisations helped us accomplish beyond our own organisational capacities. To increase the livelihood sustainability of the community, we helped train them to receive larger grants from the government or investments from other businesses or institutions. Right now, we see this stage of their development as a stable foundation towards further inclusive development for the next generation.
Coffee for Peace is focusing now on each individual farmer to help enhance their natural gifts and acquired skills as ‘farmerpreneurs.’ Some of them are technically inclined. Some of them are good teachers. Some of them are good with numbers. We see many more talents and skills among many of them. We are seeing the best side of each farmer and we’re facilitating how important it is for each one to work with one another harmoniously. With this inclusive and holistic view of community development, we are more confident that they can move further towards achieving greater dreams.
One big corporation operating in a conflict-affected area said that since they worked with Coffee for Peace and with our twin organisation, PeaceBuilders Community, their budget for extra bodyguards and security system significantly decreased in over a year. They saved money integrating the culture of peace in their corporate conflict management system. They were also able to develop a good working relationship with the community with whom they used to have conflicts. The high-ranking government official who was sent by our national government to observe the conflict transformation processes in this case was so happy and gave a very positive report. He saw how the mix of business and peacebuilding became a model for inclusive development especially among communities in conflicted areas.
CFP, along with our twin organisation PBCI, are grateful and glad to see a peace-framed social business contribute to an increased harmony in the community in terms of family income, sustainable livelihood, relational harmony, and the pleasure of producing and drinking freshly brewed coffee.
For justice. For peace.
Joji Pantoja
President & CEO
Coffee for Peace, Inc.Davao City, Philippines
Empresas y derechos humanos: una perspectiva desde Colombia
Wednesday, 27 January 2021 12:38
Traducción por Lorena Muñoz Carmona
¿Cómo ha afectado la pandemia a su trabajo?
Estamos acostumbrados a usar nuevas tecnologías, porque trabajamos en distintas ciudades: Barcelona, París, Bogotá… En lo que se refiere al día a día, no hemos notado muchos cambios en este sentido. Los viajes de negocios están cancelados ahora mismo, pero eso es positivo de alguna manera porque nos permite pasar más tiempo en casa.
Hemos podido mantener a todo el equipo porque nuestro trabajo está conectado con muchas de las cuestiones que ha generado el covid como la innovación o el impacto. El covid está siendo una especie de “experimento” para nuestras actividades. Anteriormente no habíamos trabajado directamente con temas de salud, pero siempre hemos trabajado con temas de cambio climático, desigualdad social, etc. En ese sentido nuestro trabajo sigue siendo el mismo.
¿Podría hablarnos del trabajo que realizan cada una de estas empresas?
La primera que me gustaría mencionar es Business & Human Rights. Se trata de una consultoría basada en España donde trabajamos con las empresas del Ibex 35 para comprender cómo sus actividades impactan los derechos humanos. Este impacto no siempre es evidente, especialmente para empresas europeas. Hace falta una perspectiva global para entender esta conexión.
Como resultado de la colaboración entre el sector privado, ONGs y el Estado para entender los impactos de las empresas en los derechos humanos, surgió PeaceStartup. Un vehículo para promover la colaboración entre estos actores, pero esta vez con una perspectiva local.
Finalmente, Semilla, con sede en Latinoamérica, se encarga de la gestión de activos y la recaudación de fondos para fomentar el crecimiento en la región. Trabajamos dentro del espacio de la inversión de impacto y de los ODS.
¿Qué espera que cambie después de esta pandemia, tanto global como localmente?
Esta pandemia está siendo un experimento que va a ayudar a los ciudadanos globales a entender que todos estamos conectados, y no solamente por una economía global. Estamos pendientes de lo que pasa en el resto del mundo. Nos preocupamos los unos por los otros y nos orgullecemos de los logros e iniciativas mutuas.El desarrollo sostenible, el medio ambiente, los derechos humanos, son asuntos globales. Tal vez esta sea una oportunidad para darnos cuenta de que necesitamos respuestas globales. En términos más específicos, vemos que esto es una oportunidad para que los inversores y el sector privado apuesten por inversiones sostenibles, asegurarse que los impactos están controlados, y que la solidez empresarial son parte de la estrategia de la empresa. Es una oportunidad para crear una nueva normalidad.
No todo el mundo habla sobre la conexión entre derechos humanos y empresas. ¿De dónde surge su interés por este tema y qué les diría a otros líderes empresariales sobre la importancia de la responsabilidad del sector privado durante la pandemia?
Yo soy abogado. Estudié derecho porque a través de la ley podemos luchar por la justicia. Pero todo abogado sabe que esto es de alguna forma una falacia. El resultado de la ley no es siempre la justicia. Sin embargo, los derechos humanos ofrecen un enfoque normativo que tiene el potencial de ser global. Los derechos humanos son para todas las personas, pero en la realidad no todas las personas tienen sus derechos asegurados.
Los derechos humanos ofrecen muchas posibilidades. Surgen en defensa de los derechos de los ciudadanos frente al Estado. Pero no todas las violaciones de derechos humanos las causa el Estado, a veces son las empresas. Las empresas son uno de los principales actores económicos con impacto global. Pero ese impacto se puede entender y controlar. Para mí este campo dentro los derechos humanos es un espacio desde el que lograr justicia con un impacto global para todos aquellos en la cadena de valor.
Las empresas tienen la oportunidad de usar el sistema de derechos humanos como referencia global, como un mínimo moral y ético que mantener en todas sus actividades. Y esta perspectiva resuena con muchos líderes del sector privado precisamente porque no implica necesariamente una perspectiva legal. Cada país tiene distintas leyes: Colombia, México y Noruega, todos tienen distintos gobiernos. Los derechos humanos presentan un mínimo que siempre debería estar ahí, da igual el país. Y esto es una oportunidad de coherencia y de comunicación para las empresas, que independientemente del país, pueden decir “yo protejo la privacidad, yo protejo la vida, la salud de mis empleados, mis consumidores y en mi cadena de suministro.” Pero aún tenemos mucho camino que recorrer.
Por ejemplo, a mí me apasiona el mundo de la inversión. Los inversores son el motor de las compañías y tienen la posibilidad de influenciarlas, especialmente si comprenden que sus inversiones pueden impactar los derechos humanos. Los inversores deberían pensar que esta es una nueva economía basada en el acuerdo ecológico. Necesitamos un acuerdo ecológico y socialmente justo. O incluso un nuevo acuerdo ecológico y de derechos humanos. Es una oportunidad para invertir sabiamente, pensando de forma local, y actuando de forma global.
¿Quieres colaborar con la iniciativa Better Together?
La plataforma Better Together (“Mejores Juntos”) quiere conocer tu historia. Si tu organización colabora con comunidades locales o conoces de alguna iniciativa local multi-actor que trabaje identificando las necesidades y prioridades de las comunidades, no dudes en ponerte en contacto.
La entrevista al completo está disponible en inglés aquí.
Felicitas ‘Joji’ Bautista Pantoja
Wednesday, 09 September 2020 09:00
A 2020 Honouree providing sustainable livelihoods for indigenous and migrant peoples and building peace in conflict zones.
“This recognition affirms that inclusive development can be a reality through social enterprise.” – Felicitas Pantoja.
Mrs. Pantoja has dedicated her career to building peace in conflict zones and improving the lives of marginalised groups through economic stability. Based in the Philippines, Coffee for Peace uses coffee production as a tool to address the economic, environmental and peace issues prevalent in conflict-affected communities. Established in 2008, her peace-building missions started around the ritual of gathering over a cup of coffee. “I noticed that they served us coffee,” says Pantoja. “When there’s coffee served, they sit down, they talk more and there’s less fighting – and there’s less death. So coffee can now serve as a vehicle for peace.”
Today, Coffee for Peace provides sustainable livelihoods for Indigenous and migrant groups in rural areas, and has enabled over 880 farmers to escape poverty and build their coffee production capacity. Over 80% of the farmers in the community are women. The company’s focus is on sustainable agriculture, peace and reconciliation between religious groups, environmental protection and entrepreneurship. Coffee for Peace works closely with Business Call to Action, a program of the UNDP.
Mrs Pantoja has said of receiving the Award that “this recognition affirms that inclusive development can be a reality though social enterprise.”
Mrs Pantoja receives the Award for her businessworthy efforts in bringing peace and prosperity to conflict-affected communities in the Philippines. She and her team have built an inspiring social enterprise that empowers marginalised groups from different backgrounds, bringing these groups together while contributing to the sustainable development of the land. Mrs Pantoja demonstrates the significant impact that business can have when used as a vehicle for peace.
“Businesses are the most powerful and influential players. Businesses ought to be mindful of the responsibility to bring economic-ecological justice and harmony among human societies.” – Felicitas ‘Joji’ Bautista Pantoja
Marc Benioff
A 2020 Honouree leading a successful global company while advocating for equality and stakeholder capitalism.
Marc Benioff is Chair, CEO and Founder of Salesforce and a pioneer of cloud computing. He is a member of the World Economic Forum (“WEF”) Board of Trustees, Benioff serves as the inaugural Chair of WEF’s Forum Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco.
Salesforce founded the 1-1-1 or “Pledge 1%” model of corporate philanthropy, which dedicates 1% of Salesforce’s equity, employee time or product back into the communities it serves. This pledge has so far generated more than $280 million, millions of employee volunteer hours, and technology to nonprofits and schools worldwide.
“It is a great honor to be recognised by the Business for Peace Foundation, which recognises that businesses have profound responsibilities to all our stakeholders, including our communities and our planet,” said Marc Benioff, Chair & CEO, Salesforce. “As more companies embrace stakeholder capitalism and commit to meeting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, we see that business is the greatest platform for change.”
Mr Benioff receives the Award for being an outspoken advocate of businessworthy values and leading Salesforce with social responsibility and equality at its core. Mr Benioff is passionate about redefining capitalism to work for all, and ensuring businesses have a positive impact on the societies in which they operate.
James Mwangi
Wednesday, 09 September 2020 09:00
A 2020 Honouree leading one of the most inclusive banks in the world with inclusion at its core.
Dr. James Mwangi is one of Africa’s most renowned entrepreneurs. He is credited with democratizing financial access by giving the unbanked population opportunities for broader economic participation. He has led Equity to become an integrated financial services group operating in 6 African countries with a client base of over 14 million. Mwangi’s ability to merge economic theory to the practical realities of village life enabled him to revolutionise the banking industry in Africa. Today, Equity is one of the most inclusive banks in the world with clients across the socio-economic spectrum including youth and women.
“I dedicate this Award to our staff and to the millions of our customers who have continuously inspired us by trusting and believing in our common purpose and dream, that together we can solve our problems by seeking innovative solutions anchored on shared value and prosperity,” said Mwangi. “I share this award with our micro, small and medium entrepreneurs who wake up every day to create wealth and opportunities for our society. This Award is a great inspiration to all Africans to believe in their dreams and to pursue them with dedication and conviction that together, we can change our continent within our lifetime.”
James Mwangi receives the Award for his businessworthy values in championing financial inclusion for all. The Committee sees him as a shining example of how business leaders can accelerate change and help solve the world’s problems.
Winners see business as a tool for change
Wednesday, 09 September 2020 08:56
More than the bottom line: winners see business as a tool for change
09.09.2020, Oslo – Today, the Business for Peace Foundation announced the 2020 Oslo Business for Peace Award winners. The Honourees are: Marc Benioff, Co-Founder, Chair and CEO of Salesforce; James Mwangi, Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group Holdings and Felicitas “Joji” Bautista Pantoja, Co-Founder and CEO of Coffee for Peace.
The Oslo Business for Peace Award is given annually to business leaders, as individuals, for their outstanding businessworthy accomplishments; leaders who apply their business energy ethically and responsibly, creating stronger economic and societal value.
An independent Award Committee of Nobel Laureates in Peace and Economics has selected the three outstanding leaders to receive the Award this year. This is following a global nomination process through Business for Peace’s partners: International Chamber of Commerce, Principles for Responsible Investment, United Nations Development Program and United Nations Global Compact. Past winners include Paul Polman, Ouided Bouchamaoui, Richard Branson and Durreen Shahnaz. The 2020 winners (Honourees) will be celebrated at the Business for Peace Summit in May 2021.
Each of the 2020 Honourees transformed their businesses, industries and communities through positive change, inspiring other leaders to follow suit. Benioff established the ‘1-1-1 model,’ whereby a company contributes one percent of profits, equity, and employee hours back to the communities it serves. Mwangi enabled 96% of the unbanked population in Kenya opportunities for broader economic participation. Pantoja provided sustainable livelihoods for indigenous and migrant groups in rural areas, enabling over 880 farmers to escape poverty and build their coffee production capacity.
“In a world of various complexities such as globalisation, polarisation and environmental struggles, this year’s Honourees have led by using business as a tool for change. They are role models to society and their peers, have earned stakeholders’ trust, and stand out as advocates,” says Per Saxegaard, Founder of the Business for Peace Foundation. “Through their business activities they have made substantial contributions towards reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 8: helping to achieve sustained, sustainable and inclusive growth and decent work for all.”
“With ten years left until we need to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and at a time when the world is looking for a clear direction, the Business for Peace Honourees show real leadership and the invaluable efforts from the business community,” says Raymond Johansen, Governing Mayor of Oslo. “I am proud that Oslo, for the twelfth year, is hosting the business community’s own award for ethical and sustainable business. It is an example of how to create value for both stakeholders and shareholders.”
About the Honourees
Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO and Co-Founder of Salesforce (United States)
Marc Benioff is Chair, CEO, and Co-Founder of Salesforce and a pioneer of cloud computing. Salesforce is the #1 provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software globally. Benioff established the ‘1-1-1 model’ of corporate philanthropy, whereby a company contributes one percent of technology, equity, and employee hours back to the communities it serves. Today, Salesforce is a Fortune 500 company with 54,000 employees and 150,000 customers worldwide. He is an outspoken advocate for business leaders supporting causes such as LGBT rights, education inclusion, wealth reallocation and alleviating homelessness. Benioff is leading a revolution in the tech sector to create a more equal, fair and sustainable way of doing business.
“It is a great honour to be recognised by the Business for Peace Foundation, which recognises that businesses have profound responsibilities to all our stakeholders, including our communities and our planet,” says Benioff. “As more companies embrace stakeholder capitalism and commit to meeting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, we see that business is the greatest platform for change.”
James Mwangi, Managing Director and Group CEO of Equity Group Holdings (Kenya)
Dr James Mwangi is one of Africa’s most renowned entrepreneurs. He is credited with democratising financial access by giving the unbanked population opportunities for broader economic participation. He has led Equity to become an integrated financial services group operating in 6 African countries with a client base of over 14 million. Dr Mwangi’s ability to merge economic theory to the practical realities of village life enabled him to revolutionise the banking industry in Africa. Today, Equity is one of the most inclusive banks in the world with clients across the socio-economic spectrum including youth and women.
“I dedicate this Award to our staff and to the millions of our customers who have continuously inspired us by trusting and believing in our common purpose and dream, that together we can solve our problems by seeking innovative solutions anchored on shared value and prosperity,” said Mwangi.
“I share this award with our micro, small and medium entrepreneurs who wake up every day to create wealth and opportunities for our society. This Award is a great inspiration to all Africans to believe in their dreams and to pursue them with dedication and conviction that together, we can change our continent within our lifetime.”
Felicitas “Joji” Bautista Pantoja, Co-Founder of Coffee for Peace (Philippines)
Felicitas Pantoja has dedicated her career to building peace in conflict zones and improving the lives of marginalized groups through economic stability. Based in the Philippines, Coffee for Peace uses coffee production as a tool to address the economic, environmental and peace issues prevalent in conflict-affected communities. Today, Coffee for Peace provides sustainable livelihoods for Indigenous and migrant groups in rural areas, enabling over 880 farmers to escape poverty and build their coffee production capacity. The company’s focus is on sustainable agriculture, peace and reconciliation between religious groups, environmental protection and entrepreneurship.
“This recognition brings hope. It affirms the dreams and aspirations of our small farming partners, micro-enterprise partners, impact investors, and employees that there are respectable people in the business world who believe in and serve as ‘cheerleaders’ for us who struggle for economic justice.
This recognition affirms that inclusive development can be a reality through social enterprise,” says Pantoja.
Remembering Honouree Latifur Rahman
Monday, 06 July 2020 16:55
It is with great sorrow that we share the news of Latifur Rahman’s passing. Honouree Rahman won the Oslo Business for Peace Award in 2012.
The late Mr Rahman was the Chairman and CEO of the Transcom Group. The group’s growth took place under adherence to ethical and responsible business practices that serve as a guideline for other businesses in the region. Mr Rahman was renowned for his leadership as well as his guidance and integrity, ethical standards and business acumen – well illustrated by Mr Rahman’s reelection as chairman of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for a total of seven terms.
The scope of his work and his impact both in Bangladesh and world-wide were only matched by his unwavering commitment to ethical business practices. Mr Rahman exemplified the core of being businessworthy and was a true inspiration to business leaders worldwide.
For more on the achievements and life of Latifur Rahman, see:
https://www.newagebd.net/article/109947/bangladesh-business-tycoon-latifur-rahman-dies
https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/remembrance-latifur-rahman-key-patron-free-media-1925769
Build back better business: a call to action by our Honourees
Tuesday, 30 June 2020 07:29
We are proud to announce that 26 Oslo Business for Peace Award winners have come together to release a joint Call to Action statement calling to build back better business in the wake of the current pandemic.
Representing over 23 countries, this Call to Action is a united voice for business leaders in diverse sectors and across the globe.