The First Meeting of the NETWORK, Thailand – 6 May 2005
Organized by the NETWORK Secretariat, Kenan Institute Asia, in partnership with Resource Alliance www.resourcealliance.org. , The first meeting featured a panel discussion on “Philanthropy and Emerging CSR in Asia : A Momentum for Sustainable Development by four renowned figures — Dr. Juree Vichit-Vadakan , Chairman, Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society, Center of Philanthropy, NIDA, Mr. Paiboon Wattanasiritham , Former Chairman of Community Organization Development Institute, Ms. Sivilai Saengput, SS Consultants represented Mr. Prida Tiasuwan , Managing Director, Pranda Jewelry Public Company Limited and Rita Sully, Hewlett Packard, Singapore. They addressed the the use of NGO-private sector partnerships can be an effective approach to solving social problems that limit development. The opportunities of such an approach include the collaboration of diverse skill sets, the availability of resources/managerial capabilities that can be leveraged from the private sector, and flexibility that government organizations may not be able to provide. However, there are barriers to collaboration, too, such as the alternative goals of the private sector and NGOs. The private sector’s profit- or results-oriented approach must be balanced by NGOs’ attempts to look for what works best to address the needs of the target group. Partnership obstacles must be overcome through joint efforts It followed by the First Meeting of the Network Members discussed that the relationship between NGOs and corporations should be like a marriage – each side must understand each other explicitly and agree that the commitment will be long-term. Situations where the private sector desires immediate return on investment could be counterproductive to the goal of sustainable development. Ultimately, NGOs and the Private Sector must communicate needs, commit to collaboration, overcome differences, coordinate resources, and be patient in discovering what strategies are most effective. Click here to download the full report (PDF)
