AsiaOne – August 2018

JULY-AUGUST 2018 | ASIA ONE | 209

it is inspired by the example set by
millions of people at all income levels
who give generously – and often at
great personal sacrifice – to make the
world better. Largely envisioned as a
multi-generational effort, the Giving
Pledge aims over time to help shift the
social norms of philanthropy toward
giving more, giving sooner, and giving
smarter.
Presently, the pledge includes 183
of the world’s wealthiest individuals,
couples, and families, ranging in age
from their 30s to their 90s. Globally,
they represent 22 countries: Australia,
Brazil, Canada, China (mainland and
Taiwan), Cyprus, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Monaco,
Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
Slovenia, South Africa, Tanzania,
Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
Besides providing a forum to
some of the world’s most engaged
philanthropists to discuss challenges,

successes and failures, The Giving

Pledge also enlightens them on how

to be smarter about giving. Those who

have joined the pledge are united by

a shared commitment to learning and

giving, and they have opportunities

to gather throughout the year to

learn from experts about how best to

leverage their philanthropy to address

some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Benevolence can build bridges of

love and compassion, thereby linking

every individual to the common bond

of humanity. It is the very essence of

humanity which lends value to human

beings and enables the human race to

flourish.

CSR — A BENEVOLENT IDEA

An extended arm of benevolence

is Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR) — one of the standard business

practices of our time. For companies

committed to CSR it means kudos

and an enhanced overall reputation – a

powerful statement of what they stand

for in an often cynical business world.

The establishment of a CSR

strategy (sometimes referred to

as a sustainability strategy) is a

crucial component of a company’s

competiveness and something that

should be led by the firm itself. This

means having policies and procedures

in place which integrate social,

environmental, ethical, human rights

or consumer concerns into business

operations and core strategy – all in

close collaboration with stakeholders.

For companies, the overall aim is to

achieve a positive impact on society as

a whole while maximizing the creation

of shared value for the owners of the

business, its employees, shareholders

and stakeholders. The European

Commission defined CSR as “the

responsibility of enterprises for their

impacts on society”, a succinct

and distinct summation for sure.

A 2015 study by the Kenexa High

Performance Institute in London (a

division of Kenexa, a global provider

of business solutions for human

resources) found that organisations

that had a genuine commitment to

CSR substantially outperformed

those that did not, with an average

return on assets 19 times higher.

Additionally, the study showed that

CSR-orientated companies had a

higher level of employee engagement

and provided a markedly better

standard of customer service.

A force for good or an exercise in

brand enhancement, what cannot be

refuted is the fact that CSR is very

much an integral part of today’s

global business landscape. The

purpose of life is to use mind, speech,

and body for the use of others.

Research shows that people who help

others have less tension and enjoy

higher sense of inner satisfaction.

Their spirituality increases. They

have a sense of gratitude and are

not in competition with others. This

research has science behind it. Those

who are benevolent and use mind,

speech and body for others have all

their needs met by nature. As a result,

their life is brimming with happiness.

No wonder, it is a widely known

fact that when you do something for

others, your happiness increases.

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