04/8/13
United Nations

Weekly Newsmakers – U.N. First: Desires to Draft Treaty to Regulate Global Arms Deals

United Nations
United Nations | Image from: Flickr via Creative Commons

Beginning this week, our Weekly Newsmakers will focus on one news headline we believe you should know about. We hope you like the change! Like (or dislike) what you see? Please be sure to give us feedback in the comments area below on what you think!

How are human rights and the sale of arms (weapons) related? The United Nations believes there is a strong correlation between the two concepts. This Tuesday, the U.N. voted to approve work to create a treaty that would regulate arms sales and to encourage arms dealers to consider how their customers use such armaments.

If passed, such a treaty would be the first of its kind to regulate intercontinental arm sales – all in the hopes of preventing genocide and warfare. The U.N. vote echoes increasing concern from the global community that would like to hold the multibillion-dollar weapons trade to a higher ethical standard. The treaty would make it more difficult for countries to freely trade munitions; a notable example of this might be to eliminate situations such as Russia selling arms to Syria claiming that such a transaction is legal under international law.

While many nations voted to begin the necessary work to draft the treaty, abstaining members such as the Asian powerhouses China and Russia seem to indicate that not everyone is happy with the potential arms embargos. Moreover, the United States seems unlikely to pass this type of treaty as well, given the nation’s history of strong resistance against gun control. Notably, at least 50 member states must ratify a treaty before it can go into effect. However, given the tremendously large amount of votes in favor of such a treaty, many diplomats believe that international arms regulation can begin as soon as two to three years.

For more information on the U.N.’s move regulate arms sales to promote human rights, take a look at this New York Times article:
http://nyti.ms/16j1MMZ

Do you think the U.N. should place embargos on arms? Tell us your thoughts below.

04/8/13

Aids Walk NYC 2013

 

Come and join the rest of NYC as we unite, walk, raise money and fight AIDS! Click here to register to walk on May 19th. AIDS Walk New York benefits more than 40 AIDS service organizations in the tri-state area. Register today as an individual or group for free!

 

 

 

 

 

03/26/13

Baruch: Inspiring Global Change in Corporate Social Responsibility

prakash sethi

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) – an all-encompassing term that includes international corporate policies such as human rights, environmental protection/ sustainability, philanthropy, corruption, and labor outsourcing is of great interest to the public.  Many companies release an annual CSR report, but with no standard format.  As a result, understanding the information within a CSR report can be a challenge.  Fortunately, the Weissman Center has stepped up to the plate with a fantastic solution to this dilemma.

Researchers at the Weissman Center, under University Distinguished Professor S. Sethi, developed the CSR-S Monitor which offers a metric for comparing and ranking CSR reports.  After an intensive evaluation process, each CSR report receives a score out of a possible 100%.  This year, the project analyzed 560 company reports.

I recently sat down with Dr. Terrence Martell, Director of the Weissman Center, and he was eager to express how excited he is about the project, “The CSR-S Monitor is an important addition to the services provided at our Center.  It is a true international business project as it compares reports from around the globe.”  He also elaborated on the goals of the project, “The objective is to increase transparency and verifiability of CSR activities.”  Ultimately, by ranking companies based on the project’s metrics, the project hopes to inspire companies who publish (or plan to publish) CSR reports to create high-quality reports in the future.

Diamond Pendant | Image Credits: Christina Rutz via Creative Commons
Diamond Pendant | Image Credits: Christina Rutz via Creative Commons

Some of the CSR-S’s findings were quite surprising.  Despite the attention CSR has received in America, only one U. S. business made it into the top 10 list this year, Tiffany and Co., which secured the eighth spot.  Tiffany and Co. utilizes an ethical and environmentally-friendly approach to sourcing diamonds, and uses the Kimberley Process to ensure that no ‘conflict diamonds’ enter its inventories.  2012’s top scoring company was VALE S.A., a mining company based in Brazil that achieved a score of 70.75%.

So are you curious about corporate social responsibility?  If the answer is yes, you’re in the right place here at Baruch.  To get a taste of CSR topics, we recommend the Sustainable Business Club (SBC).  SBC’s Baruch chapter is a student-run organization dedicated to issues under the CSR umbrella, including social entrepreneurship, green marketing, socially responsible investing, and renewable energy.  If you have a strong academic inclination to study CSR processes, Baruch also offers a major in Environmental Sustainability as an interdisciplinary major.

For more information on CSR related topics, check out the links below.

–          Sustainable Business Club (Baruch Chapter)

–          Environmental Studies Major at Baruch

–          Learn more about the Kimberley Process

–          CSR at Tiffany and Co.

03/25/13
Source:commercekistart via Bing

Doing Business in Africa

Source:commercekistart via Bing
Source:commercekistart via Bing

As western markets continue to stall, Africa is shaping up to be the investment destination of many companies. The beautiful continent of Africa has one of the world’s largest number of unexplored resources. Having traveled to a few African countries such as South Africa, Botswana and having been born and raised in Zimbabwe, I can attest to the thriving nature of businesses in these regions.

 

Africa has made great strides since colonial times. Many African countries including South Africa;  Zimbabwe; Kenya; Nigeria; and Ghana, have easier access to regional and global markets, well developed infrastructure and government incentives for investors than they have ever had before. These features make African countries such as these ripe for business and investment.

 

The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index ranks global economies based on the ease with which one can do business with a particular countries economy. These economies are ranked on a scale of 1 – 185. The higher a country, continent or region ranks on the index the more conducive the region is to hosting a successful business operation. Mauritius, the top ranked African region on the list, is ranked 19 out of 185.

 

For those interested in doing business in Africa there is U.S. government assistance. Here are some business development resources offered by the U.S. Government:

 

USAID: The Unites States Agency for International Development is part of the United States Government’s effort to expand trade and investment partnerships with Africa.

AGOA: The African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2000 is a road map for how the United States and Africa can tap the power of markets to improve the lives of their citizens. Matchmaker programs have been created for trade with 38 eligible countries.

MAFM: Modern Africa Fund Managers is a U.S.-based company that combines its financial expertise and an understanding of African markets to do business in Africa. The fund “co-invests” with American companies looking to enter the African market if these companies are involved in the following sectors telecommunications & Information Technologies, Agribusiness & Manufacturing and Financial Services.

The U.S. Department of Commerce: The U.S. Department of Commerce provides up to date market research on West and Central Africa. The USDC will also provide “matching services” which pair the most qualified buyers and/or partner firms with a company based on a company’s needs.

 

So how do you as a Baruch student become better acquainted with Africa while here at Baruch? It is vital to be immersed in intercultural awareness activities to gain basic knowledge about the continent. Listed are a few resources:

 

  • Study Abroad: There are Study Abroad opportunities offered by CUNY to several African countries including South Africa, Morocco and Senegal. Click here for more information pertaining to Study Abroad in Africa.

 

  • Student Organization: The Africa Student Association is an organization on campus that provides students with and informed perspective of Africa. Click here for more information.

 

  • Food: Enjoy African Cuisine right here in New York! One of my all time favorite places to go for African cuisine is located in Fort Greene Brooklyn. The restaurant is called Madiba’s ( Nelson Mandela’s nickname).  My favorite thing to have there is the Bushman Breakfast and the Pap with Boerewors Sausage. Another cool spot is “Braai” located in Hells Kitchen.
Pap (Sadza) and Boerewors
Pap (Sadza) and Boerewors

 

  • Art: Click here to explore The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s vast collection of African pieces.
  • Music: Click here to listen to some African beats as well as to see a schedule of upcoming performances by African artists in New York City!

 

 

03/23/13
Macy's Flower Show (2011) | Image Credits: Anders Carlsson via Creative Commons

Weekly Newsmakers – Cyprus Controversy, Selling Schools, JCP Woes, and Plus Free in NYC

Macy's Flower Show (2011) | Image Credits: Anders Carlsson via Creative Commons
Macy’s Flower Show (2011) | Image Credits: Anders Carlsson via Creative Commons

Happy spring and welcome to another edition of Weekly Newsmakers – your source for summaries of news that made the headlines.  As you look forward to warmer days, we hope you will have the chance to catch a few of the free events in NYC found in this edition.

Turmoil in Cyprus Over a Bailout Rattles Europe – New York Times (Editor’s Pick)
In recent Eurozone news, Cyprus, a small island country east of Greece, may soon see require those with bank accounts to share in the cost of the latest bailout causing fury from the local residents.  According to the Cypriot president Mr. Anastasiades, a “complete collapse of the banking sector” would occur if Cyprus did not participate in the strict terms of the bailout.  The Times predicts that the bailout controversy may also lead to the ultimate departure of the island state (populated by a relatively sparse 1 million people) from the E.U.  Many Cypriots hurried to remove their savings from their banks as the bailout terms were announced, but were met with withdrawal limits – one source of the outrage.  Do you think that banks should limit a citizen’s right to withdraw their savings in such a context?  Tell us your thoughts in the comments area below.

Saving Schools and Libraries by Giving Up the Land They Sit On – New York Times
New York’s governmental agencies aim to raise hundreds of millions of dollars by selling land currently used for public works such as libraries and schools contingent upon developers agreeing to build similar spaces for libraries and schools nearby or within the new structures. The city’s approach to securing funds has incited unrest from local residents. Residents are concerned about how far they will have to go to reach a library, and where their children will go to school, during the years it will take to erect the new towers.

The Turnaround Trap – New Yorker (Editor’s Pick)
When Ron Johnson took over J.C. Penney, JCP was already seeing a slump in clothing sales. Having luck with Target and Apple, Johnson hoped to turn JCP into a success story also. However, his store model to eliminate coupons and sales failed to stabilize JCP; and rather, JCP saw revenues fall 25% since Ron Johnson took over as CEO (equivalent to almost a billion dollar loss). Business analysts such as Mark Cohen point to how consumers love coupons and sales and that doing away with those novelties was a mistake, “This game of cat amd mouse with… ever-changing discounts is illogical, but it’s one that lots of consumers like to play.” JCP is set to bring back sales and coupons this year. Do you think that the coupon system is an effective way to gain sales? Weigh in via the comments section below.

Street Types at the Alice Austen House – Weissman Center Reports
Ever wanted to know what life was like for immigrants living in New York during the late 1800s – early 1900s? If so, opportunity is knocking! Alice Austen, documentary photographer, took over 8,000 stunning black and white photos, providing valuable insight into life in Manhattan during the turn of the last century. The free exhibit, open now until May 30th is located at the Alice Austen House in Staten Island will allow visitors to experience how immigrants and the working class tried to realize the American Dream. If you were looking for a reason to visit Staten Island in the warmer days to come, this is a perfect opportunity. More details here.

Annual Flower Show at Macy’s Herald Square – Weissman Center Reports
Known for it’s extravagant flower shows, Macy’s is sure to pull you out of any wintery blues and step into spring! Running from March 24 to April 7, this year’s show will highlight flora from southern Asia incorporated in elegant artistic works, including an elephant adorned with jewel-toned flowers (perhaps an creative take on the phrase “elephant in the room”?), trees adorned with exotic flowers and changing daily floral arrangements. Floral-themed seminars, family-friendly events, and live music will also be available on various days of the show. More details here.

03/20/13
Source: Janet Leadbeater via flickr

Decoding American Dining Etiquette

Source: Janet Leadbeater via flickr
Source: Janet Leadbeater via flickr

You are at an interview for a new company. Everything is going well, and the employer invites you out to lunch. Hearing this gesture, you think “I’ve got this in the bag.” You scarf down your meal and indulge in heaps of dessert in celebration of your soon-to-be new job. After exchanging goodbyes, you go home and expect a phone call the next day.But it never comes.  What happened? Two words, Dining. Etiquette.

Many have lost opportunities, due to lack of table manners. You may think table manners only encompass waiting for all dinner parties to arrive before eating, being on time, and keeping your elbows off the table. But, there are more standards of behavior to know. Here are a few of the fundamentals:

  • Do not place any bags, cell phones, sunglasses or personal belongings on the table.
  • Solids are on your left: forks, butter plate, napkin (which could also be on your plate). Liquids are on your right: glasses, knives, spoons.
  • Keep all utensils in the same order; do not rearrange if you are left-handed.
  • Do not order the most expensive or complicated dish.
  • Avoid finger food and food that is difficult to eat.
  • Do not chew with your mouth open
  • Do not order alcohol at a business meal.
  • Set the utensils on your plate, not the table, when you aren’t using them.
  • Wait for everyone to receive their meal before eating and pace yourself, so you finish around the time as everyone else.
  • When you have finished eating, place your napkin neatly to the left of your plate, but do not push your plate setting away from you.
  • Tip appropriately: 15% for moderate service and 20% for excellent service.
  • When in doubt, follow the lead of the host.

These are only basic tips for appropriate dining etiquette. Knowing this information as a college student, will impress employers and give you an edge over other candidates.