Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue

<strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue
100
Economic <strong>and</strong> Social Development
principles) <strong>and</strong> its leading role on many corporate
social responsibility issues highlights <strong>the</strong> general
view that corporations today can <strong>and</strong> need to do
more for <strong>the</strong>ir stakeholders than merely contribute
to philanthropy. Responsible corporate investment
is fundamental for establishing rights <strong>and</strong>
encouraging development at <strong>the</strong> grassroots level.
The UNDP hosted <strong>the</strong> first conference on corporate
social responsibility in Egypt in December 2007.
The event underscored <strong>the</strong> need to hold
multinational corporations to <strong>the</strong> UN Global
Compact st<strong>and</strong>ards for responsible investment in
<strong>the</strong> region while also encouraging local business
to form a network for exp<strong>and</strong>ing social initiatives.
Most leading multinational corporations are
becoming more active in this area. Hewlett-
Packard, for example, has launched an initiative
to improve access to technology in institutions of
higher education throughout <strong>the</strong> Middle East <strong>and</strong>
North Africa. Cisco, Microsoft <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r leading
corporations have focused on infrastructural
development <strong>and</strong> environmental initiatives.
Hussam Kayyal of Cisco notes in <strong>the</strong> Middle East,
“When people think of corporate responsibility,
<strong>the</strong>y often think of zakat, or charity, because it is
one of <strong>the</strong> guiding principles of <strong>Islam</strong>.” Corporate
social responsibility, he argues, is about much
more than charity. “It is not just about giving
money to <strong>the</strong> community. It is about being a
responsible citizen in terms of <strong>the</strong> environment,
business ethics <strong>and</strong> community development.”
Economic <strong>and</strong> social development is emerging
as a more important issue at <strong>the</strong> intersection of
<strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Muslim world. Economic issues
are appearing more often on agendas of interfaith
events <strong>and</strong> – perhaps to a lesser extent – cultural
<strong>and</strong> religious issues have moved onto <strong>the</strong> agenda
of ga<strong>the</strong>rings of business <strong>and</strong> development
leaders. In Barcelona in 2004, for example, <strong>the</strong>
Parliament of World Religions featured
discussions of debt <strong>and</strong> water. Its plans for <strong>the</strong>
next meeting in 2009 in Melbourne, Australia
envisage a much greater focus on economic <strong>and</strong>
social development issues. Preparatory events
are already underway focusing on specific regions
<strong>and</strong> communities, including parts of <strong>the</strong> Muslim
world. Religions for Peace, aninterfaithinitiative
with Muslim participation, is involved in global
advocacy for <strong>the</strong> Millennium Development Goals.
At <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r end of <strong>the</strong> spectrum, <strong>the</strong> annual
<strong>and</strong> regional meetings of <strong>the</strong> World Economic
Forum, Financial Times <strong>and</strong> Oxford Analytica
ga<strong>the</strong>rings, <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r venues for debate <strong>and</strong>
discussion about <strong>the</strong> future of <strong>the</strong> world economy,
have recently given more prominence to relations
among cultures <strong>and</strong> religions <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> social forces
that promote both stability <strong>and</strong> improvements in
welfare.
Business <strong>and</strong> economic leaders can certainly
contribute more to Muslim-<strong>West</strong> dialogue.
Cultural <strong>and</strong> religious leaders, for <strong>the</strong>ir part, can
do more to engage economic <strong>and</strong> social issues
in a constructive way. Both groups have a
shared stake in sustainable economic growth
<strong>and</strong> opportunity that can meet human needs in
both <strong>the</strong> developed <strong>and</strong> developing worlds.
As this chapter has made clear, <strong>the</strong> obstacles
are significant. Economic inequality between <strong>the</strong>
<strong>West</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Muslim world does not offer a level
playing field for dialogue <strong>and</strong> collaboration.
Mistrust abounds on all sides. Corruption,
dictatorship <strong>and</strong> failed states do not provide <strong>the</strong>
necessary political foundation for sustained
economic growth, effective social services <strong>and</strong> a
just distribution of wealth. If dialogue <strong>and</strong>
collaboration in <strong>the</strong> area of economic <strong>and</strong> social
development has been less intensive than
around <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r Muslim-<strong>West</strong> issue areas
outlined in this report, <strong>the</strong> last several years have
seen important new departures.