Key Factor Stakeholder Engagement: Enhancing Positive Impacts on Human Rights in Tourism _______________________________________________________ This event took place on 27th November 2023 at Bread for the World offices in Berlin, Germany. Parts of the event were streamed online (see below). As we draw the curtains on this symposium, we want to express sincere gratitude for the active engagement, insightful contributions, and collaborative spirit throughout the day. The depth of our discussions, the diverse perspectives shared, and the practical insights gained underscore the collective commitment to advancing responsible and ethical practices regarding stakeholder engagement in tourism. We sincerely thank our sponsor Delinat for providing us with delicious organic wine for our networking hour. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Outline: In tourism, your stakeholders are the heart of your business and need to be consulted and engaged on a regular basis to ensure a responsible and high-quality product. Continuous dialogue with destination partners, obtaining supplier perspectives and stakeholder sensitization about their rights and possible human rights risks in the value chain are key for meaningful collaboration. If actively engaged and included in decisions and processes, stakeholders will be able and willing to support their tourism business partners to identify priority risk issues and find effective measures to mitigate, terminate and remedy these. This increases leverage for positive impact in the value chain. International regulations on human rights due diligence, such as the already enforced one in Germany or the proposed one at EU level, follow this logic of a risk-based approach and highlight the great relevance of engaging stakeholders. In an exchange-focused setting, the Roundtable Human Rights in Tourism will elaborate practical ideas on how meaningful stakeholder engagement can be enhanced and strategically anchored to achieve “beneficial” due diligence adhering to the new legal frameworks and discuss the value of empowering suppliers beyond compliance. Join us for a half-day interactive journey to get to the bottom of the following questions: What forms and methods of engaging with stakeholders exist to include their perspectives in business activities that aim to tackle human rights impacts? What approaches are needed to engage stakeholders in meaningful and safe ways? How can tourism businesses use stakeholder engagement to enhance positive impacts where heightened due diligence is needed, e.g., in politically challenged destinations? What does stakeholder engagement mean for tourism businesses in the context of human rights due diligence legislations? What are innovative ideas to create a relationship of trust and support to achieve transparency and alignment for mutual obligations on an operational level? PROGRAMME 1.45 - 1.55 pm CET | Statement on Stakeholder Engagement Judy Kepher-Gona, Senior Sustainability Advisor, STTA Kenya (recorded input) 1.55 - 2.00 pm CET | Welcome note Antje Monshausen, Roundtable Chairwoman, Head of the Economy and Sustainability Department at Bread for the World 2.oo - 2.50 pm CET | PANEL "Stakeholder Engagement - Done Right" Laura Steden, Director Corporate Responsibility, DER Touristik Group Laura Steden has 15 years of experience within the REWE Group where she worked in different capacities. In March 2022, she joined DER Touristik Group as Director Corporate Responsibility. Previously, she worked in Inhouse Consulting and as Head of Business Development at REWE Far East in Bangkok. Before joining DER Touristik, Laura was in charge of the sustainability department at REWE where she was responsible for the development and management of REWE’s sustainability strategy. Kathrin Schäfers, Trade unionist, Headquarter, IG Metall Kathrin Schäfers has been working for IG Metall in Frankfurt/Main as a political secretary in the Transnational Trade Union Policy department since 2015. Among other things, she is responsible for the International Network Initiative, which aims to intensify cross-border cooperation among workers along global value chains. She is also responsible for the world region of sub-Saharan Africa. Schäfers studied political science, sociology and business administration in Frankfurt am Main and Marburg. Jeny Pokharel, Founder, SASANE Sisterhood Trekking & Travels Pvt. Ltd. Sasane is a social company that trains female human trafficking survivors to become successful tour/trekking guides. Jeny works closely with Nepal Police and local Government level stakeholders to sensitize Government officials to coordinate a tourism business model that will develop and support rural communities in Nepal. Through her leadership, SASANE is fulfilling its mission of providing economic opportunities and sustainable reintegration of female trafficking survivors back into their communities successfully. Input - How to reach meaningful and effective stakeholder engagement EXPERT INPUT: How to reach meaningful and effective stakeholder engagement? 2.50 pm - 3.00 pm CET Input will be streamed online Speaker: Madeleine Koalick, Founder and Director, Sustainable Links Madeleine is one of the pioneers in the field of human rights due diligence in Germany. She is an experienced business consultant, trainer and facilitator, as well as author of many practical guides, tools and methodologies on embedding human rights due diligence in business. She focusses not only on the processes needed but also on the human component and supports the lasting transformation of thought and actions patterns through coaching, leadership development and stakeholder engagement approaches. Workshop: How to reach meaningful and effective stakeholder engagement? WORKSHOP: How to reach meaningful and effective stakeholder engagement? The workshop will tackle very practical and operational questions with regard to: What forms and methods of engaging with stakeholders exist to include their perspectives in business activities that aim to tackle human rights impacts? How can I use them as tour operator? What approaches are needed to engage stakeholders in meaningful and safe ways? What are innovative ideas to create a relationship of trust and support to achieve transparency and alignment for mutual obligations on an operational level? Where do I need to start and what support and tools do exist? Madeleine Koalick, Founder and Director, Sustainable Links Madeleine is one of the pioneers in the field of human rights due diligence in Germany. She is an experienced business consultant, trainer and facilitator, as well as author of many practical guides, tools and methodologies on embedding human rights due diligence in business. She focusses not only on the processes needed but also on the human component and supports the lasting transformation of thought and actions patterns through coaching, leadership development and stakeholder engagement approaches. Tatiana Kurancheva, Independent Expert Tatiana is an independent consultant in the field of business ethics and risk management. Through her work, she helps companies navigate challenging situations with expertise, make responsible decisions, and mitigate potential risks. Her expertise includes developing and implementing ethical due diligence in the corporate value chain and designing and delivering tailored training. The workshop aimed to share knowledge and discuss ideas with the expert facilitators and peers. They were conducted in two parts - "Learn& Reflect" and "Think & Exchange" with a 30-minute networking break in between. We will collect and bundle all contributions for further use and aim to initiate follow-up activities from the workshop results and discussions. Stay tuned. PreviousNext