Burma Briefing No. 33
‘Trade, development, and the smokescreen of CSR’ is a commentary by David Baulk.
As states across the world have embraced the idea that markets can work for the poor, CSR has become a crucial part of a discourse which sees the primary function of government as creating an enabling environment for business. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that the present ‘transition’ of Burma – a nation of untapped consumer markets, abundant natural resources, and a comparatively cheap labour force – has CSR at its heart.
David Baulk holds an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, with a focus on the political economy of Burma’s transition. He currently works for a women’s rights organisation in Tamil Nadu, India.