George Washington's Institute For Corporate Responsibility And World Bank Institute To Co-Sponsor Online Global Conference

From March 23 to May 22, the World Bank Institute (WBI) and the Institute for Corporate Responsibility (ICR) will present a nine-week, worldwide e-discussion that will feature international experts and video presentations on how to promote peace through business-led initiatives.

Corporate executives, entrepreneurs, peace activists, thought-leaders, students, and others from across the globe will connect through a weekly e-conference to explore contributions that responsible businesses and economic developers can make toward building peace. They will discuss how ethical business practices can foster peace and advance understanding, investment and systemic change toward Peace Through Commerce.This open forum, co-hosted by ICR and WBI, will explore a new topic each week, from doing business in a conflict zone to current business practices and new research.

This online conference will feature a different topic each week:

March 23-27: The Role of Business in Advancing Peace Through Commerce

March 30-April 3: On the Ground - Current Practices of Involving Business

April 6-10: What It Will Take to Manifest Peace Through Commerce

April 13-17: New Research on Development, Freedom and Peace

April 20-24: New Research on Corporate Risk in Conflict Zones

April 27-May 1: Key Issues in Doing Business in Conflict Zones

May 4-8: Partnership Approaches to Involving Business

May 11-15: A Perspective from the Tourism Industry

May 18-22: Where We Go From Here

The World Bank Group is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. The WBI is one of the Bank's main instruments for developing individual, organizational, and institutional capacity through the exchange of knowledge among those countries.

Peace Through Commerce®is an integrated outreach, education, and engagement program which illuminates the contribution that commerce, trade, and economic development make toward building sustainable peace.

ICR was established at GW in 2006 with a mission of fostering research, education, and outreach on the topic of corporate responsibility. ICR houses four overlapping program areas: Business Integrity; Peace; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Governance; and Global Stakeholder Strategies.

To register visit http://businessfightspoverty.ning.com/page/the-peace-through-commerce or contact Ellen Yui (301) 270-8571 or ellenyui@ yuico.com.