Óscar Camps (Pro-active Open Arms NGO) at ESADE Alumni's 10th Annual Workshop: "If we want to transform society, we have to start doing things differently"
“We have to save Europe’s dignity, respect human rights and meet our obligations under The Geneva Convention“, said Óscar Camps, founder and director of the Pro-active Open Arms NGO, during his talk at the ESADE Alumni’s 10th Annual Workshop, which was held in Madrid. Camps added that “If we really want to transform society in a responsible fashion and the environment in which we live, we have to start doing things differently.
Under the slogan "Talent and Values for Transforming the World", the Workshop’s theme was ESADE’s role in "training talented professionals and leaders so that they can make a bigger contribution to the world, as Joaquín Uriach, President of ESADE Alumni put it. He went on to add "We want to convey a message of hope: a better world is possible. To achieve this, he stressed that "We have to open our arms and to support one another and act.
The entrepreneur Oscar Campos recounted his experiences on the Island of Lesbos, where he witnessed the humanitarian impact of thousands of refugees seeking international protection. Since September 2015, the NGO Pro-active Open Arms has helped over 130,723 people who landed on the island and over 8,805 people along the cliffs, 810 plucked from the waves, and 8,192 adrift on the sea. "The conditions facing would-be migrants on Europe´s borders are appalling and life-threatening", noted Camps. He added that "There is a thriving industry in refugees" and that consequently "we must stop looking the other way". Camps stressed that we need "to act with determination to defend human rights and life".
Ignasi Carreras, Director of ESADE´s Social Innovation Institute, said that "The world will only change socially when there are many more people who are willing to do what they can to improve things."He stressed that "changing things involves deep understanding and acting responsibly rather than taking advantage of circumstances". Here, both Camps and Carreras explained how one can begin making the world a better place by becoming aware of the problem and by acting responsibly. "Unbridled consumption spawns misery for others in the world", noted Camps, concluding that "We need to bear in mind where what we buy comes from". "We must be aware of how our deeds and decisions affect others", he went on. Ignasi Carreras said that "Small deeds and decisions can help the market change if they are carried out in an organised manner".
Companies and responsible leaders
"There can be no responsible companies if there are no responsible leaders and these in turn require responsible people", stated the Director of ESADE´s Institute for Social innovation and professor of ESADE´s Department of Management and Strategy. The business world has made great strides over the last few years and "The crisis has made companies more responsible. This has only been possible because leaders have acted in the common interest and have understood that there is a link between social responsibility and a company´s competitiveness". Carreras underlined that in order to transform society, "We need to involve all kinds of players". Here, companies need to grasp that its stakeholders are not confined to its shareholders but also include its workers, the environment and society as a whole".
"Water begins to boil from the bottom", said Carreras. Hence, he said, "one needs to make companies socially responsible" and to have leaders who think about the future, who are transparent and accountable". Above all, "these leaders need to be able to anticipate world trends, identify the opportunities these changes bring, and who can link profits with the creation of social and environmental value".
Francisco Longo, ESADE´s Deputy Director General, and Xavier Sánchez, Director of ESADE Alumni also attended the 10th ESADE Alumni Workshop.
