Diversity, Rights and Social Responsibility

Dear Friends, As our wonderful Canadian summer draws to a close, our attention now turns to the many activities which make up the autumn agenda. Sometimes it is difficult to pick and choose among competing events yet our choices often reflect our priorities. I am pleased with my “picks” for the next few months because they mirror many issues which concern me at the moment.

First, I am deeply honoured to “kick off” the fall season with an induction into the Honour Society of the University of Ottawa’s Common Law faculty. There is no doubt that my legal training has helped immeasurably as I have moved through careers in both the private and public sectors.

In October, I will lead a Women’s Executive Network discussion about decision making and responsibilitieson board diversity. I urge you to look at their website http://www.boarddiversity.ca for more information. I will also be moderating a session on Ethics with the Office of the Commissioner for Integrity and with students from both law and business faculties.

Later in the month, I will head to New York for the inaugural speaking series for the Business and Human Rights Center at Rockefeller University. http://www.business-humanrights.org The first speaker will be Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and former UN Commissioner for human rights.

November will find me immersed in the growing discussion about corporate and community social responsibility with a terrific conference at Algonquin College in Ottawa. I will be chairing the international panel of CSR and I promise it will be challenging and thought provoking.

Throughout the fall, I will also be working hard with my Telfer colleague, Dr. Barb Orser, to promote our task force on women and enterprise. We will be organizing round tables across the country and deepening our reach into government and public policy networks in order to spotlight the talents of many ofCanada’s female entrepeneurs.

Along the way, I hope to do some writing and will post articles on this site.

With my very best wishes for a happy and healthy fall.

Penny

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