Now, more than ever, is the time for companies to prove their real commitment to social responsibilities

To all leaders and managers, whether you are managing a business, an organisation, a team – to everyone who is in a position to make or influence decisions:

Over the last years, many of us have personally committed our organisations to actions around Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

We have taken actions, launched initiatives to build or finance schools, to create educational programs, promote social diversity in our workforce… to foster the inclusion in the corporate world and society of people, be youngsters or seniors, or more vulnerable.

Thanks to these actions, thousands or millions of people have seen their lives change for the better. People who used to live on the street, suffering from unemployment or living in poverty in Manilla, Paris, Mumbai, Chicago and other cities across the globe have experienced improved living conditions, found a home, got a job, enhancing their dignity.

Today, because of COVID-19 and of related interventions being taken in our organisations, maybe even without our knowledge, many of these people are at risk of losing their jobs, the support they were getting and reverting to challenging living conditions.

These difficult decisions, often taken to mitigate the economic and financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, are most of the time taken without any bad considerations. However, the effort to fight the virus may come with unintended consequences, negatively impacting millions of lives of those most vulnerable.

We have the power to change this. We have the power to decide that the social programs, the initiatives and individuals we have been supporting over the years will not have to suffer from the current crisis.

Let’s make the collective and personal commitment to protect the people who have suffered, believed in us and count on us, to continue to support them now, even more, in these difficult times.

Let’s all make sure that our CSR budgets are not being cut, especially in times when they are needed most, and let’s enable, promote and support our people to keep changing the world for the better.

This requires courage! It’s our role, it’s our responsibility!

Thank you in advance for your commitment and action.

Take care of yourselves, your family and your community. Stay safe.