A British Labour politician and a Swiss engineer told the CCBI conference today that business has a vital role in world development.

Tony Colman is one of the few British Members of Parliament with wide business experience, as a former board member of the Burton retail group (which included Arcadia and Debenhams), where he founded the Top Shop chain of fashion shops. Business can help close the gap between rich and poor, he said. It cannot do it alone. The poorest countries need aid, and he welcomed the recent commitment by Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer to work towards an aid budget of 0.7% of the GNP. But it is also vital that poor countries are enabled to trade equitably.

‘The businesses which will help close the gap will be those which are sustainable, equitable, which bring together labour and management, and which look to the long term,’ Colman said. Legislative action could help encourage these qualities. Bribery is now an offence for British citizens anywhere in the world, thanks to his 2002 Private Member’s Bill on the subject. And the all-party committee on socially responsible investment which he chairs has changed the basis on which pension funds report – they must now account for the social, environmental and ethical basis of their investment. Migration has a positive role to play, he said. ‘Immigrants benefit their countries of origin both through their remittances and, often, through returning to their country having gained new skills.’

Dr Gabriel Minder, founder of two IT consultancies in Geneva, is an advisor to the Prince of Wales’ Youth Business International (YBI). This appointment arose from his commitment to answer poverty and improve health in the poor world, which has seen him helping launch numerous initiatives. One of these has provided 250,000 people with low-cost wheelchairs. Another is enabling 120,000 people to receive cataract surgery. ‘If you are willing to take this on, you find that unexpected offers of help come your way, which are worth seizing,’ Minder said.

The YBI initiative is a product of developing teamwork between industry, international organisations and NGOs, particularly Rotary Clubs worldwide. It has enabled 4,000 disadvantaged young people to launch their own business enterprises, and aims to do this for 250,000 people. It has active programmes in 23 countries, and is in discussion in 37 more. The Chinese Government has just invited YBI to help launch a large number of pilot projects in China.

‘Narrowing the gap between ideals and interests’ is the overall theme for the six weeks of international conferences which opened in the Caux centre of Initiatives of Change on July 8th, and which continue until 19th August.

Reported by John Bond

Conference Summary

For more information on the conferences at Caux, please visit www.caux.ch.