(Photo from the University of Michigan)

Not a ton of time to post here today, so here's a roundup of CSR news of the past week or two.

*A Norwegian pension fund has thrown down the gauntlet to the mining industry, and any other business that causes havoc to communities and the environment.

*From CSRWire, the Grameen Foundation and Global Partnerships, two leading microfinance organizations, have joined forces to help expand financial services to the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean.

*Transparency International urges crackdowns on corruption as an important part of corporate social responsibility.

*Pioneer Services has received a Stevie Award for the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program recently at the Fourth Annual American Business Awards.

*Scotland seen as taking the lead in CSR in the UK.

*Critical comment at Sustainablog and Green Kitty recently on an article at the Utne Reader called The New Capitalists, and another critical of the CSR movement, Behind the Mask.

*At Talent Imitates, Genius Steals an idea on "sponsorship" instead of corporate social responsibility in order to help both the environment and a company's brand. Here they give the example of the great barrier reef and Disney, possibly sponsoring the reef as part of its branding of "Nemo." Intereting concept, and explained much better over there.

*Want the dirt on your favorite corporate evildoers? Check in at BadCorp.

*Boycotting of Starbucks because they have a concession stand at the Guantanamo navel base? Find out more over at Eric Byrne.

*Marks & Spencer, one of the UK's leading retailers of clothing, food, home and beauty products, has released its 2006 CSR report.

*Simply giving is not enough. Hush money? Treatment of employees trumps philanthropy when it comes to perceptions of best CSR practices.

*Along a similar line, at the Ethical Corporation Magazine, "The Hyundai scandal: Saying sorry is not the same as taking responsibility" ...

*Social responsibility is not a warm, fuzzy fad says Business Edge.

*Ivan Osorio attempts to unravel the CSR rhetorical knot over at Town Hall.

*In London on June 29th, the International Business Ethics Institute (IBEI) and Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) will offer a one-day seminar to assist companies in globalising their ethics and compliance programmes. You'd think it would come with more than the 'light lunch' at that cost.