Business for Peace of FCCISL hits Asian CSR Awards

The concern and approach towards major national issues and the successful completion of some of them by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) enabled it to receive international awards.

It won the Award for the Best Unconventional Project for SMEs at the World

Chambers Federation Competition 2007 for the involvement of the FCCISL in the post Tsunami livelihood and enterprise rehabilitation project under Business for Peace Initiative (BPI) programme.

Now the total Business for Peace Initiative (BPI) programme has won the award for the best Corporate Social Responsibility projects at the Asian Corporate Social Responsibility Forum held in Singapore competing with 120 organizations from 29 countries.

Secretary General cum CEO, FCCISL Samantha Abeywickrama, along with its Vice President, Tissa Jayaweera received this prestigious CSR Award at an awards ceremony held at Grand Capthorne Waterfront Hotel in Singapore, end November. The Asian Brand Congress Awards earlier in September recognized BPI as the Best Social Marketing Project.

BPI was launched by the FCCISL back in March 2006 with the vision of harnessing support of business community for the cause of peace building in Sri Lanka. All regional chambers of commerce from the Northern and Eastern provinces and bordering districts collaborated with the FCCISL as implementation partners of the initiative. Under BPI 957 livelihoods and small-scale business were rehabilitated at a cost of Rs 26 million, covering the entire tsunami affected areas, including Wanni.

Commenting on the very hard and dedicated work carried out by FCCISL to achieve this exceptional success Abeywickrama said that this success and winning highest international accolades proves the private sector could not only involve in such massive national issues, but could also navigate them to success.

He said that this would be an impetus for the corporate sector to participate in such national issues that would impact the economy to greater heights. He said that apparently, the entire world has appreciated and acknowledged their efforts in peace building through business community.

The Asian CSR Awards is recognized as the leading awards program on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Asia and is an inherent component of the annual regional Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) conference and Expo.

AFCSR 2008 is co-presented by the Asian Institute of Management's RVR Center for Corporate Social Responsibility (AIM-RVR Center) and Singapore Compact for CSR.