Myanmar Fellowship Day 5

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On the final day, Fellows spent the morning discussing next steps for the Fellowship, including the setting up of an Alumni Network to ensure that the peer learning platform provided by the Fellowship continues to stay alive. Country leads and a 'Class Chairman' were appointed. They also shared ideas on how best to present their key learning outcomes at the ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit in Sept 2017, which will mark the conclusion of the inaugural batch of Fellows.

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Another workshop was held on Sustainability Reporting, tackling 3 key questions: Why do businesses report? What should they report on? And what distinguishes an outstanding report from the rest? Fellows also compared sustainability reports based on GRI standards, and shared their analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of each report.

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For the final session, Fellows took part in a 'crony mapping' exercise which highlighted the harsh reality in ASEAN that business and political circles too often overlap. Fellows split into their respective countries, mapping out power relations within well-known families in their own country, and analysing where the risks of corruption lie. They also discussed potential solutions to cronyism, including the adoption of international standards on transparency and public procurement.

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The ASEAN CSR Fellowship in Myanmar concluded successfully with a closing dinner hosted by the Joint Secretary General of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), Daw Khine Khine Nwe at Karaweik Palace, where Fellows were treated to traditional Burmese cultural dances and local cuisine.

The Fellowship will resume from 4-8 September 2017, with the last training module held in Manila in conjunction with the ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit.