Organization excellence / Leadership council
The Leadership Council is a top level forum for debating how business impacts the wider community. It oversees our Truth and Trust activities as well as our CSR activities. The Council is composed of top business and academic figures, who are appointed by the AmCham Board of Directors.
Truth & Trust: ASET - Adopt a School for Ethics in our Children and Trust in our Society
As a part of its Truth & Trust initiative AmCham in cooperation with the public service company Ethical Forum (www.etickavychova.cz) and the Ministry of Education (www.msmt.cz) launched the project ASET - Adopt a School for Ethics in our Children and Trust in our Society.
The AmCham competitiveness report pointed out that one of obstacles in the effective development of our economy is the high level of corruption. Transparency International Corruption Perception Index comes to the same conclusion. A survey of managers‘ opinions shows that „soft skills“, communication skills, empathy, presentation skills, are sadly lacking. Noone doubts that conditions for life and business in our country need to be cultivated.
We realize that trust acts as the engine of progress in society and propels economic and social development. We are also aware that the character of today‘s leaders was formed a long time ago in their childhood - at the elementary school level. It is therefore imperative that we instill character - forming values now in tomorrow’s leaders so that they may excel not only in impressive business results, but in their individual sense of moral responsibility to build a better society.
One way to provide long - term success in this mission is to introduce ethical education in Czech elementary schools. In September 2010, the Ministry of Education incorporated such a course into the framework of its education program.
As a joint initiative between the Czech Ministry of Education, the Ethical Forum and the American Chamber of Commerce, the “Adopt a School” project is designed to help build corporate social responsibility at its roots-in elementary schools - where adult character is shaped.
The program was launched in September 2012 by the Ministry of Education when it publishd the news on its website inviting the participation of all elementary schools interested in its implementation.
The Schools were asked to send brief motivational letters to be evaluated by the committee composed of representatives of the Ministry of Education, the American Chamber of Commerce and the Ethical Forum (Eticka Vychova). The schools should be linked to the appropriate company that, within this partnership, would help with financing teacher training, books for students and other non-financial activities.
The firms may themselves propose concrete schools they wish to support (ie. a school in their neighborhood or one attended by children of their employees)
The first company that joined the project and adopted the school was DuPont CZ - read more about it click here.
To read more information about ASET project and what steps are necessary to be taken to join it open the following links.
- General information about ASET in English
- General information about ASET in Czech
- Introduction of Ethical Forum, a public service company
- Scenario of the adoption process
- Overview of possible implementation activities
- Overview of possible partnership activities of schools and companies