I was promoted to inspector and returned with my family to Sydney. When terrorism arrived on our doorstep with the Bali bombings in 2002, I was deployed as part of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team. The work of the Australians in Bali cemented our important regional role in disaster response in Asia–Pacific.
Just over two years later, while on a family holiday at the beach on the south coast of New South Wales, I watched the 6 pm news lead with the tsunami that had just struck South-East Asia. Within days I returned to my DVI work, this time on a much larger scale, in Thailand. In what remains to this day the world's largest identification attempt undertaken following a disaster, 5395 bodies were recovered. I spent several months in Thailand, leading both the international and national teams in the disaster response. We faced unprecedented challenges that required unique solutions and strong leadership. I worked alongside some amazing people and had the opportunity to meet many individuals, both Thais and foreign visitors, who had lost family members.
But it was meeting the children who had lost their parents that would really change things for me. It was August, some eight months on from the tsunami, and there were 32 of them living in a tent, which was the only home they had. I couldn't change what had happened, but I felt it was within my power to change what happened next in their lives. This was the birth of the charity Hands Across the Water.
During the final two years of my career with NSW Police I worked on a counter-terrorism project with Interpol in Lyon, France, and with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in South-East Asia.
I began raising money for Hands through paid speaking engagements, during which I talked about leadership. Pursuing the corporate speaking circuit and holding down a full-time job, while at the same time trying to build the charity, proved to be unsustainable over the longer term. I knew I could no longer do justice to all three and had to make a decision. At the end of 2008 I resigned from the police force after 22 years, putting my faith in my ability to draw an income from my speaking and my new consulting practice.
I have been fortunate enough to travel the globe speaking to audiences of all sizes, from all industries, and meeting some amazing people along the way. The more I spoke, the more Hands grew; as Hands grew, so did my corporate speaking, and I was able to turn what I learned into a successful consultancy.
Hands has grown to cover all points of the compass in Thailand. Several hundred children have found sanctuary in the seven centres we run across the country. At one centre we were able to halt the alarming mortality rate among children with HIV-related illnesses. Thirteen of our children from the tsunami home are now at university.
One of our major sources of income, our sponsored bike rides, now sell out in a matter of hours, and a high percentage of riders return year on year based on the strength of their experience. And I get to lead corporate bike rides in Thailand, which has prompted me to wonder whether I can now describe myself as a professional cyclist when filling out my customs form on the journey home.
These days travel, both domestic and international, is something I do every week. I absolutely love it and feel incredibly fortunate. When I'm not travelling, home for CT, my very patient, loving and supportive partner, and me is the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
In 2011 Pan Macmillan published my autobiography, Hands Across the Water: the children of the tsunami, and one man's crusade to make a difference, which is now in its fourth printing and continues to sell well. Then last year I was approached by the team at Wiley: would I be interested in writing on the concept of corporate social responsibility? It took some time for me to warm to the idea, but as I sat and planned what the book might cover I became increasingly enthusiastic about the opportunity to share my own experiences and especially those of others who are, in my opinion, doing corporate social responsibility well. What excites me most about this book is that I can see tangible benefits flowing both to business and, importantly, to the charity sector from the initiatives outlined here. As you'll see, it really is a case of doing good by doing good.
If you would like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected] or visit www.peterbaines.com.au.
Part of the proceeds of the sale of this book will go to Hands Across the Water. For more information on Hands, please visit www.handsacrossthewater.org.au .
Introduction
Clarity comes with action
If we do nothing, then nothing will change.
The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu (604–531 BC) famously said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Certainly not as enduring, but with a similar meaning, I often say that clarity comes with action. The more you do, the clearer your thinking will become. When you start something quite new you don't have all the answers – you don't even know what all the questions will be – but with action comes clarity.
Shared value
A large part of this book is devoted to the concept and worth of creating shared value. Shared value is economic value created by addressing the needs and challenges of the community. In effect, it's a company putting their resources into a community or social need and by addressing that need bringing value back to the company. The value may be in a new, previously untapped market; it may be in securing raw materials from local suppliers, ensuring continuity of supply; or it may be demand-led innovation that forces change to their product.
Shared value is economic value created by addressing the needs and challenges of the community.
The obstacles to creating an integrated shared value model within a business will be tied to the change that is required. There may be significant investment in change to manufacture and certainly there will be risk, with returns not immediately forthcoming. Investment in research to identify the opportunities within the marketplace will reduce the risk, but the resources required to conduct such research may be beyond the means of all but the larger corporates.
There are lessons for all of us in the concept of shared value, even if it is not a fit for those just looking to bring a level of giving into their businesses. The overarching theme is that we should be doing good by doing good. This book looks at how to maximise the giving to create a return. When there is a return that can be measured there will be greater enthusiasm for the giving. If we can identify and articulate those returns that are positive for the business, we are likely to give more and become more sophisticated in our giving.
In the chapters that follow we will look at the following questions:
• What are the benefits to business of getting involved in community problems?
• If you're going to get involved, how do you select your partners?
• What are the options around getting involved, and how much involvement do you really want?
• Why does the concept of shared value make sense?
• How do you make your investment in the charity sector a profit centre?
• Why is it in everyone's interest that you're doing good by doing good?
Who should read this book?
I think there are five main groups of people who are going to take the most value out of reading this book:
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