Brand South Africa partnered with Trialogue to host its quarterly Trialogue CSI forum in Johannesburg and Cape Town. These forums call on all those working in the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) field to collaborate and engage on issues in the CSI environment.
“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. When you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” Marjorie Moore
Brand South Africa partnered with Trialogue to host its quarterly Trialogue CSI forum in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The purpose of these forums is to call on all those working in the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) field to collaborate and engage on issues faced in the CSI environment; to extend the initiatives to corporate employees to be active citizens and volunteer their time and skills for the great good of society.
“Brand South Africa found an opportunity to partner with Trialogue in order to present our Play Your Part nationwide movement, which intends to inspire and motivate active citizenship in South Africa,” said Brand South Africa’s GM: Marketing Sithembile Ntombela.
Trialogue is a business that specialises in social corporate responsibility and has been hosting CSI forums since the beginning of 2013. Held four times a year, each forum provides valuable insights on active citizenship.
“As Play Your Part, we showcase how ordinary people and corporates are contributing to society. We unpack the drivers that contribute positively to the Nation Brand and its competitiveness through the movement,” concludes Ntombela.
Trialogue director, Cathy Duff, said: “The sessions explore trends in volunteering, local best practice, how the impact of volunteerism can be measured, the types of volunteering support that non-profit organisations are looking for, and how to effectively manage volunteering programmes.”
At the forum, Duff shared insights on the research conducted on organisational CSI programmes and employee volunteerism that will be captured in a Trialogue booklet, which can be purchased through the Trialogue website .
Despite uncertainty and tougher trading conditions in almost every sector of the economy, corporate South Africa continues to demonstrate its commitment to CSI. CSI expenditure in South Africa was estimated to be worth R8.6 billion in 2016, significantly up from R2.9 billion in 2006, according to Trialogue’s Business in Society engagement.
“South Africans, in general, are a giving nation. When it comes to formal domestic programmes in CSI and volunteerism, South Africa is ahead compared to other countries, whilst on an international platform we fall behind, there is a very small percentage spent outside the country,” concludes Duff.
Further points that emerged from the forum included;
- How to encourage employees to volunteer;
- Barriers to volunteerism; and
- Whether the lack of employee volunteerism could be linked to organisational culture and leadership.
Organisations and employees are encouraged to participate in the Trialogue forums, volunteer their time and educate themselves on the various volunteerism programmes available on http://trialogue.co.za/
Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See Using Brand South Africa material.
