Rita Afonso

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro | UFRJ ·  Departamento de Administração

The ESRC-DFID Choices project explored how the buying power of the individual and the state can be used as a lever for sustainable development. The project explored what Chileans and Brazilian understand by “ethical consumption” and what criteria they want their state to use when making buying decisions in their name. An interdisciplinary academic team based in 3 countries (UK, Chile, Brazil) collaborated with 3 campaign NGOs (one in each country). 16 focus groups and large-scale surveys in each country showed that while the term “ethical consumption” was not used, many Chileans and Brazilians claim to be using environmental and social criteria as well as price when making their individual shopping decisions. Further, there was strong support for the notion that the state should be using not just economic, but also social and environmental criteria when buying goods and services in the name of taxpayers. Criteria most endorsed in Chile were “energy efficiency”, “environmentally friendly (certified)” and “decent labour conditions (certified)”. In Brazil, the most endorsed criteria were “no animal cruelty”, “energy efficiency” and “environmentally friendly (certified)”). The project has been invited to support efforts at UN level to develop standards which will ensure that there can be fair competition for public tenders not just on price, but also on social and environmental criteria. More and more countries are using such criteria, creating a market shift towards sustainable development.

http://www.lasin-eu.org/ Funded by the European Commission, LASIN aims to implement a new model for University - Socioeconomic engagement, based on a combination of curricular and extra-curricular activities; learning materials and tools; practical training; mentoring; and the development of specific support units that are dedicated to strengthening the Universities’ links with the wider social environment. The project will result in a new paradigm for knowledge transfer within universities, supporting the concept of social innovation as key to social development and cohesion at both a regional and international level. The project involves a consortium of thirteen partners, including eleven universities, with Glasgow Caledonian University coordinating as the lead partner. The project’s activities will be based within four Latin American regions – Mercosur (based in Chile), Comunidad Andina (based in Colombia), Brazil and Central America (based in Panama). Over the course of three years, the partners will design a clear methodology and a series of curricular and extracurricular activities within the participating institutions in order to promote and support social innovation. Through specialised social innovation support units, the universities will develop sustainable initiatives and actions that will contribute to directly to social cohesion, equality and socioeconomic development in each region. As a result, the universities will be able to make a real contribution to their communities through the exploitation of tacit and codified knowledge, as well as their virtual and physical spaces, networks and experience. As such, although the project will directly involve the academic community, the staff and students of the universities involved, it aims to have a far greater reach - impacting upon the lives of individuals; the activities of community organisations; indigenous, youth and women’s groups; local authorities; NGOs; SMEs; and many others.

crear una plataforma que soporta el turismo comunitario en la region de Puno, Perú.