Presentation used at the #2012waic Conference - Ghent, Belgium

2. BAWB – Brazil
How contagion of positive stories
reshapes the role of business in society
"
• Introduction to “BAWB” and the World Inquiry
"
• Scaling UP -- Story of BAWB - Brasil"
• Dialogues on Generative Moments and Contagion of
Stories
"
• Plenary Sharing
"
• Summary of Key Learnings "

3. Business As Agents World Benefit!
• Began in February 2002 at Case Western Reserve
University"
– Soon after the events of September 11, 2001 and"
– In response to a concern discussed at the first international
AI Conference held in 2001."
– Example of Affirmative Topic Choice!"
– Based on the Constructionist Principle: In order to Change
something, start by changing the conversations about it."

4. “In today’s trust-starved climate, our market-driven system is under attack…
large parts of the population feel that business has become detached from
society-that business interests are no longer aligned with societal interests”
Klaus Schwab, President of the World Economic Forum

5. A Different Voice…!
“Business, the motor of our society, has the
opportunity to be the new creative force on the
planet, a force which could contribute to the well-
being of many…the modern corporation is as
adaptable an organizational form as has ever been
invented, so that in a time of fundamental change
it may be expected to be on the cutting edge.”
! ! !
! ! ! !Willis Harmon
! ! ! !Stanford Research Inst.!

6. “Every single social
and global issue we
face is a business
opportunity in
disguise.”!
!
Peter Drucker!

7. It is NOW time to lift people’s
vision and provide a larger
sense of purpose for the whole
field of management – business
is a matter of world affairs.!
- Powerful letter from the UN!
- BAWB Center!
- 2nd call from the UN – this time
we are ready!!

8. The UN Global Compact!
!
“Let us choose to unite the
power of markets with the
strengths of universal
ideals…let us choose to
reconcile the creative
forces of private
entrepreneurship with the
needs of the disadvantaged
and the requirements of
future generations”
!
! ! !--Kofi Annan!
!!

9. The purpose of the BAWB World Inquiry is to
discover, amplify and promote extraordinary
business and society innovations that:
!- revolutionize the way the world
! ! ! !eradicates poverty
!- restore the biosphere !
!- build stronger communities
!- shape sustainable peace!

10. Center for BAWB
Case Weatherhead School of Management Cleveland (Ohio)
• The World Inquiry into business as an agent of world
benefit is a worldwide action-research initiative that
uses Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to learn more about
the role of business in society. The best of the
discovered innovations are profiled in the Innovation
Bank.
• By showcasing the best in business-in-society
innovations, The World Inquiry sparks conversations
about the role and potential of business to act as an
agent of world benefit.
• 2500 Stories; 240 Profiles; Worldwide
• http://worldinquiry.case.edu/
Peter B. Lewis Building at Case University

11. Our Questions!
• How differently will the world's environment and the quality of life
of its people appear to you when business serves as an agent of
community and world benefit?"
• How can companies create a healthy environment and healthy
profit margins through use of the means and tools of
Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship? How to be Great by
Doing Good?"
• The World Inquiry invites answers to these questions. It is our
belief that the sharing of stories of mutual benefit will promote
new thinking, conversations, connections, and learning that will
lead the world toward a healthy, peaceful, and sustainable
future."

12. BAWB – Brazil
!
• In Brazil, it became a process and a platform for finding
and sharing outstanding business practices that have
worked as agents for positive transformation."
• Challenge: It had to represent our culture – people like
to relate to one another face to face."
• Brazil BAWB Conferences:"
– Started in 2003 and since then participants and innovators
gather every year in different regions of the country. "
– It is an opportunity for information exchange on how business
can operate on social and environmental projects at the same
time they generate profits."

13. BAWB
Conferences
Sponsors:
CNI: National
Confederation of
Industries
Federation of
Industries of the
State of Parana
IPD – Institute for
Development
Promotion
FIEC – Federation of
Industries of the
State of Ceará"
"

14. BAWB Brazil – Conferences!
Objectives:"
"
q Stimulate new thinking about the role of business in society and to disseminate
"successful examples of such initiatives; "
q Leverage innovative collaborations amongst initiatives, institutions, and
"people; "
q To find inspiring stories – in the country – of companies, generating financial
"results while promoting sustainable development in communities, regions and
"the country."
Audience:!
q Leaders (community, government, and specially business), educators,
"consultants, academia, media. "

15. !
Outcomes
q Dissemination of successful stories of business acting for the
good of the whole; "
q Strong adhesion of partners and supporters"
q High number of participants (600-850 people)"
q Increased quality of the stories every year (14 in 2003, 15 in
2004, 54 in 2005 and 43 in 2006)"
q Scope and impact of the National Movement – realized in 4 of
the 5 regions in Brazil"
q Increase of interest by Brazilian business leaders towards the
BAWB Movement, such as full commitment of the
Confederation of Industries"
q On-going schedule of Conferences"

16. 1st International BAWB Conference - 2003
Topic : “Leadership for Life and Sustainable Prosperity”
!
Venue: Curitiba/PR"
When: October 23rd "
Audience: 560 people"
Number of Stories: 14"
Initiative: FIEP, ELOS, Instituto de Pesquisa Aplicada – Ethos "
Sponsors: O Boticário, RPC – Rede Paranaense de "
" " " Comunicação, Nutrimental, Gerdau, Itaipu Binacional,"
" " " COPEL e SANEPAR, entre outras."
Highlight: Programas da Itaipu Binacional, O Boticário, O Pacto de "
" " Cooperação do Ceará, Pormade, entre outros."

17. BAWB Brasil 2004
2nd BAWB International Conference – 2004!
Theme : “Alliances for Prosperity and World Benefit”
"
Venue: Curitiba/PR"
When: November 25 to 26th, 2004"
Audience: 600 people"
Number of Stories: 11 "
Initiative: FIEP, IPD - Instituto Paraná Desenvolvimento."
Sponsors: Itaipu Binacional, RPC - Rede Paranaense de"
" " " Comunicação, Nutrimental, Trombini, ELOS,"
" " " ABRH-NACIONAL."
Highlights: Programa Construindo e Educando (Indústrias "
" " Votorantim em parceria com Rotary Internacional, "
" " Senai e Sinduscom) e COPEL. "

18. 3rd BAWB International Conference 2005 !
Theme: “Business Developing Regions, Nations, and the Globe”
!
Venue: Curitiba/PR"
When: 06th to 07th of October, 2005"
Audience: 850 people"
Number of Stories: 54 (Associations and Cooperatives, Local Productive
Arrangements, regional developmental Agencies, Business and Non Profit
organizations)."
Initiative: CNI – Conselho Nacional da Indústria, FIEP e IPD."
Sponsors: Odebrecht, Fundação Itaú Social, Itaipu Binacional, Clear "
Channel, Banco do Brasil, CEF, Coca-Cola, RPC and IPD, amongst others."
Highlights: Orsa programs for education, Itaipu Binacional, Odebrecht, "
" WEG, Coca-Cola, Fundação Avina e outras."

19. 4th BAWB International Conference 2006!
Theme: “Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Development”
!
Venue: Fortaleza/CE"
When: August 30th to September 1st 2006"
Audience: 550 people"
Number of Stories: 44"
Organizers: FIEC and CNI"
Initiative: Sesi, Sebrae, Fireso"
Sponsors: Governo do Ceará, Banco do Nordeste, Petrobrás, Caixa, FIEP e Avina"
Highlights: Associações e Cooperativas, Arranjos Produtivos Locais, Agências de"
" Desenvolvimento Regional, Empresas e Organizações do Terceiro "
" Setor."

20. 5th BAWB International Conference 2007!
Theme: “Connecting Regions Towards Sustainability”
"
Venue: Vitória – ES"
When: September 27th to 28th"
Audience: 700 people"
Number of Stories: 44 initiatives "
Organizers: FINDES e SESI"
Initiative: CNI e Sistema FINDES, Sistema FIEMG, Sistema
FIEP, Sistema FIESP, Sistema FIRJAM "
Sponsors: Companhia Vale do Rio Doce e FINDES"
Highlights: Empresas industriais da Região Sudeste do Brasil"

21. Interview One Year Later
!
• Generation of New Partnerships:"
– Partnering with institutions, suppliers and customers beginning of a great chain of
solidarity for sustainability."
– Opportunity to think together about all experieeces based on the tripod of sustainability"
• Positive exchange of inspiring stories!
– Positive exchange of energy that enables impr ovements in the current initiatives and
increase the motivation to create new ones"
– Dissemination of good practices through the exercise of social "Telling our
story”"
• Impact on Business !
– Impact on business growth"
– Improve image of the organization: Increased number of calls for projects "
– Leadership awareness – Exchange experiences with other like minded
business leaders with the same purpose"

22.
SANTANA'S TEXTILE BRAZIL
“After partaking of BAWB we initiated a study for the social actions
of Santana Textiles Brazil to collaborate more effectively and "
sustainably with our suppliers, customers, community and
environment.”"
Impact on Business:!
• Improved Relationships with suppliers, customers and the
community."
• Potential for new business opportunity as a result of the
improved relationship with key stakeholders."

23.
JBR ENGENHARIA – PE
Construction Business
The BAWB gave us an important learning opportunity. The exchange
of positive energy made possible to improve our projects and "
encouraged us to do more and improve our social practices –
everything becomes possible through the exercise of "telling our
story.”
"
New Projects:!
• Support for the management team of the Public School Dom Carlos
Coelho"
New Partners after BAWB: !
• CREA / PE, Caixa Economica, ADC Lawyers, Diaconia, NGOs Fish Art,
Growing Up Hill, Federal University of Pernambuco, FIEPE"
Impact on Business:!
• The project became one of the main business of JBR"

24. Appreciative Inquiry Promoted
Generative Encounters !
• Our suspicions are that three phenomena happened
as a result of the BAWB Conferences in Brazil: "
1. The participants were contagious by the positive stories
they shared and heard, and as a result:"
1. They discovered an urge to initiate more interactions to help their
ideas and insights from the conferences to come to fruition. "
2. They saw the possibility that their “doing good” projects could in fact
become a new business itself!"
• They felt eager to act and capable of acting "

25. Round Table Dialogue!
• Generative Dialogue:"
– It is a designed interaction or engagement to:"
1. generate truly new ideas that challenge the status quo; and"
2. to stimulate within the parties a desire or energy to want to work on
those ideas together. "
• Think of a time when you engaged in such a way that you
discovered an urge or energy to initiate more interaction to help
your ideas come to fruition. "
– Describe your feelings…"
– What did you do to engage others in the implementation of the idea? "
– What helped you to put that energy into the service of action?"
– As a busy person, what did you have to let go of – or how did you -
make “space” for these new actions?"
"
""

26. For more information, access these links:

27. Contact!
Ilma Barros, Ph.D."
ilma.barros@terra.com.br!
Ronald Fry, Ph.D."
ronald.fry@case.edu"
!