SWO Plan to Augment Social Responsibility

A recent survey by the State Welfare Organization shows that Iranians’ performance in terms of social responsibility, defined as the obligation to act for the benefit of society at large, be it by an organization or individual, is weak.

“To encourage social responsibility, the SWO plans to commend every enterprise, company, or individual that performs significantly in delivering social responsibility by granting them a plaque of acclamation,” the SWO chief,  Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpei, told a press conference, according to a press release on the SWO website behzisti.ir.

A conference on the ‘importance of social responsibility’ will be held on November 14 in Tehran.

Social responsibility is an ethical framework and suggests that it is a duty every individual has to perform so as to maintain, among other things, a balance between the economy and the ecosystems.

A trade-off may exist between economic development, in the material sense, and the welfare of the society and environment. Social responsibility means sustaining the equilibrium between the two.

“One of the reasons that led to the establishment of the welfare organization is delivering social responsibilities in all aspects of prevention, timely intervention, and creating equal opportunities for the underprivileged and deprived people,” he maintained.

“We are planning to systematize all social responsibility activities by establishing a permanent secretariat under the SWO. A charter of social responsibility is also being devised and will be presented to the government for ratification.”

“The plan was devised to encourage the general public as well as businesses to nurture a culture of helping and giving something back to the society. Encouraging and supporting the participation of people in everyday life with a conscientious approach can create a sense of social belonging.

  Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship or sustainable responsible business) is a form of social responsibility integrated into a business model. CSR aims to embrace responsibility for corporate actions and encourage a positive impact on the environment and stakeholders including consumers, employees, investors, communities, and others.

However, social responsibility pertains not only to business organizations but also to every individual whose action impacts the living environment. This responsibility can be passive, by avoiding engaging in socially harmful acts, or active, by performing activities that directly advance social goals.

“Social responsibility used to be limited to citizenship rights and environment, but has now evolved to include seven major pillars,” Bandpei further said.

A holistic approach to CSR embodies consistent work in the areas of diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, governance, global enrichment, organizational health, philanthropy, and supply chain integrity.

  Looking After Street Children

Bandpei also took stock of the SWO’s responsibility towards street and working children, and said street children rounded up will no longer be handed back to families.

“After negotiations with the judiciary, we have been given the leeway not to release children to their parents after they are rounded up from the streets by our teams.”

Previously, he said, after being removed from the streets, children would have to be returned to parents if they came looking for them.

“We now have the authority to keep the children if they are removed and registered at the SWO for three times in a row,” he noted.

Various centers under the SWO have taken in about 1,640 kids rounded up from the streets over the past two months, according to Bandpei as reported by salamatnews.com.

Noting that about 40%-50% of children working in the streets are not Iranian by origin, he said they can be categorized in two groups: those without proper housing, parents, or financial resources to support themselves, and those hired by mafias and gangs to beg and earn money.

The SWO is ready to house the former group in the centers it has in the provinces” even if other responsible bodies refuse to cooperate”.