KAURI is the Belgian multi-actor learning network and knowledge centre on Corporate Responsibility (Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance & Corporate Citizenship) and NGO Accountability.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - Maatschappelijk Verantwoord Ondernemen (MVO) / La Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises (RSE) - has become an important issue in the Belgian and in the international business community. It’s a way of doing business that accounts for the stakeholders’ interests.
KAURI sees civil society organisations (non-governmental organisations, NGOs) as important corporate stakeholders.
KAURI enables the stakeholder dialogue and promotes proactive stakeholder engagement between companies and NGOs.
KAURI vzw/asbl was founded in 1997. The name derives from a shell that for many years was used in Africa as a means of payment.
KAURI was the first organisation in Belgium that called attention to the North-South divide in the scope of (international) sustainable business. Sustainable business, in turn, fits within the broader conceptual framework of sustainable development. According to KAURI, this responsibility should be shared between governments, NGOs and companies. But also media, trade unions, (academic) research centers and consumers can play a very important role.
KAURI is an organisation with -at the moment 222- members both from the corporate world and from NGOs. Their common goal is to use their specific knowledge (and contacts) to establish local & global sustainable (trade) relationships.
That is why KAURI brings together business people and NGO-managers with the aim of informing them and sensitising them to sustainable business, to correct mutual preconceptions and to discuss important sustainable development issues, such as human rights, socially responsible investing, certification schemes, climate change, corporate governance, development cooperation, intercultural management, corporate citizenship, fair trade, sustainability reporting, social economy, NGO accountability, business ethics, microfinance, etc.
KAURI provides the members with information on all aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility and NGO Accountability (originating from local, regional, Belgian, European or worldwide CSR-initiatives and platforms) if it’s relevant to use in a Belgian context.
KAURI organises different kinds of activities. There are KAURI Expert Meetings and KAURI Workshops (thematic multi-stakeholder learning sessions), KAURI Open Dialogues (debating evenings that are open to anyone who is interested), Company Visits and the annual KAURI Speed-dating (networking event) and KAURI Marketplace (information exchange with KAURI-stakeholders).
KAURI puts into practice the stakeholder dialogue and stimulates concrete joint actions between the members from a ‘glocalising’ perspective within a Belgian-European context. Both companies (micro entrepreneurs, SMEs, large companies and MNEs) and NGOs (not-for-profit-organisations) with an important presence in Belgium can join KAURI.
The yearly membership fee of companies or NGOs depend on the number of employees.