It would be a challenge for participants at an upcoming Jesuit forum to reconcile two apparently opposing views on sustainable development, says the dean of a Jesuit school in Manila.

In developed countries, it is about protecting the environment but in developing countries, it is about alleviating poverty, says Rodolfo Ang, Dean of Ateneo de Manila University’s John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM).

Ang is leading preparations for the 16th World Forum of the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools to be held at the Ateneo de Manila University from July 18-21.

Forty delegates from Jesuit-run business schools in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas are expected to attend the event, which will focus on Educating Champions of Sustainable Development.

Ang discusses the challenges in working toward such development in this interview.

Q: What has been the progress in the movement since “sustainable development” was conceptualized in the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro?

A: Sustainable development has been gaining more and more attention from governments, private organizations and individuals. Yet more needs to be done with regard to promoting sustainable development.

When you talk about sustainable development, there are two things to keep in mind. In developed countries, it is about protecting the environment but in developing countries, it is about alleviating poverty.

It is a challenge for the delegates at the 16th World Forum of the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools to reconcile these two points.

It is important for both developed and developing countries to see the importance and intersection of poverty alleviation and environment protection.

It is also important for both sides to address both issues since these are interconnected.

For instance, an American scientist may say, “Let’s protect the forests.” On the other hand, developing countries will say “we have nothing to eat anymore.”

Q: What are the challenges in working toward sustainable development?

A: At least in the last five to six years, when it comes to the environment as a sustainable development issue, there has been growing concern and awareness among many people. It’s not so much due to education as to the role of media.

In terms of poverty alleviation, business development has been touted as a way of promoting sustainable development.

Traditionally, business has been seen as an enemy of sustainable development. It used to be that when one wants to serve the poor, he has to turn his back on everything he had learned in school.

However it’s not so anymore. One new way of promoting poverty alleviation is the concept of social entrepreneurship which uses “innovative” business models in addressing important socio-economic issues.

However, many are still finding new models of social entrepreneurship which are sustainable. One such model which has been accepted is the “triple bottom line” approach. The three “bottom lines” are profitability of the enterprise, potential benefits to the environment, as well as to the community.

However the challenge is that many social entrepreneurs in the Philippines, and I can say all over the world, are still struggling to meet all three bottom lines. They may have met two of the three but not the bottom line on profit.

Q: What is the role of Jesuit business schools in promoting sustainable development?

A: In promoting sustainable development, the schools have two major roles to play. One is to educate their students thoroughly so that when they graduate, they can go out into the world and lead in its transformation.

However, educators have asked: How do you make sure the students really lead in such efforts? What have our alumni been doing? In this regard, the universities play another role and that is to initiate efforts themselves.

For example, Santa Clara University in the United States has the Global Social Benefit Incubator Program designed to train individuals in diverse fields such as economics, development and education.

India-based institutions of the Jesuits, as well as those based in Latin America and Taiwan have their own social entrepreneurship programs.

Other departments in the Ateneo de Manila have promoted environment protection.

With the John Gokongwei School of Management [JGSOM], we are nearer now to our goal compared to five years ago. For instance, 30 percent of all business students in JGSOM choose to take up social entrepreneurship.

Many social enterprises have been made by Ateneo graduates, such as Hapinoy microfinance enterprise and Rags2Riches

However, not all graduates live out the spirit of social entrepreneurship for the long term. Some students in effect say, “OK, I created the business plan, you implement it.”

Ateneo, in general, trains its students not only as “men for others” but “professionals for others.”

It’s not anymore simply [for the professionals] to go to the poor and teach them. Instead of having to turn back on what professionals learned in school, we use the skills of the graduates to help the poor.

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