Emirates Environmental Group, the leading UAE NGO, has been promoting environment
education, awareness and pro-action across all the sectors. EEG has numerous achievements
to its credit, among which are some of the country’s most popular cross-sector programmes.
Through educational and training programmes, waste management and recycling, clean up
drives, lectures and talks, business workshops; - EEG has rallied community involvement
and support towards the environment a way very few organizations have been able to. One
of EEG’s biggest strengths has been its ability to build lasting relationships across diverse
cross sections and groups. The EEG Corporate Social Responsibility Network gives ample
evidence of this.
Established in 2004, the network has emerged as a strong platform for partnership and
dialogue. Endorsed by the country’s highest environmental authority and the United Nations
Development Programme office in the UAE when it was established, the network has
attracted leading government and business organizations across the country. It has also
been given recognition internationally and now acts as the local focal point of the United
Nations Global Compact, a leading global CSR initiative. Twenty three government and
non-government organizations have joined the network as founding members since it was
established. They are ABB, Al Safi Club for Friends of the Environment, Amlak Finance,
BP, BASF, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Dolphin Energy, Dubai Aluminium,
Marriott Business Council, McDonald’s, Metito, Pacific Control, Shell, National Bank of Abu
Dhabi, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, Dow Exports Dubai International Finance Centre,
Department of Economic Development–Govt. of Dubai, Emirates Bank, Sabban Property
Investments, Department of Naturalization and Residency Administration – Govt. of Dubai,
WSP and Jumeira Rotana Hotel.
Activities of the network include organizing workshops, maintaining updates on CSR through
a dedicated website (linked to EEG’s homepage at www.eeg-uae.org), compiling case studies
of CSR best practices in the UAE, etc. Till date the network has organized workshops on
diverse themes including waste management and recycling, environmental law, sustainable
tourism, environmental impact assessment (EIA), CSR reporting and communication,
sustainable practices in the financial sector, United Nations Global Compact and climate
change.
The third workshop of this year was organized on the subject of corporate social
responsibility and the media. The theme of the forum was “Setting the climate for CSR – the
role of the media and mass communications industry”. The objectives were:
Developing an understanding about the role of media in taking forward CSR.
Understanding CSR practices in Media bodies.
Strategies to be adopted to develop communication strategies for CSR.
Showcase case studies.
The workshop rallied over forty delegates from the region and abroad including CSR
advocates, media professionals, academe and others. The agenda focussed on starting a
dialogue among media and other sectors about leveraging strategies, policies and practices
related to CSR. A host of CSR specialists from the media and mass communication sector
spoke at the summit, highlighting their experiences and expertises.
The workshop was opened by EEG chairperson Habiba Al Marashi, well known in the region
and internationally for pioneering environment protection among diverse sectors and the
community in the Emirates. In her welcome address Al Marashi emphasized the role of the
media in fostering the change towards a more informed, responsible and committed society.
She remarked, “Media and mass communications is said to be one of the most powerful
forces in the 21st century. Never before have print, television, radio, films and internet
had such a forceful influence on the way humans look at and interpret what is happening
around them. Communication and reporting have thus gone way beyond mere news and
entertainment, - and have veritably become a major tool of change.” A special address was
delivered by the UAE’s Minister of Environment and Water, HE Dr. Saeed Mohammed Al
Kindi, focusing on the government’s encouragement of responsible media coverage and
freedom of expression.
The galaxy of speakers included Professor David Bellamy, OBE, the world renowned
conservationist, author and presenter; Dr. Ebtisam Al Kitbi, professor of Political Science
in the UAE University, passionate spokesperson of human development and board member
of UAE Human Rights Association; Yogesh Chauhan, Chief Advisor Corporate Social
Responsibility of The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC); Amr Koura, CEO of Al
Karma Edutainment, Egypt; Edmund O’Sullivan, Managing Editor, The Middle East
Economic Digest (MEED); Engineer Ahmed Bin Ali, Manager Corporate Communications
Etisalat; PV Vivekanand, Editor, Gulf Today and Yusuf Thakur, filmmaker and Director of
Visual Effects. The workshop was ably facilitated by Abdel Rahman Ghandour, Managing
Editor, Middle East office of the United Nations OCHA – IRIN – a regional body of the
UN operating out of UNOPS in Dubai Humanitarian City, which is assigned to news and
information.
Prof. Bellamy gave a wonderful presentation by the title “Bad news and good – the
dilemma”- sharing his rich experiences in the fields of education, training and entertainment.
“The job of the media is to act as a channel through which information is transmitted to the
public, information that one hopes entertains, enthralls as it educates their readers, listeners
and viewers concerning the problems and potentials of life on earth” said Prof. Bellamy
about the extended role of the media. Dr. Ebtisam Al Kitbi’s rousing talk provided
wonderful insights about sustainable human development, the deficiencies in trade policies
and agreements, and the efficacy of alternative concepts like CSR. Stressing its positive
contribution to human development she said, “Corporate Social Responsibility is part of the
latest concept of development which is one that encompasses the redefinition of the role of
the state, corporations and civil society, the implementation of legal and extra-legal global
mechanisms to monitor and verify accounts, environmental sustainability and a new global
ethic of transparency for fair trade with a human face.” Yogesh Chauhan gave a brilliant
presentation entitled “The role of media in CSR – a help or hindrance?’ about the BBC’s role
in the emerging corporate social responsibility agenda. As a world class broadcaster the BBC
plays a pivotal role in not only entertaining but also informing and educating its audiences.
The presentation explored how journalistic and editorial standards as well as media literacy
drive coverage of CSR issues in the BBC. It also highlighted how as an organisation BBC is
internalising CSR.
Amr Koura presented the experience of Al Karma in conveying positive messages
on environmental issues to the community, particularly youth and parents, through
AlamSimsim, the Egyptian adaptation of Sesame Street. He emphasized how Al Karma has
used edutainment as a business model that creates a win-win situation for media owners,
corporations and content providers, by which they can create effective brands and targeted
messages while being able to sustain the continuity of the process.
Edmund O’ Sullivan gave an overview of the issue as a leading media house in the region.
Engineer Ahmed Bin Ali spoke about the active role of Etisalat as a community oriented
organisation, outlining the extensive work that the organisation has undertaken on various
fronts. Vivekanand PV focused on the roles and responsibility of all media organisations and
media persons in raising the profile of education, learning and awareness, with particular
reference to the environment. “The information media, audio-visual as well as print, have the
responsibility not only to raise public awareness of environmental concerns but also remind
the community about their obligations towards the environment. They have to run consistent
and continuous reports on such issues and follow up with investigations and present
findings to the public. The media also has the duty to monitor developments related to the
environment and raise issues with the concerned authorities and press for action”, explained
Mr. Vivekanand. Yusuf Thakur gave rich insights into his experience in making a number of
acclaimed films and documentaries on social and environmental subjects. He emphasized that
a niche market and audience does exist for such films and it is viable as a business enterprise
as well.
The workshop was structured to promote maximum interaction and exchange. Broken up into
international, regional and local segments, each session brought out new knowledge, ideas and information that floated freely. Stimulating rounds of questions and discussions followed
each segment, resulting in a lively exchange of views and opinions.
One of the most interesting and effective aspects of the workshop was the working session.
Three topics of contemporary significance were given to the attendees to develop strategies
and recommendations for media reporting. The topics were Ecological Footprint, Spiraling
Rents and Emiratisation. The speakers and delegates worked in groups to discuss the
fundamental issues, and identify information gaps and lack of adequate focus, understanding
and action. They came up with valuable recommendations for the media, government,
business and community in addressing these critical topics.
The workshop had a very positive outcome. It provided the platform for gauging how the
media really view CSR, how journalists approach corporate strategies and activities in CSR,
how concepts and practices like CSR influence stakeholders, and finally how businesses pitch
CSR to the media. At the end, delegates discussed successful strategies and the way forward
in mainstreaming CSR in the media and mass communications sector, and in other sectors of
business as a whole.
