SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE SOCIETY – how to become digital and green?
The conclusions and proceedings of abstracts of the joint IRDO conferences, which took place virtually on 10 and 11 June 2021, were published.
(Maribor, 30 June 2021) Today, the IRDO Institute published the conclusions and proceedings of two conferences, which it organized together with the University of Maribor and other partners as a joint IRDO conference on SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE SOCIETY 2021. The conferences took place on 10 and 11 June 2021 online. These two conferences were the 16th IRDO International Scientific Conference SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CHALLENGES OF 2021: Challenges and Opportunities of Digitization for a Sustainable Future – June 10, 2021, and the First National Professional and Business Conference IRDO and Citizens’ Initiatives for Integral Green Slovenia: Challenges and Opportunities for the sustainable development of Slovenia in the European context – 11 June 2021.
This year, more than 80 authors from ten countries (Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Poland, the United Kingdom, India, Israel, Spain) participated in the joint IRDO conference with almost 40 papers. To date, more than a thousand authors from around the world have participated in the previous 15 IRDO scientific conferences. Proceedings of past conferences can be found here: https://www.irdo.si/en/irdo-conference/, and this year’s proceedings are available here: https://www.irdo.si/irdo2021/index.html.
The chairman of the program committee of the conference Prof. Dr., Dr. Matjaž Mulej said: “According to known data, this is the first joint conference in the world to talk about a socially responsible society, and the 16th international conference on social responsibility, for the first time in two parts. It is related to over 20 books by IRDO members and “Introduction to the Political Economy of a Socially Responsible Society” (Mulej, Merhar, Žakelj and co-authors, 2019, in Slovene), the first about it in the world. More at www.irdo.si. Last year we published two books on social responsibility in education and two on social responsibility in corporate governance (in England). “
In the international part of the conference (June 10, 2021), the focus was on the dilemma of what opportunities and threats are to a sustainable future (which is part of global concerns and solutions aimed at a socially responsible society) digitization, as well as suggestions on how to manage them. Methodologically, solutions are supported by cybernetic treatment of big data and systems theory (especially dialectical systems theory, and viable systems model), technologies, treating socio-political processes as market-based, disguising data as little as possible, and by regional development that is based on fostering innovation (that can also be measured by the HORUS Social Responsibility Award guidelines) to reduce disparities between urban and rural areas as well as between social and market organizations, and inside them. The socially responsible behavior is promoted in an organized manner by cooperating educators, practitioners, and politicians, including training of authorized coworkers for it, including the use of digital networks and teaching methods, such as those collected in the online platform Sustainicum Collection, and in various school practices, which have influenced students through digitization partly developmentally and partly inhibitory; such is the impact of advertising on people as well as accounting, too.
The editors of the proceedings for the 1st day of the conference are: Prof. Dr. Igor Perko and M.S. Anita Hrast.
In the Slovenian part of the conference on 11 June 2021, the authors presented many good experiences with which Slovenia can be an example to the whole of Europe. It offers the Integral Green Path to a sustainable Europe. The head of the 2nd day of the conference, Dr. Darja Piciga from the Citizens’ Initiative Integral Green Slovenia summed it up as follows: “In order to implement the ambitious 2030 Agenda and operationalize the European Union’s guidelines for the next decade, we need equally ambitious and integrally designed, trans-disciplinary and trans-sectoral approaches and programs for sustainable development. The Citizens’ Initiative for Integral Green Slovenia and the Trans4m Center used the Integral Worlds approach, which represents such a conceptual framework and process with the integrated and dynamic involvement of the center and four dimensions or worlds, in developing Slovenia’s integrated national model in the European Union context and explaining practical examples of sustainable development (book Integral Green Slovenia). Articles (14 in total) for the “Integral Green Path to a Sustainable Europe”, which represents an original Slovenian contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe, with development designs, innovations and practical examples from Slovenia, show and explain the integral green vision of Europe and the path to its realization ” (from kindergarten, high school, higher education to electricity-independent buildings and vehicles as well as the new use of mushrooms and sustainable agriculture, modern management of organizations and areas / cities and measurement to prevent the looming environmental catastrophe.
The IRDO Institute for the Development of Social Responsibility organized this conference together with the University of Maribor, the Slovenian Society for Systems Research (SdSr) and the Citizens’ Initiative Integral Green Slovenia. Other supporting partners are: World Organization of Systems and Cybernetics (WOSC), University of Maribor, Slovenian Society for Systems Research (SdSr), Citizens’ Initiative Integral Green Slovenia, International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences (IASCYS), Pau, France, European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Salzburg, Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (BCSSS), International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR), Center of Risk & Crises Management (CRC), Vienna, Austria, COPERNICUS Alliance – European Network on Higher Education for Sustainable Development, CSR Europe, Belgium, Danube University Krems, Austria, Slovenian Association for Quality and Excellence, Styrian Chamber of Commerce, Slovenian Employers’ Association, Manager Association, Slovenian Social Responsibility Network, Association Academy for Social Responsibility, Foundation Gallus. The co-financiers of the conference were the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth, and COPERNICUS Alliance – European Network on Higher Education for Sustainable Development. The sponsors of the conference were Medis-M, Prohit, Energetika Maribor, Prosperia d. o. o., Oil Factory GEA d.o.o. and Nova KBM d. d.. The clipping partner was Press Clipping d.o.o..
The conclusions of the conference can be found here: https://www.irdo.si/en/irdo-conference/
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