About this Event
The at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)* is pleased to present a hybrid in-person/zoom no-cost interactive session, Modern Slavery, Business, and the Law =>in conversation with Matt Friedman of Hong Kong's Mekong Club (details below), on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm (Toronto time). The session will take place at TMU's Ted Rogers School of Management, located at 55 Dundas Street, Toronto (West), on the ninth floor in Room TRS 3-109.
Although everyone is welcome to attend this no-admission fee session (in person or by zoom), to attend you must first register by clicking and then pressing the "register" button.
Zoom participants: for registered participants who are attending virtually by zoom, on September 21 at 12 noon click to patch in for the session. Note the 1.5 hour duration of this session.
Fall 2022 online CSR course: patch in virtually at a time and place that fits your schedule for each weekly module. Join individuals from government, the private sector and civil society from around the world who are seeking a better understanding of the fast evolving field of corporate responsibility/sustainability. Registration and other details (learn what others who've taken the course are saying) are provided later in this announcement. Classes start September 12 -- register now!
Modern Slavery and the Private Sector
The issue of modern slavery in Canada is a very sensitive topic within the private sector. The UN describes modern slavery as encompassing situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power, covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. In addition, the UN notes that more than 150 million children are subject to child labour, accounting for almost one in ten children around the world.
Many companies don’t want to believe that modern slavery could be a part of their supply chains. Others recognize the problem, but don’t know how to get started solving it. Still others are unsure of the quality of their anti-slavery systems relative to their peers and don’t know how to improve their policies and procedures. But with a range of new legislation related to modern slavery globally and within Canada, increasing numbers of lawsuits against corporations, and wider media attention, ignoring this issue is not an option.
The reality is that modern slavery practices such as forced labor and debt bondage are part of every economy, including Canada’s. Most Canadian businesses would be horrified to learn that their products were made by workers who qualify as being in situations of modern slavery, someplace in the world, that their extraction or product manufacturing activities could be using slave labour and that traffickers could be laundering money through their bank.
About Matt Friedman and the Mekong Club
Ideally positioned to discuss this topic is Matt Friedman, an award-winning international human trafficking expert with more than 35 years’ experience. He is CEO of The Mekong Club, a non-profit organization of Hong Kong’s leading businesses which have joined forces to help end all forms of modern slavery. Mr. Friedman previously worked for USAID and the United Nations in over 40 countries. Mr. Friedman offers technical advice to numerous governments, banks and corporations working to eliminate all forms of modern slavery and is the author of twelve books. His recent Penguin/Random House book entitled, “Where Were You: A Profile of Modern Slavery,” is being used as a human trafficking textbook. In 2017, Mr. Friedman won Asia’s prestigious “Communicator of the Year” Gold Award.
Among other things, the conversation will involve discussions of the changing modern slavery paradigm in all its forms, an update on recent and emerging legislation (Canadian and beyond); and an exploration of the business-modern slavery linkages (including practical approaches to addressing the issue).
Moderator
Moderating the session will be Dr. Kernaghan Webb, Director of the Toronto Metropolitan University CSR Institute and a Law and Business professor in TMU's Ted Rogers School of Management who is also cross appointed to the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
The talk is co-sponsored by the TMU Corporate Social Responsibility Student Association, the TMU Commerce and Government Association, and the TMU Law and Business Student Association.
Information will be provided during the session re: how to submit questions.
TMU's MBA program is ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek as in the Top 25 Internationally and the Top 5 in Canada. According to the Corporate Knights 2021 Better World Ranking, the Ryerson University Ted Rogers MBA ranked #3 in Canada and ranked eleventh globally for integrating sustainability.
Based on their Better World Ranking, Corporate Knights has ranked Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Management as being first overall in Canada for its Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) program.
Fall 2022 Online Corp Responsibility/Sustainability Course--Act Now!
Register now for the online Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) continuing education course on Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CZMN 200). For more information and to register, click . The Fall 2022 session has weekly online modules from September to December, taught by Professor Kernaghan Webb, Director of the TMU CSR Institute. Registrants in the course patch in from around the world at whatever time best suits them for each week's module (previous class participants were located in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa). This course is open admission, with no prerequisites (there is a fee). Individuals taking the course have diverse backgrounds, coming from government, the private sector, civil society and the academy. A certificate is available for those who complete the course and fulfill the evaluative requirements.
Here's what others who've taken the course are saying:
"I found I was gaining new understandings of CSR subjects and new perspectives every week. It was great to learn from the different insights shared in class (by my colleagues and the instructor). I value all the lessons learned and I constantly refer back to these new insights and ideas when discussing topics related to CSR/Sustainability at work." -- overseas participant
"Professor Webb's online modules are incredibly well-organized & use every tool available - videos, links, interactive exercises, live discussions, & more - to get the message across. It made online learning engaging!" -- NGO participant
"The CZMN course covers Corporate Social Responsibility from every angle. From foundational ideas through case studies on a variety of fields, this course provides not only a theoretical understanding of responsible business, but a practical one." -- overseas participant
"Professor Webb really goes out of his way to help his students succeed! He breaks down complex ideas into accessible pieces & treats every question as a smart one." -- NGO participant
"Professor Webb really knows the CSR subject inside out, he is very passionate about it and has a lot of practical experience in the area to go along with top-notch theoretical insights - he is an excellent communicator. He's one of those profs where you end up really wanting to take another course from him. I highly recommend that you participate in all the weekly open-conversation sessions with him within the course!" -- graduate student participant
"The CZMN course is a great overview of past and current trends in the realm of CSR, relevant for both newcomers to the field as well as for seasoned practitioners. The content of each module is well structured and paced. Case studies and fictional case scenarios help deepen and reflect on multiple CSR issues and evolving concepts." -- government participant
"Prof. Webb’s pedagogical approach is engaging and convivial for each participant, with weekly on-line live chat along with the virtual board for students that fosters exchange and debates." -- government participant
"As someone patching in from Peru, and having some background in related topics (community relations and occupational health), I found the format very straightforward and easy to use. I liked all the educational components and the way we built on what we'd learned in each module into the next one. I really enjoyed the interactive videos made by the professor summarizing the key relevant topics covered in each module." -- overseas participant
For more information about the course and to register, click .
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*In August 2021, the university announced that it would begin a renaming process. On April 26, 2022, the new name for the university, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), was announced. Over the next period of time, the Institute for the Study of Corporate Social Responsibility will be transitioning its website and associated features to the new university name.
Toronto is in the 'Dish With One Spoon Territory.' The Dish With One Spoon is a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto, Canada
CAD 0.00
