مقاله سال ۲۰۱۶

Previousresearch on business and poverty alleviation has addressed the roles and responsibilities of corporations in society (Bies, Bartunek, Fort, & Zald, 2007; Fort & Schipani, 2004, 2007; Goodhand, 2001). We know less, however, about the possibilities and limits of business in addressing the needs of the poorest of the poor in situations where it is costly and risky for business to get involved. The World Bank, using calculations of purchasing power parity, first defined the poverty line in 1993 as households living on less than a dollar per day.

We seek to contribute to the literature on business and peace by exploring the following question: What are the roles, possibilities, and limits of large corporations in promoting sustainable peace in very poor communities? According to the United Nations, sustainable peace is marked by the absence not only of conflicts but also of violence in all forms. Violence is defined by the World Health Organization (2016) as: The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.

The definition of violence includes interpersonal violence at the family level (against oneself, children, partners, or the elderly) as well as within communities (acquaintance or stranger) and is divided into four modes: physical, sexual, psychological, and deprivation/negligence.