It is time for an up-date on Network developments. Over the fall term, two tasks have been the focus of Network activity

1. CBERN WEBSITE LAUNCH -- DECEMBER 5, 2006

For several months a dedicated team has been working at building a CBERN website. On December 5, the website was officially launched as part of a public lecture on the evolution of the teaching of business ethics at the Schulich School of Business, 1992-2006.

You can access the website using one of two Domain Names:
www.businessethicscanada.ca or www.CBERN.ca

In fact, the website is still under construction and we need your help. Please visit the website and look to see what information you think should be added under any of the categories you find there. In particular, if you are not listed under "Research/People" as someone working in the field of "Business Ethics", please fill out the form attached here and send it to Mary Amati ASAP. Please browse all the categories and let us know what should be added.

The website will be continuously up-dated. So information about events (conferences, public meetings, workshops, panels, etc.) will be welcome. The idea is to let people know what is happening across Canada in the field of business ethics.

Remember too that we are defining business ethics very broadly to include CSR, corporate citizenship, triple bottom line reporting, sustainability and so on.

2. A CBERN/SSHRC Strategic Knowledge Cluster Grant Application

On November 20, a CBERN application for SSHRC funding for our network was submitted. This application was in response to a competition that will result in seven year funding of up to $2.1 million for up to seven network clusters. Preparing the grant application, while building the website, required a major commitment of time and energy. With the help of a number of people, the proposal did come together and was submitted by the deadline.

The application included commitments in principle to contribute financially to the Network on the part of Export Development Canada (EDC) and Talisman. It also involved a financial commitment for 2007 for $25,000 on the part of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). The NWMO contribution ensures that we have the funds required to continue to build on the foundation already in place.

The substantive elements of the application are now posted on the website.

Participation in the Network is open to any individual, private, public or voluntary sector organization, firm or corporation. Participants in the application in the form of co-investigators, collaborators, or partners were chosen with a view to ensuring that the network was broadly representative of geographical regions, economic sectors and academic disciplines. Applicant participants will provide leadership and, in some cases, financial support. However, the network is designed to support the work of anyone or any group working in the field of business ethics in Canada.

Grant application participants also include a small coterie of international scholars. The goal here is to ensure that our Canadian network is firmly linked to international networks. The result should be a higher international profile for business ethics research and related activity in Canada.

One of the elements of our SSHRC grant application is a proposal for an annual business ethics conference and Network AGM to be held in alternating years in conjunction with the Humanities and Social Science Congress and the Administrative Studies Association of Canada (ASAC) annual meeting. The first annual conference will be held in conjunction with ASAC whose annual meeting this year will be held in Ottawa, June 2 to 5. Our conference will follow the ASAC meetings.

First Annual CBERN Conference
June 6 & 7, 2007
Ottawa, Ontario

Further information about the conference will be circulated in the New Year. Finally planning for the conference will await the SSHRC announcement of funding which is expected in late March.

Please circulate information about the Canadian Business Ethics Research Network to anyone you think would be interested. Do also fill out the form attached above so that we can list you on the website with information about your interest in business ethics.

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.

Wesley Cragg
CBERN Project Director