Business Fights Poverty, the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB) and Business Partners for Sustainable Development (BPSD) announced today that they are launching an urgent process across businesses to accelerate local action and support real-time best-practice learning across markets to tackle COVID-19. 

The work will be led by Myriam Sidibe, renowned handwashing expert. The work will be anchored around the National Business Compact on COVID-19, a national business coalition campaign in Kenya. The global knowledge-sharing process is being coordinated by Business Fights Poverty, in partnership with a growing coalition of business networks, including Business Partners for Sustainable Development (BPSD), an initiative of the United States Council for International Business, led by internationally-renowned public health expert, Scott Ratzan MD. 

“We need urgent local action to fight this global pandemic. Businesses must stand up immediately and commit to responsible marketing practices and support efforts to accelerate national handwashing campaigns and other preventative solutions”, says Myriam Sidibe, Senior Fellow from the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School and the author of the book “Brands on a Mission: How to Achieve Social Impact and Business Growth Through Purpose". 

With a combined network of hundreds of businesses, NGOs, academic and governmental partners, as well as over 25,000 individuals around the world, Business Fights Poverty, USCIB and BPSD will be convening a global process to rapidly co-create and share insights, best-practice and replicable solutions across markets.

“Given the scale and urgency of the situation, we need to come together - across businesses, civil society and government - to rapidly co-create solutions and share best-practice”, says Zahid Torres-Rahman, Founder and CEO of Business Fights Poverty, the business-led collaboration network for social impact. “We must, in particular, focus on supporting the resilience of those who are most vulnerable across companies’ value chains and in the communities in which they operate”.   

The anticipated impacts of the work will be to (a) accelerate a WHO-validated, national handwashing campaign and other preventative solutions, starting in Kenya with immediate roll out over other countries, through the work of the National Business Compact and local partners, with in-kind/financial support from a range of multiple companies and funders; (b) Globally, through the work of Business Fights Poverty, BPSD and other partners, rapidly co-create and share insights, best-practice and replicable solutions across countries; and (c) In Kenya and across markets, build and deepen a wider network of critical relationships as a foundation for future collaborative action and shared humanity.

"By working with the extensive networks of USCIB and its affiliated organizations, government can more rapidly mobilize the resources of the private sector and communicate in a more effective and timely manner," said Dr. Scott Ratzan, Executive Director of BPSD. "This coordinated, multi-lateral response is essential to effectively respond to COVID-19."

Register your interest in getting involved, as a company, expert organisation or individual at https://snipbfp.org/coronavirus. We will start immediately with action on the ground in Kenya and will very soon roll-out action to other countries. The real-time knowledge sharing process will begin with an online discussion here: https://snipbfp.org/coronavirus_live

About Myriam Sidibe

Myriam Sidibe is a renowned handwashing expert who spearheaded a movement to change the handwashing behaviour of 1 billion people in Asia and Africa.  Myriam is a Senior Fellow from the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School and the author of the book “Brands on a Mission: How to Achieve Social Impact and Business Growth Through Purpose" which recalls her handwashing journey over the last 2 decades.

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.  

More information is available at www.businessfightspoverty.org 

About Business Partners for Sustainable Development

Business Partners for Sustainable Development, an initiative of the U.S. Council for International Business Foundation,  is an international public-private partnership in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides a framework for government, business and civil society to share information, resources, activities and capabilities, and works in collaboration to achieve objectives together that the sectors cannot achieve independently.

More information is available at www.businesspartners4sdgs.org

Business Fights Poverty

Business Fights Poverty

Business Fights Poverty is the international network for professionals passionate about fighting world poverty through good business. The network connects the practitioners and experts around the world to form a global community of pioneers pushing the boundaries of how business can fight poverty. Our members are corporate executives, social entrepreneurs, investors, donor agency staff, policy officials, non-government organization staff, academics, students and many others who are just interested. Members use the social network to connect with likeminded professionals, discover trends, and share ideas through blogs, videos and discussion forums. Connections are empowering. By harnessing our collective intelligence and energies we can achieve more together than we can alone.

More from Business Fights Poverty