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Book Forum

The Case for Business in Developing Economies

(Penguin Books, 2010)

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Date and Time
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Location
1st floor/Wintergarden
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Featuring
Featuring the author Ann Bernstein, Founding Director, Centre for Development and Enterprise (Johannesburg, South Africa); with comments by Clive Crook, Senior Editor, The Atlantic, and commentator, Financial Times; moderated by Ian Vásquez, Director, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute.

Business is regularly portrayed in public discourse as morally deficient and prone to despoil the environment, undermine democracy, and stunt development. Ann Bernstein will explain why such ill-founded views, prevalent in rich countries, are especially harmful to the world’s poor. She will criticize misguided campaigns to transform the way business behaves — such as the corporate social responsibility movement — and the acquiescence of business in those efforts. Instead the author calls on business leaders to stand up for themselves; vigorously promote market economics; and defend the role of companies as the powerful instruments of progress, innovation, and development that they are. Clive Crook will comment on the book and on the current climate of the debate.