NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights

The NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights is an academic research and advocacy organization at the New York University Stern School of Business founded in March 2013. It is the first center to focus on human rights as an integral part of business education.[1]

The Center is directed by Michael Posner, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and board chair of the Fair Labor Association[2] and Paul M. Barrett, deputy director of the Center, and a former editor and reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and The Wall Street Journal.[3][4]

The Center is a member of the Global Business School Network, an organization of more than 100 business schools in 50 countries, dedicated to investing in and fostering business leadership in the developing world.[5] The network is preparing to publish a curriculum toolkit for business schools to teach human rights as a core part of business education.

Background

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The mission of the center is “to challenge and empower companies and future business leaders to make practical progress on human rights.”[6]

The Center conducts academic research and offers courses covering business and human rights topics to undergraduate and MBA students.[7] It also conducts policy advocacy aimed at changing business practices to be more respectful of human rights.[8]

Since 2017, the Center has focused on academic research and reporting around issues of technology and democracy, including online disinformation, social media content moderation policies, and Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act.[9] This initiative is led by Paul M. Barrett, deputy director of the Center and a former reporter for Bloomberg News.[10]

Working with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and the Diverse Asset Managers Initiative, the Center convened in 2018 representatives from 13 of the largest college and university endowments in the United States to develop best practices to identify and hire diverse firms, owned by women and minorities to manage university funds.[11][12] In 2020, in a letter to the president of Harvard University, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Rep. Joe Kennedy III called for greater transparency and efforts by the university’s investment office to hire diverse asset managers.[13][14]

Research

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The Center conducts research across business sectors to examine how business practices influence human rights outcomes. The Center’s first major report “Business as Usual is Not an Option” was released in April 2014.[15][16] The report centered on the garment industry in Bangladesh and was launched on the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse.[17] Since then the Center conducted more studies of the readymade garment industry in Bangladesh. The Center’s research estimated more than 7,000 factories producing for the export textile market, roughly 2,000 more factories than had been previously estimated.[18] On the fifth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy, the Center reported on gaps in the steps taken by those two efforts and the government of Bangladesh, and advocated for “shared responsibility.”[19] The Center provided testimony at a hearing about the Bangladesh RMG industry at the European Parliament.[20] The Center also studied the garment industry in Ethiopia at Hawassa Industrial Park finding that the wages paid to workers there were among the lowest factory wages in the world.[21][22] Shortly after the Center’s research was released, Ethiopia created a commission to set a minimum wage.[23]

In March 2017, the Center’s Sarah Labowitz and Casey O’Connor released a report, “Putting the ‘S’ in ESG: Measuring Human Rights Performance for Investors,” which found major gaps in companies’ environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives.[24][25] The report recommended establishing clearer standards for socially responsible investing.[26]

The Center has studied the treatment of migrant workers in the construction industry in Persian Gulf region including practices like charging workers exorbitant recruitment fees, employers withholding workers’ passports, mandatory overtime and crowded dormitories.[27][28][29] This has been an ongoing human rights concern for construction projects such as 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and NYU’s portal campus New York University Abu Dhabi.[30]

Technology and democracy

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“Harmful Content: The Role of Internet Platform Companies in Fighting Terrorist Incitement and Politically Motivated Disinformation,” published in November 2017, called on social media companies to address the problem of disinformation and recommended enhancing company governance, refining algorithms, and introducing more “friction” to users’ experiences.[31][32] The Center published three reports on online disinformation and its impact on American society and elections: "Combating Russian Disinformation," in July 2018,[33][34] "Tackling Domestic Disinformation," in March 2019[35][36] and "Disinformation and the 2020 Election," in September 2019.[37][38] In June 2020, the Center published “Who Moderates the Social Media Giants? A Call to End Outsourcing.”[39][40]

In September 2020, the Center published “Regulating Social Media: The Fight Over Section 230 — and Beyond”,[41] which identifies problems with Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—the law that regulates social media content moderation in the U.S.—and makes recommendations for amending the law. Namely, the report calls on Congress to keep Section 230 in place, while amending it to make its liability protection contingent on greater transparency and reporting from social media firms. It also recommends establishing a new federal agency to oversee and enforce Section 230 as amended.[42][43][44]

In February 2021, the Center published “False Accusation: The Unfounded Claim that Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives,”[45] which found that major social media platforms do not systemically suppress conservatives users’ voices online. On the contrary, it found that conservative users often gain from online platforms’ algorithmic content amplification schemes.[46][47][48]

In September 2021, the Center published “Fueling the Fire: How Social Media Intensifies U.S. Political Polarization—And What Can Be Done About It,” which found that major social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube drive partisan political polarization in the United States.[49] It recommends that the social media companies, the Biden administration, and the U.S. Congress take several steps to reverse online-driven polarization.[50][51][52]

Advocacy

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The Center seeks to increase respect for human rights in different sectors by participating in public debates[53] and convening meetings and events.[54][55]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Elizabeth Rowe (2013-07-26). "NYU's Michael Posner: Bringing Human Rights to B-School - Bloomberg Business". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  2. ^ "MICHAEL POSNER NAMED CHAIR OF FAIR LABOR ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS". Fair Labor Association. Fair Labor Association. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Team". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  4. ^ "Paul Barrett Former Bloomberg Businessweek Columnist". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  5. ^ "Network". Global Business School Network. Global Business School Network. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  6. ^ "The NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights Joins GNI". Global Network Initiative. 2014-09-25. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  7. ^ "Stern Center Brings Human Rights into Business Education - Poets & Quants for Undergrads Poets & Quants for Undergrads". Poetsandquantsforundergrads.com. 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  8. ^ Bradshaw, Della (2013-07-14). "Stern centre aims to show there is good business in human rights". FT.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  9. ^ "Technology". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. New York University. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Team". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. New York University. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  11. ^ McCauley, Kerin. "The Role of Universities in Addressing Racial and Gender Equity in the Asset Management Industry". Intentional Endowments Network. Intentional Endowments Network. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  12. ^ McCauley, Kerin (August 18, 2020). "Advancing Equity in the Investment Sector". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Letter" (PDF). Harvard Management Company. Harvard University. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Letter" (PDF). Harvard Management Co. Harvard University. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Report: A Year After Bangladesh Disaster, Retailers Fail To Address Biggest Factory Risks". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  16. ^ Sarah Butler (24 April 2014). "Bangladesh garment workers still vulnerable a year after Rana Plaza | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  17. ^ "Disney and Other Big Brands Need to Address the Real Challenges to Outsourcing". The New York Times. 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  18. ^ "Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  19. ^ Russell, Michelle (April 19, 2018). "On the fifth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy, the Center reported on gaps in the steps taken by those two efforts and the government of Bangladesh, and advocated for "shared responsibility."". Just-Style. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  20. ^ Posner, Michael (February 11, 2020). "How To Move Bangladesh Factory Safety Forward". Forbes. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  21. ^ Barrett, Paul; Baumann-Pauly, Dorothee. "Made in Ethiopia: Challenges in the Garment Industry's New Frontier". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  22. ^ AP (May 7, 2019). "Report: Ethiopia's garment workers are world's lowest paid". CNBC.
  23. ^ Astatike, Dawit (May 13, 2019). "Commission to set national minimum wage". Capital. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  24. ^ O’Connor, Casey; Labowitz-Pauly, Sarah. "Putting the 'S' in ESG: Measuring Human Rights Performance for Investors". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  25. ^ Alina, Dizik (June 24, 2019). "The Difficulty of Measuring a Company's Social Impact". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  26. ^ Frazer, Steven (June 20, 2019). "The ultimate guide to ESG investing". Shares magazine. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  27. ^ Batrawy, Aya (April 16, 2017). "Study: Arab Gulf migrants abused". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The Associated Press. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  28. ^ Segall, David; Labowitz, Sarah. "Making Workers Pay" (PDF). NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  29. ^ Malo, Sebastien (April 11, 2017). "Millions of migrant Gulf workers forced to pay for right to work: report". Reuters. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  30. ^ Kaminer, Ariel; O’Driscoll, Sean (May 18, 2014). "Workers at N.Y.U.'s Abu Dhabi Site Faced Harsh Conditions". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  31. ^ "Harmful Content: The Role of Internet Platform Companies in Fighting Terrorist Incitement and Politically Motivated Disinformation". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  32. ^ Grigonis, Hillary K. (February 19, 2018). "Governments are stepping in to regulate social media, but there may be a better way". DigitalTrends. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  33. ^ Barrett, Paul; Wadhwa, Tara; Baumann-Pauly, Dorothee. ""Combating Russian Disinformation," dealing with Russian disinformation campaigns;". Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  34. ^ Barrett, Paul (March 14, 2019). "The Disinformation Problem Starts at Home". Wired. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  35. ^ Barrett, Paul. "Tackling Domestic Disinformation;". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  36. ^ Barrett, Paul (March 14, 2019). "The Disinformation Problem Starts at Home". Wired. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  37. ^ Barrett, Paul. "Disinformation and the 2020 Election". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  38. ^ Silverstein, Jason (September 3, 2019). "Instagram could be biggest target for disinformation in 2020 election". CBS News. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  39. ^ Zakrzewski, Kat (June 8, 2020). "The Technology 202: NYU report calls social media titans to stop outsourcing content moderation". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  40. ^ Barrett, Paul. "Who Moderates the Social Media Giants". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  41. ^ "Research Highlights | Regulating Social Media: The Fight Over Section 230 — and Beyond - NYU Stern". www.stern.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  42. ^ Newton, Casey (2020-09-09). "Trump's latest attack on Section 230 is really about censoring speech". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  43. ^ Alexandra S. Levine. "The tech world's full plate in September". POLITICO. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  44. ^ "Why the most controversial US internet law is worth saving". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  45. ^ "Tech - Bias Report 2021". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  46. ^ Alexandra S. Levine. "Deep-dive refutes allegations of anti-GOP social media bias". POLITICO. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  47. ^ "Claim of anti-conservative bias by social media firms is baseless, report finds". the Guardian. 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  48. ^ "Analysis | The Technology 202: New report calls conservative claims of social media censorship 'a form of disinformation'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  49. ^ "Polarization Report". NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  50. ^ "Paul Barrett on Report on Social Media and Political Polarization | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  51. ^ "The anatomy of social media's mad-making machine". money.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  52. ^ Oliveira, Alexandra (2021-09-13). "How social media fuels U.S. political polarization — what to do about it". TheHill. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
  53. ^ "Universities Can Put Their Economic Clout to Good Use - The Chronicle of Higher Education". Chronicle.com. 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  54. ^ "Doing Business in Bangladesh". The New York Times. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  55. ^ "Events —". Christinebader.com. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
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40°43′44″N 73°59′47″W / 40.728989°N 73.996430°W / 40.728989; -73.996430

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