10/2/09

The Climate Project Hosts First Ever Latin America Summit, Debuts New Online Presence

From TCP News

The Climate Project Hosts First Ever Latin America Summit, Debuts New Online Presence

Al Gore's non-profit continues to build international momentum with latest summit and website.

(Nashville, TN, September 28, 2009) – Former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore will train 300 people hailing from more the 21 Latin American countries including Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Brazil, Trinidad, and Columbia to become the first Climate Project (TCP) Presenters in the region.

The summit opened today in Mexico City and will run from September 28th – 30th. Mr. Gore, along with other international experts, will train people from all walks of life to talk to their networks, peers, and communities about the climate crisis. This summit also marks the establishment of TCP Mexico in association with Pronatura, a non-profit organization headquartered in Mexico City.

Latin America is an important next step for TCP. From Brazil's Amazon and Mexico's wetlands to the glaciers of the Andes and the coral reefs of the Caribbean – the urgency of climate education and awareness in Latin America is undeniable. “The citizens of this region need to be informed about climate change and engaged in the issue,” said TCP Executive Director Jenny Clad. “After the summit, the new TCP Presenters will return to their countries and communities ready to take on this challenge.”

TCP Latin American Presenters will become dynamic leaders in their region’s ongoing conversations about land use, energy policy, and emissions measures. They will be active participants in solving the climate crisis not just in their home country, but worldwide.

This event is the third TCP Summit held in just four months. Both the North American Summit in May and the Asia Pacific Summit in July played a major role in generating domestic and international momentum for TCP, which now has eight official branches: USA, Australia, Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, and now Mexico.

To help coordinate these efforts, TCP today unveiled a new website (www.theclimateproject.org) where citizens around the world can learn how to get involved in their region. The site identifies where TCP has volunteers internationally and provides a way to unify TCP’s growing movement.

If you'd like to host a TCP presentation in your community, please visit http://www.theclimateproject.org/presentation.php. If you're interested in requesting a presentation in Australia, Canada, India, Spain, or the UK, please visit these countries' websites, which can also be found at http://www.theclimateproject.org/presentation.php.

About The Climate Project

The Climate Project (TCP) is an international non-profit organization founded by Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. With its global headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, TCP’s mission is to increase public awareness of the climate crisis in the United States and abroad. TCP consists of a professional staff and more than 3,000 volunteers worldwide who have personally been trained by Gore to present a version of the slide show featured in the Academy Award-winning film An Inconvenient Truth. In February 2009, TCP expanded its mission with a new commitment to advocacy and activism to combat climate crisis.

9/25/09

Fulbright Grants help finance the work of the world´s leading cultural brokers

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided almost 300,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbright Prize

The J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding established in 1993 is awarded by the Fulbright Association to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions toward bringing peoples, cultures, or nations to greater understanding of others. Fulbright Prize laureates include:

* Nelson Mandela (1993)
* Jimmy Carter (1994)
* Franz Vranitzky (1995)
* Corazon Aquino (1996)
* Václav Havel (1997)
* Patricio Aylwin Azócar (1998)
* Mary Robinson (1999)
* Martti Ahtisaari (2000)
* Kofi Annan (2001)
* Sadako Ogata (2002)
* Fernando Henrique Cardoso (2003)
* Colin Powell (2004)
* Bill Clinton (2005)
* Desmond Tutu (2008)


Contact Athena Fulay, Program Officer - Outreach and Communication, afulay@cies.iie.org , 202.686.6242

Sources:

http://www.cies.org/about_fulb.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulbright_Program
http://www.cies.org/campus_reps/campus_table.htm

9/23/09

Survey from the International Society of Sustainability Professionals

From the desk of Michelle Hippler, International Society of Sustainability Professionals

¨Greetings!

We are preparing to set our Education Calendar for next year. Please tell us what four-week workshops you are likely to attend. We will base our choices on the results of this survey. The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete.

Take this survey now

Sincerely,


Michelle Hippler
International Society of Sustainability Professionals

9/22/09

An Urgent Message from Global Exchange Regarding the Situation in Honduras

Global Exchange is asking all U.S. citizens to act today to insist that the US State Department speak clearly, honestly, and urgently about the explosive situation in Honduras.

¨As you may have read, the crisis in Honduras moved to a new and more volatile stage yesterday with the clandestine return of President Manuel Zelaya to the capital, Tegucigalpa. Zelaya's successful repatriation came after two prior attempts failed. It took the de facto government -- that came to power as a result of the June 28th military coup -- by surprise, but was hailed by a crowd of thousands who quickly surrounded the Brazilian Embassy where Zelaya and his family have been granted sanctuary.

Early this morning (Tuesday Sept 22), riot police attacked the peacefully assembled Zelaya supporters gathered outside the embassy, violently dispersing them with tear gas, truncheons, and concussion grenades. Dozens of citizens were detained and several serious injuries were reported. At the time of writing, the de facto government has closed the country's airports and land borders.

Please call Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's office at 202-647-5291. Tell the State Department that the US must take forceful and immediate actions to stop the violence against citizens and civil society organizations and to negotiate a handover of power to the democratically elected leader, President Zelaya.

More State Department and Congressional Contact Information:
State Department Honduras Desk: Maria Gabriela Zambrano, 202-647-3482
Office of Central American Affairs: Director Christopher Webster, 202-647-4087
Contact the US State Department Switchboard: 202-647-4000

Find your Congressperson's Contact Info Here:
Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

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For more information about the immediate situation please see:
"Rally for Ousted Honduran is Dispered," The New York Times -- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/world/americas/23honduras.html?hp

For background analysis and information about US policy:
"Clinton, Speak Clearly Now to Avoid a Massacre in Honduras," The Americas Policy Program -- http://americasmexico.blogspot.com/2009/09/clinton-speak-clearly-now-to-avoid.html?utm_source=streamsend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=6247961&utm_campaign=Clinton%2C%20Speak%20Clearly%20Now%20to%20Avoid%20a%20Massacre%20in%20Honduras
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Thank you, as always, for your work on behalf of peace & justice,

Global Exchange

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5/7/09

Bigger Picture Conservation - Promoting Conservation through a Triple Bottom Line Methodology

by Kimberly Maria Newton-Klootwyk

I was pleased that even the Nature Conservancy is realizing that true sustainability and conservation must include a deep integration of the social and economic dynamics surrounding remaining forest areas and that conservation must allow for reasonable land use extraction practices by local stakeholders needing to feed their families in their homeland. People are not the enemy, but they are certainly the main factor damaging our shared ecosystems (oftentimes because of destructive extraction practices taught by U.S. and European transnationals during the first "Green Revolution"). People represent the Social Pillar and should not be shoved aside, displaced or otherwise ignored because that will only come back to haunt us in ways we cannot imagine - including mass environmental degradation.

Economic sustainability is also an important part of the equation, called the Economic Pillar of the Sustainability equation (People, Planet, Profits or Triple Bottom Line). The case of the Indonesian project where The Nature Conservancy participated in advancing peace by helping broker sustainable use of the forest by loggers and local villagers is a great example of the type of triple bottom line approach I and fellow Latin eco-warriors have been calling for for years (read "The Bigger Picture - Socially Responsible Conservation") I am convinced that only through "Bigger Picture Conservation" or "Triple Bottom Line Conservation" will we have true conservation over the long term, especially in "developing" areas of the world.

I have hope when I see the Nature Conservancy, known historically for displacing local communities, changing their course and adopting a triple bottom line approach to their conservation projects. They call it "pathbreaking" - I call it "finally!"

Local conservation and ecological organizations in Latin America have been using this socially integrated approach to conservation for decades and weaving the issue of peace with environmental sustainability (to us it is an obvious reality we live almost daily). Too bad Latin social justice workers and environmentalists have not been able to access the stakeholders that give the most funding for conservation - such as the U.S. environmentalist, thus their voices have been largely unheard.

This is in part why I felt the need to create Instituto Conexiones - I thought it would be good to create an organization that could serve as a cultural liaison and communications outlet in order to bring to the U.S. donor and sustainably minded investor the voices and ideas of the rainforest communities - local entrepreneurs and leaders tend to have realistic and culturally integrated ideas on how to go about 'saving the rainforest' in ways that help the society achieve economic growth and peace and justice too (Central Americans, like me, are particularly vested in the idea of maintaining and advancing peace and social justice due to witnessing the catastrophic environmental, economic and social impacts of revolution and war).

Sounds like others out there are starting to get to the decision makers at the Nature Conservancy and similar organizations - I'm so glad because now I feel there is a realistic chance at actually conserving our last remaining wild places and saving species from becoming extinct. And I have more hope than ever that the good intentions of foreign conservationists in Latin America and other developing countries will continue to be more aligned with social and economic on-the-ground realities, which means that there is real hope for many families to stay together, and indigenous and peasants the world over will suffer less from displacement and disenfranchisement. I have always recognized the U.S. Environmentalist as a key ally - so long as they listen and integrate the local voices in their methodology.

I hope to see more stories like this one on the conservation wires. Please send me any others you know about to add to this blog and our educational archives. We are looking to showcase positive case studies where foreign environmentalists and/or greenpreneurs merge and collaborate in an equitable and positive way with the local people and help support (rather than replace) existing local green initiatives.

5/5/09

Great Source of Information about Western Hemisphere Countries, Africa and Europe

Vanderbilt University has a wonderful resource posted online with questionnaires, tecnical information and publications about public opinion, society, international cooperation, and sustainable development of verious countries - especially Latin America.

To access the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), click here

New on LAPOP news feed:

- The Inter-American Dialogue, May 8th: Mitchell Seligson and Liz Zechmeister will present the results of the survey on democratic values and behaviors of over 40,000 respondents in the Americas in the event: Will a Bad Economy Hurt Democracy? Evidence from the AmericasBarometer Survey.

- The Americas Barometer Insights Series: I0814. Satisfacción ciudadana con servicios municipales. Por Daniel Montalvo

- Two LAPOP partner organizations named among the most influential "think tanks" in Latin America. Read The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program 2008

- "State of the Region" report released on Central America; uses AmericasBarometer data.

- "Deepening Our Understanding of the Effects of US Foreign Assistance on Democracy Building Final Report Foreign Assistance on Democracy Building Final Report "

4/24/09

Earth Day 2009 in D.C. Report

On April 21st and 22nd, Instituto Conexiones director, Kimberly Newton-Klootwyk, and Connections Consortium member, Amy Seidman, traveled to Washington D.C. to join the Sustainable Business Institute and members of Congress in awarding the Seal of Sustainability award to select U.S. companies who have shown a comitment to sustainable business practices. Companies that were honored with this award include Be Green Packaging, LLC, Gaia Hotels, The Allied Group and Puroast Coffee.

During this time in Washington D.C., representatives of Instituto Conexiones participated in a round table discussion at the Cannon building in Capitol Hill with sustainable business thought-leadres whereas Newton was able to express the position that U.S. companies with operations & partners overseas must uphold high social responsibility standards that include their marketing & competition practices in emerging markets.

She spoke with a congresswoman who is also a committee member of the Waxman Bill, regarding international standards and communicated the position that the actions of U.S. companies in international markets must be included, which she agreed and gave us directions on how to best send them our position.

The trip was a great success and allowed Instituto Conexiones to include the Latin American voice within the U.S. sustainable business movement.

4/17/09

Firmar y Circular Inmediatamente! Avancemos la globalización sustentable y equitativa!

Estimados amigos y colegas,

En celebración del Día de la Tierra 2009, el próximo 22 de abril, miembros del Congreso de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica harán entrega de los premios Seal of Sustainability, en una ceremonia promovida por el Sustainable Business Institute. Soy invitada al Capitolio como representante de la perspectiva Latinoamericana e internacional. Llevaré una carta (abajo) con firmas para apoyar la posición que presentaré a miembros del congreso y otros tomadores de decisiones.

Se espera que el 'Seal of Sustainability' se convierta en el más alto estándar de distinción para empresas y organizaciones comprometidas con la sustentabilidad. Este Sello ofrece a los consumidores elementos para decidir a qué empresas apoyar, sabiendo que así contribuyen a restaurar los sistemas naturales y a establecer practicas empresariales equitativas y justas.

Te invitamos a copiar la carta a un correo, firmarla y reenviarla a tus contactos, colaboradores, etc. siempre con copia a info@connectionsinstitute.net para poder recopilar todas las firmas.

Gracias,

Kimberly Maria Newton-Klootwyk
Directora
Instituto Conexiones

www.connectionsinstitute.net
blog: www.institutoconexiones.org

***************

Abril 22, 2009

Honorables miembros del Congreso de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica:

Como miembros de diferentes organizaciones, empresas y grupos de la Sociedad Civil Organizada de Latinoamérica, estamos conscientes de la importancia que tiene el debate sobre los estándares para los premios “Sello de Sustentabilidad”. Sabemos que este momento, en el que se definen los parámetros de operación de las empresas del país líder de negocios en el mundo, es el idóneo para cambiar de rumbo hacia un mundo justo, congruente, solidario y verdaderamente sustentable.

Para salvaguardar la integridad social y la diversidad biológica de sus países socios, es fundamental que las operaciones internacionales de las empresas de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica se guíen y sean evaluadas con los mismos estándares que rigen las operaciones en su territorio nacional.

Nuestra comunidad de organizaciones, empresas y sociedad civil organizada de Latinoamérica pide que el Congreso de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica, así como los autores y evaluadores de los parámetros para los premios “Sello de Sustentabilidad”, incluyan en su análisis el impacto que las compañías de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica tienen en los ciudadanos y territorios de los países donde operan, tomando en consideración también la huella ecológica y social de su estrategia de comercio en mercados internacionales asi como el de la cadena productiva de todas las operaciones.

Los consumidores norteamericanos están esperando esta certificación por parte de su Congreso como una garantía de que las empresas que porten ese sello operan bajo estándares que cumplen o exceden los estándares de sustentabilidad, y consideran también las externalidades en lo ambiental, social y económico. Por ello, este sello debe garantizar la operación tanto doméstica como internacional de las empresas que lo porten.

Los firmantes hablamos principalmente por América Latina, pero estamos ciertos de que cualquier otro país que tenga tratos comerciales con empresas estadounidenses estará en sincronía con este planteamiento. Por lo tanto, individuos u organizaciones que representan poblaciones impactadas en otras partes del mundo o que son impactados por las acciones de empresas estadounidenses también firman esta carta e identifican su lugar de procedencia en paréntesis después de su firma.

Gracias por su atención a esta posición – una posición que tenemos la certeza, tendrá repercusiones positivas al estar el tema íntimamente relacionado con la migración transnacional masiva de obreros, el calentamiento global, y con el clima socio-político de países en vías de desarrollo o economías emergentes que tienen convenios de libre comercio con los Estados Unidos.

En solidaridad con esta posición firmamos:

(tu nombre, afiliación y país)

3/13/09

Instituto Conexiones Invited to Attend Earth Day Celebrations on Capitol Hill with Sustainable Business Leaders - A Call for Sponsors!

During Earth Day 2009 (4.22.09) the U.S. Capitol will be buzzing green all over. And during this historic year, corporate responsibility and sustainability awareness is at an all time high. Therefore, leading up to Earth Day and beyond, Congress will be closely listening to presentations regarding the Seal of Sustainability™ to learn about the subject of sustainable business guidelines.

On Earth Day itself, even more attention will be given to this issue than on any other day. Congress will be recognizing sustainable companies during a special Seal of Sustainability Awards Ceremony, which will take place in the U.S. Capitol. In addition, as part of the federal government’s Earth Day events, the Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) will be briefing the U.S. Congress, as they do each year, regarding their advances in the area of sustainable business practices and guidelines.

The Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) has provided Instituto Conexiones the opportunity to add the international perspective to the sustainable business conversation happening in the chambers and halls of the U.S. Capitol on this upcoming historic day.

SBI is most likely the oldest sustainable business organization in the United States and the world. U.S. government leaders and CEO's of the largest corporations in the world turn to SBI for thought-leadership and applied best practices in the area of triple bottom line sustainable business practices. Working with the Pollution Prevention Roundtable (P2) as their third party review committee, they have created standards and guidelines known as the 'Seal of Sustainability' - a Seal that the U.S. government is looking at utilizing as they standardize their sustainable business "certification" - an optional certification businesses will be able to receive.

Where Instituto Conexiones fits into the conversation is through education related to making sure that the Seal of Sustainability standards, as it is adopted by the U.S. government, include rigorous evaluation of the overseas operations of companies receiving any seal or certificate identifying them as being a “sustainable business.”

We know that what U.S. companies do affect the rest of the world and the U.S. is looked to as a business leader. This is a great opportunity for the U.S. to think globally while acting locally and lead the world towards a truly sustainable future. We feel a critical component to true sustainability is making sure ethical and sustainable business practices include considerations of the impact U.S. business activities have on non-U.S. citizens and on ecosystems outside of U.S. territory.

U.S. Consumers will be looking for this "seal" when making their conscious purchases and we believe they will want to know that a logo certifying a product or company as "sustainable" means that those companies are meeting or exceeding sustainable business practices in all three pillars - environment, economic and social sustainability, when operating in other countries.

We have accepted the invitation extended to us by the Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) to join their delegation briefing the U.S. Congress next month. We recognize that this is a critical moment to bring the "international perspective" into the conversation as U.S. government and corporate leadership debate and decide on the new sustainable business standards.

We obviously speak for Latin America more than any other part of the world, but all countries doing business with U.S. based companies and investment groups will be affected by this, so we ask for your support so we can go to the Capitol in DC on Earth Day and advocate for the "International Perspective on Sustainability!”

All individuals reading this, and especially those who represent relevant stakeholder groups are encouraged to send in your opinion letters so we may include them in our position statement and educational materials. We have also posted a poll question on our blog - take a moment to voice your opinion!

We must raise $2,500 to pay for airline tickets, lodging for two nights and creation of special related educational/marketing materials.

Every dollar counts.

Pledge your support today by emailing us at: contact@connectionsinstitute.net or simply donate through the Pay Pal button on our blog: www.institutoconexiones.org.

Sponsors can join the Instituto Conexiones delegation and will have logo placement on our marketing and educational materials. Monetary contributions are best, but pro-bono printing, airline tickets, graphic design, hotel rooms, etc. gladly welcomed.

Thanks!


Kimberly Newton de Klootwyk
Principal
Instituto Conexiones

2/24/09

Five features of great socially responsible leadership

From: Mallen Baker

Ethical leaders go against the industry grain, like Andrew Witty of GlaxoSmithKline. The new chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, Andrew Witty, startled commentators, campaigners, and probably a few shareholders, with his announcement that the company would slash the cost of many of its drugs to people that need them in developing countries.

It was a perfect example of the difference that leadership can make. It raises the question – what counts as great leadership in socially responsible business?

There is a wider list to be produced on that topic, but I wanted to highlight here five key thoughts in the light of the GSK and other recent examples. And we always have the sharp contrast of poor leadership we have seen in the last few months of the financial crisis.

Five things that count as great leadership in socially responsible businesses are:

More....

2/14/09

Institute for Cultural Awareness (ICA) Hosts Return of the Ancestors Gathering in Northern Arizona

By Kimberly Newton, President of Instituto Conexiones

The folks of Institute for Cultural Awareness have been working for years to bring awareness about the teachings and knowledge of the elder wisdom keepers from around the planet, among other things.

We encourage all who read this post to learn more about their upcoming Return of the Ancestors Event in Northern Arizona (April 18-28th) and to consider attending or/and supporting this historic event. Elders and wisdom keepers from around the world will be coming together to share their stories and pray for the sustainable future of our shared planet and peaceful co-existence among its people. This multi-cultural gathering is part of the fulfillment of the ancient prophesy regarding the time when the Eagle and the Condor would unite. The Eagle is the symbol for the North and the Condor is the symbol for the South.

Watch the video here

Click here for a downloadable brochure

Instituto Conexiones is involved with and supports this project as we share in the mission to bring together the Eagle and the Condor in an equitable and peaceful way - We owe Institute for Cultural Awareness a great deal for their support of our work through the years and in return, we support their work whenever possible - hosting elders when they come to the Bay Area, providing free translations of materials, and volunteering as interpreters. They are on our list of philanthropic organizations to give donations to as part of our annual give-away.

We wish them the best of luck with their upcoming event!

2/7/09

Attention International Executives and Globally Minded Philanthropists - Cross-Cultural Relations Help is Here!

Instituto Conexiones now provides Cross-Cultural Relations Services to U.S. American visionaries carrying out projects in Latin America - special focus on Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Bolivia.

If you are part of a U.S. team carrying out a business idea (or philanthropic vision) in Latin America, you need more than just a cursory knowledge of the dynamics of intercultural relations between yourself and the local Latin American people you work with, serve, sell to, or have an impact on in some way.

We believe that in order for you to succeed - to have true longevity in your vision - you need someone on your team who has local contacts, who has a deep level of understanding between your culture and the culture of the place where you are doing your business (or carrying out your social enterprise or philanthropic project) and who can engage the local people to subscribe to your project to help you achieve your goals.

Our years of combined research and experience and our multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary approach provide us with a unique perspective on best practices related to helping foreigners enter the Latin American world in a truly sustainable way.

Our unique approach includes helping your vision self-reflect on its social and ecological sustainability and coming up with a triple bottom line approach to your venture. Business executives worldwide now know that being socially and ecologically responsible does not have to come at the expense of doing good financially. Actually, businesses and social enterprises that invest in social and ecological responsibility will do better over the long term than their non-responsible counterparts. The costs related to conflict mitigation, public relations band aids, increased security, climate change, sabotage repair, etc. are extremely high. Doing the right thing is good business sense and is the foundation through which you will have success, local support, and staying power, especially in Latin America.

This relates to nonprofit, international cooperation and public sector projects too - having good intentions does not automatically translate into having a positive impact, gaining local support, or having a good public relations reputation. Nonprofits also need to understand how their actions are being perceived and the impact they are having because this lack of knowledge could be working against their cause. For example, rain forest conservation groups that buy out local poor farmers may be contributing to larger environmental problems in the long term, as well as a myriad of social problems (see "Looking at the Bigger Picture When Saving the Rain forest," 2006)

Instituto Conexiones is here to educate and coach you on topics you will need to know about as you navigate the different social dynamics you will encounter, especially if you are a U.S. American entrepreneur or philanthropist who is having an impact on, is needing to interact with, or is reaching out to Latin American stakeholders (and if you think a stakeholder is a type of cutlery- it is time to contact us!!)

To help you along as you educate yourself more about these important topics, we encourage you to read the following blogs/publications:

Stakeholder Engagement & Management

Cultural Brokerage

Triple Bottom Line Visions

Responsible Foreign Investment and Trade

Phase 1 of Films on Intercultural Relations in Baja California has been funded!

By Kimberly Newton, President of Instituto Conexiones
Additions by Carmina Valiente, President of 7 Filos Producciones

We are proud to announce that a film concept that Instituto Conexiones helped develop with a local Mexican Production Firm, 7 Filos Producciones, is well on its way to becoming a reality!

The concept is a series of investigative film reports focused on showcasing the positive and negative social impacts related to the influx of foreigners coming into Baja California to purchase retirement homes and invest in the growing tourism, real estate development and "green investment" sectors. We will strive to find positive case studies of foreigners and locals working together in an equitable and sustainable way to advance shared goals.

After presenting the concept to a group of Mexican and U.S. donors, 7 Filos Producciones secured the first phase funding for these important and timely investigative video reports.

Instituto Conexiones
has contributed to the formation of the concept through ongoing advocacy for a need to look at the social dynamics related to the cultural encounter between wealthy foreigners and Latin American locals, especially in areas considerd biodiversity and tourism "hotspots" & UN World Heritage Sites.

The following links to relevant short films, sent to us by 7Filos Producciones, provide examples to what is happening and how 7Filos Producciones and Instituto Conexiones will be approaching the subject:

Rosarito Documentary by CBS

The Parallel Case Study of Quintara Roo (Cancun) by Sea Studios Foundation

The Parallel Case Study of El Mar Menor, Murcia by El Escarabajo Verde


Instituto Conexiones
will be in charge of the translation of the films, subtitling and the U.S. communication and marketing strategy to get these films seen by the relevant U.S. demographic.

We are still looking for Stage 2 funding to actually pay for the marketing and diffusion campaign, website and online presence, and other post production costs.

If interested in learning more on how to be a sponsor, are interested in being involved, or would like to commission this type of intercultural relations study and documentary in your part of the world, feel free to contact us.

info@connectionsinstitute.net
Tel. 415.367.3696

1/13/09

Not All Carbon Offsets are Created Equal - Lets Take a Closer Look

By Kimberly Newton de Klootwyk

(Draft)

For the last few years, I have been working with organizations or for organizations that are considering carbon offsets for their projects. I have also been reading about the new trend and its advances in a cursory way - I am a far cry from an expert on this topic.

However, since my time working in Costa Rica on rain forest conservation projects, and my "Bigger Picture" epiphany, I often analyze any new well-meaning trend for its long term sustainability and its potential social impact and layers of complexity.

So far, within my limited scope of knowledge, I have come across the following interesting situations that raise multidisciplinary questions -

1- Carbon offsets that are related to mono crop non-native tree plantations - how is that environmentally sustainable? What a missed opportunity to plant a diverse native tree forest, rather than a monocrop non-native species that cannot feed or adjust to local ecosystem - or that may even hurt it.

2 - Carbon offsets as a way for foreigners to buy up huge tracks of cheap land in hot spot conservation and tourism areas and effectively, make this a good investment opportunity because the land maintenance pretty much pays for itself and a profit can be made. Poor desperate farmers living in the rain forest are seeing more and more foreigners buy up their lands for pennies on the dollar - their displacement means that they will add to the swarm of migrant labor moving to developed areas and their carbon footprint will probably triple or more (need more studies here). In addition to the social and ecological impact of mass migration and land being concentrated yet again in the hands of the few, landless peasants are considered to be one of the top causes of deforestation (~40%- need to look up my source_) because they go and squat on other lands - clearing and burning them to create a new rural settlement. We know that deforestation is one of the main reasons for climate change so what is the carbon footprint of this story being played out globally? And if farms are being converted to tree plantations and local agriculturla production goes down, where will the food come from to feed the people? Will they have to import the food from afar? Doesn't importing food from afar mean more carbon footprint vis a vis the transportation of the food? Carbon offset purchasers who are genuinely interested in curbing climate change or have social justice values, must consider these factors.

3- On the above point - not sure if this is a guideline already being used, but it makes the most sense for the carbon offset of an activity to be offset as near to the source of the carbon "footprint" as possible - this in part to give back to the local community where damage is being done and to also assure that the carbon offset activities are in alignment with local community development plans, include local stakeholders, employ locals for carbon offset related activities, etc.

(End of Draft)

1/11/09

Corporate Social Responsibility Reports Now Required By Law in Denmark

Posted by Chris Jarvis on 9 January 2009 at 3:45pm on BusinessFightsPoverty.Ning.com

Should Corporate Social Responsibility be a voluntary response to customer and societal demands? Or, if it is as important as many are suggesting, should it be a legislated requirement? On December 16, 2008, the Danish parliament decidedly found in favor of the latter option. Now, 1100 of the largest companies in Denmark must include CSR information in their annual financial reports...More

1/9/09

Relevant Master's Program for Professionals Focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility

From: Reuters

University of Barcelona, Spain - Master's Programs in 'Corporate Social Responsibility,...
Originally posted on Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:50am EDT

University of Barcelona, Spain - Master's Programs in 'Corporate Social
Responsibility, Accounting and Social Auditing', and 'Social Economy and Third
Sector' - Degrees from the University of Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Barcelona
(UB), in collaboration with the Economy and Society Research Center Foundation
(Fundacion Centro de Investigacion de Economia y Sociedad - CIES), offers
Master's degrees in Corporate Social Responsibility and Third Sector Company
Management, providing online training in combination with campus-based
classes. Admission requirements include a university degree and professional
experience in each degree field. The academic staff is made up of professors
from four universities, including Georgia State University....More