DUSHANBE, January 26, 2010, Asia-Plus — The Civil Society Programme (CSP) of Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Tajikistan held a round table discussion on “Corporate Social Responsibility for the Benefit of Business and Society” in Dushanbe on January 22, press relase issued by AKF Tajikistan said.
The event participants included representatives from business sectors in Tajikistan and Russia, Agroinvestbonk, Tojik Sodirot Bank, Orienbonk, Beeline, also Kazkommertsbank, Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) companies and other business companies.
The round table discussion aimed to discuss issues of integrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into the main framework of production of business companies, as well as to strengthen partnerships with Civil Society Organizations in the country.
Participants had the opportunity to share their experience of CSR implementation and discussed the integration of it within their companies in the future. Various opinions were raised on the importance of CSR both for society and business and weather this new notion is understood within its correct meaning and not taking as a philanthropy or charity. Further, ‘…CSR is not a corporate social liability but rather a responsibility…and it is also a culture of business vision and a way of thinking” noted Ozodkhon Davlatshoev, Head of AKFED in Central Asia.
The discussion was led by Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan and Geneva along with Matluba Uljabaeva, Chief of the Board of the National Association of Small and Medium Businesses and Manuchehr Rahmonov, Deputy Country Director of USAID Business Environment Improvement (BEI) Project.
The Aga Khan Foundation is part of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of development agencies founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan. Established in 1967 in Geneva, Switzerland, AKF is a non-denominational, international development agency with branches, affiliates and representative offices in 20 countries. In Tajikistan AKF has been active since 1993 when, with the support of the international donor community, a response was mounted in Gorno-Badakhshan to imminent food shortages caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union. In parallel with this emergency program, AKF initiated a rural development program with the aim of contributing to poverty alleviation in the program areas. Programs for reform in the social sector (Health and Education) were introduced in 1994, with the aim of assisting the government to cope more efficiently with reduced resources while at the same time benefiting from new approaches in education and health.
