Symbolic Forms of Remedy for Corporate Human Rights Impacts. A Field Exploration in Colombia’s post- Peace Agreement Context.
Type
fundamental research project
Start Date
May 1, 2018
End Date
October 1, 2019
Status
completed
Keywords
Symbolic Reparations
Human Rights Remedy
Business and Human Rights
Colombia
Peace Building
Transitional justice
Description
Besides the fact that the Business and Human Rights debate is one of the most fast growing and thrilling debates in recent times within the field of corporate responsibility, the topic of corporate remedy for human rights transgressions has received scant attention from both practitioners and scholars.
Generally speaking, the perspective adopted in discussions connecting to remedy is one centered on mitigating and preventing impacts. Furthermore, when harm occurred and reparations are due, the response is typically framed in legal and materialistic terms (e.g.: retribution, restitution, reparation, compensation).
This project aims at liberating the remedy discussion from this straightjacket and broaden its scope. It vindicates the importance of morally sound reparations in the wake of corporate transgressions. To this effect we explore the engagement of corporations in symbolic reparations (e.g. apologies, memorials, commemorations, historical memory, etc.) as a way to provide, in conjunction with traditional material reparations, a more comprehensive and morally rich approach to corporate reparations.
In this regard, and in partnership with the Centro Regional de Empresas y Emprendimiento Responsable (CREER), we explore the use of symbolic reparations and their potential impact for victims and corporations in the post-peace agreement context of Colombia. Our report reviews three different cases of corporate involvement in symbolic reparations explored through our joint field research in Colombia. The report discusses a number of factors that limited and contributed to such engagement, and presents recommendations for governmental institutions, corporations and civil society organizations.
The report largely benefited from the insights discussed in the conference that CREER and IWE, with the generous support of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, organized in Bogotá (Colombia) on April 29th 2019.
The project received the One Year Research Merger Grant granted by the Leading House for the Latin American Region supported by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Generally speaking, the perspective adopted in discussions connecting to remedy is one centered on mitigating and preventing impacts. Furthermore, when harm occurred and reparations are due, the response is typically framed in legal and materialistic terms (e.g.: retribution, restitution, reparation, compensation).
This project aims at liberating the remedy discussion from this straightjacket and broaden its scope. It vindicates the importance of morally sound reparations in the wake of corporate transgressions. To this effect we explore the engagement of corporations in symbolic reparations (e.g. apologies, memorials, commemorations, historical memory, etc.) as a way to provide, in conjunction with traditional material reparations, a more comprehensive and morally rich approach to corporate reparations.
In this regard, and in partnership with the Centro Regional de Empresas y Emprendimiento Responsable (CREER), we explore the use of symbolic reparations and their potential impact for victims and corporations in the post-peace agreement context of Colombia. Our report reviews three different cases of corporate involvement in symbolic reparations explored through our joint field research in Colombia. The report discusses a number of factors that limited and contributed to such engagement, and presents recommendations for governmental institutions, corporations and civil society organizations.
The report largely benefited from the insights discussed in the conference that CREER and IWE, with the generous support of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, organized in Bogotá (Colombia) on April 29th 2019.
The project received the One Year Research Merger Grant granted by the Leading House for the Latin American Region supported by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Leader contributor(s)
Partner(s)
CREER - Centro de Empresas y Emprendimientos Responsables (Colombia)
Funder
Range
HSG + other universities + partners
Range (De)
HSG + andere Unis + Partner
Eprints ID
247834