Multinational corporations can deeply influence human rights. Inspired by the United Nations Guiding Principles of Business and Human Rights, the UConn School of Business, together with the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, the UConn Human Rights Institute, and the Northeast Utilities Chair in Business Ethics, bring you the following events to facilitate participation of business in the human rights dialogue:
Workshop: Converging Interests of Business and Human Rights*
May 15, 2013 1:15 – 2:45 pm
Student Union, Room 304B
Executives in Residence: John Sherman, General Counsel Senior Advisor and Secretary of Shift Project;
Kate Emery, CEO The Walker Group and reSET (Social Enterprise Trust)
How can business entities incorporate the principles of human rights into their organizational practices? This workshop will explore the barriers and opportunities for civil society groups to embed human rights values within the internal structure of organization. Participants will examine the impact of linguistic barriers, organizational culture, and the profit-making motive of corporations as factors that impact the understanding of human rights in business practice.
*Sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut
Book Discussion: An Analysis of “Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights” by John Ruggie, Ph.D.
May 15, 2013 3:00 – 5:00 pm
Student Union, Room 304B
John G. Ruggie is the Berthold Beitz Professor in Human Rights and International Affair at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative on Business and Human Rights. His new book “Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights” tells of how the UN Guiding Principles were developed and discusses how firms can operationalize those principles in a competitive marketplace. This session will discuss Professor Ruggie’s new book and explore its implications for advancing respect for human rights in business enterprises.
For more information about these events, or to RSVP, please contact Michele Metcalf, Program Manager, at michele.metcalf@business.uconn.edu
