JOIN A BUSINESS AND COVID-19 ACTION GROUP
About the Business and COVID-19 Action Groups
Having produced an overarching framework for how businesses can support the most vulnerable in their value chains, communities and beyond (available here), we are now deep-diving into specific topics and issues.
The aim is to rapidly co-create guidance to inform immediate and longer-term decision making, and make connections needed to support action.
These are set out below, and others will be added shortly.
If you would like to suggest or support a new Action Group, please get in touch.
How can business respond to an increase in gender-based violence during the COVID-19 outbreak? (Supporters: Department for International Development (DFID), Avon, AB InBev, CEMEX)
How can businesses protect the livelihoods of the most vulnerable workers in their value chains from the impacts of COVID-19? (Supporters: DFID)
How can businesses support MSMEs in their value chains, communities and beyond in the face of COVID-19? (Supporters: DFID, AB InBev, CEMEX)
How can businesses support their NGO partners through the impact of COVID-19? (Supporters: DFID, Primark, CEMEX, GSK)
How can businesses help raise awareness of handwashing and other preventative measures to tackle COVID-19? (Supporters: DFID, AB InBev)
How can we drive rapid innovation on COVID-19 through partnerships?
How can we drive effective national collaboration to tackle COVID-19?
How can we support access of the most vulnerable to the education and skills?
HOW CAN BUSINESS SUPPORT THE MOST VULNERABLE IN VALUE CHAINS AND COMMUNITIES IN THE FACE OF COVID-19?
Context
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is creating a humanitarian and economic crisis. More than half a million people have been infected and over 20,000 have lost their lives, and the numbers are rising sharply. The risks are real for everyone and the impacts across all aspects of life will be profound and long-lasting for every segment of society but especially for those who are most vulnerable: the elderly and those suffering from underlying health conditions, those with poor access to affordable health services, insurance or savings and those in low-income and insecure jobs.
Business and COVID-19 Response
We have launched an urgent process to distill global best practice to guide business and business’ stakeholders immediate decision making and accelerate local action.
Global Learning
We aim to support rapid learning and action, with a focus on how businesses can prevent and mitigate the impacts for the most vulnerable in their value chains and in the communities in which they operate.
We are actively crowdsourcing expert insights, case studies, tools and resources, through an integrated mix of online events and peer group spaces. To drive sharing and inspire business action we are developing a range of short-form video, audio, infographic and written content. We are developing a live database of good-practice case studies, as well as an action framework and practical toolkits to guide immediate and longer-term decision making.
Local Action
The work is grounded in local action, and we are connecting into national coalitions. This includes the Kenyan National Business Compact on COVID-19 and the work being spearheaded by Miriam Sidibe on developing a unified communication platform on hand washing and other preventative measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, as well as the creation of a flexi-fund to support government-prioritised community activation. Our aim is to facilitate and learn from local action across multiple countries.
About Business Fights Poverty
Business Fights Poverty is an award-winning, business-led collaboration network focused on social impact. For 15 years, it has been bringing together organisations and individuals to collaborate on questions that matter to business, people and planet. Along with over 100 international companies, NGOs, universities, and government bodies, it has a global network of more than 25,000 professionals who share their collective insights to move the needle on pressing global challenges.
Get Involved
Share you knowledge, learn what others are doing and access practical tools and guidance. Connect with like-minded peers and experts, and help mobilise your colleagues. Support on-the-ground action.
Once registered, we will send you resources and keep you up to date on a range of opportunities to connect, share and take action.
To deliver this Business and COVID-19 Response, we are convening a rapid co-creation process with an international coalition of partners, businesses and business networks. This includes the UK Department for International Development, the Harvard Kennedy School Corporate Responsibility Initiative, the UNDP Business Call to Action, UN Office for Partnerships, and Business Partners for Sustainable Development, an initiative of the US Council for International Business (USCIB) and the USCIB Foundation. We are supported by a core group of companies and are partnering with a wide range of expert organisations and networks. We invite other networks and organisations to join this coalition for sharing practical examples and taking local action.
#FightCOVID19 @FightPoverty
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