In this presentation, given at the 8th Europe Asia Young Leaders Forum, I was asked to present my thoughts on two questions: 1) How do cities organize communal life and maintain social harmony? 2) What can business contribute to these processes? A presentation that drew on my work in real estate, economic, sustainability, and community, I brought together 5 key areas that I felt a city needed to develop before harmony/ balance could be achieved, and then drew some analysis on where the business community fit within this framework

1. 8th Europe Asia Young Leaders
Forum
How do cities organize communal life and
maintain social harmony?
What can business contribute to these
processes?

2. Develop long term capacity within the various actors (NGO, MNC, academic, gov’t, and
citizen) to create stable/ sustainable solutions
•Provide a platform where civil sector professionals can share best practices
•Conduct research, study problems, assess program, & create partnerships
•Work with social entrepreneurs and NGO leaders to develop capacity
•On campus research, develop student leaders, clubs, mentorships, internships
Established in 2004, Hands On China’s mission is connecting people – both locals and
foreigners in Shanghai who want to become involved as volunteers in community
activities with local charities who need assistance.
• Coordinates volunteer opportunities for active professionals, according to their
availability and personal interests
• Support project partners with direct donations, fundraising planning and execution,
community project design/implementation
• Design and manage a variety of community relations programs for private sector
partners in Shanghai – CorpWorks!
Developed the project based class Sustainability and Responsible Leaderships for 193
MBA students
•To institutionally support society by leveraging its students, faculty, alumni
•Improve student awareness of the social and environmental challenges in China
•36 teams will conduct research, develop external partner, & present business plan

3. Initial Thoughts of Community
How do cities organize communal life and maintain social harmony?
What can business contribute to these processes?
Better City Better Life

4. How do cities organize communal life
and maintain social harmony?

5. Urban Development

6. Economic Development

7. Quality of Life
For residents to invest in a city, the city
must provide an acceptable quality of life
that is convenient and affordable
•Healthcare
•Parks and green space
•Entertainment
•Restaurants
•Retail
•Community gatherings
•Transportation
•Culture

8. Safety and Security
Before a city can find harmony, it must provide
assurance of safety and security
• Remove the threats of crime
• Provide civil services (fire protection and emergency services)
• Disaster relief
More than that, citizens are also looking for:
•Economic Security – That investments in their livelihoods in the city
will not be taken from them
•Physical stability – That their homes and communities will not be
removed arbitrarily and without compensation
•Emotional security – That they will be treated equally, and without
discrimination
•Equitable ownership – That their contributions to society will be
recognized, rewarded, and appreciated

9. Environmental Stability
In China, sustainability constraints are far more personal than
“carbon”
Resource Management
Labor Safety
Consumer Safety
Urban Planning & Urbanization
Food & Agriculture
Landfills & eWaste
Overpackaging
Healthcare (Elderly & Family)
Traffic and Transport
Air, Food, and Water Quality
Income Gap – Poverty Alleviation

10. What can business contribute to
these processes?

11. Historical Role of Business
Role of business in building community has historically been unclear, and clarity/
guidance typically only came from rules and regulations set up by governments
Only roles that were previously accepted for companies to contribute to society:
•Employee people
•Make Money
•Pay Taxes
•Donate a little money… when you have the chance
… but the rules are changing
China is Maturing
 New regulations are strong
 Healthy vents and feedback mechanisms are being added
 Enforcement is WIP, but getting more consistent
Consumers Have Changed – and So Have Their Expectations
 Consumers are becoming citizens, and citizens are becoming active
 Consumer pressure on industry will only grow stronger

12. New Responsibilities
Moving Past traditional definitions and appearances of
“CSR” and “Sustainability”
Changing Business Model
 Paying full price of operations
 Rebalancing risk / reward equation
 Improving labor conditions and standards
 Addressing issues of governance and exploitation
Changing Product Portfolios
 Focus on quality and safety vs. price and speed
 Moving away from environmentally damaging
processes
 Working to improve industry standards
Developing Communities
 Internally and Externally
 Creating core values that align with values of
employees
 Moving away from value system that places citizens
before consumers

13. Room for Innovation
Role of Community Enterprises (Social Enterprises and NGOs) is growing
• Better Raw Materials • Community Services • Financial Services
• Better Labor Practices • Community Engagement • Access to Education
• Better Quality • Economic Opportunity

14. “In the end, environmental, social and economic sustainability cannot
be separated. A sustainable planet must include a sustainable
human civilization – resilient human systems that respect the
complicated relationships among poverty, human rights, economic
development, environmental health, and human success”
- Institute for the Future, 2008
Richard Brubaker, Founder
rich@collectiveresponsibility.org