Conexiones Institute Blog

Children Sue, March to Address Climate Change

2011-05-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

Children Sue, March to Address Climate Change

The ground-breaking film about tourism development in Baja California, Baja All-Exclusive, is now available online (FREE)

2011-04-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

After many months of hard work, an 11 minute English version of the documentary, Baja All-Exclusive, is now available via YouTube.com!For more information on responsible ways of traveling to Latin America and beyond, visit the following links:Sustainable Travel InternationalCenter for Responsible TravelResponsible-Travel.org Ethical TravelerVolunteer Travel

2010-09-07T18:35:00.001-07:00

reflect intellectual pluralism, anticipating more than one plausible or compelling answer to the question at hand - NEH

OJO DESARROLLADOR DE TURISMO - Comentario sobre el video Quebrando los Huevos de Oro por PAC

2010-06-13T21:05:00.001-07:00

Por Kimberly NewtonSi te gusta el turismo, si quieres invertir en el turismo, si contemplas proyectos de turismo debes ver este video:Quebrando los Huevos de OroEste es el video que hemos estado buscando!! Instituto Conexiones nació en gran parte a raíz de esta situación - cuando escribí el artículo The Bigger Picture, the Hidden Impacts of Conservation and Green Investments - Sobre la

Speaking in Tongues Documentary Wins 2009's San Francisco International Film Festival Audience Award

2010-04-07T20:40:00.001-07:00

SPEAKING IN TONGUES TRAILER from PatchWorks Films on Vimeo.

Family Friendly & Meaningful Travel in Costa Rica

2010-03-31T21:28:00.001-07:00

Three Seeds Organic Farm (Finca 3 Semillas) is located near EL BRUJO DE RÍO NUEVO in the Central/South Pacific mountains of Costa Rica. Here you can practice your Spanish, become immersed in Costa Rican rural farm life, see sustainable development in action, experience living off the land, breathe in the rainforest, show your children where cheese and beans come

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

2009-10-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

From TCP NewsThe Climate Project Hosts First Ever Latin America Summit, Debuts New Online PresenceAl 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,

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

2009-09-25T22:08:00.001-07:00

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 —

Survey from the International Society of Sustainability Professionals

2009-09-23T13:01:00.001-07:00

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 HipplerInternational

An Urgent Message from Global Exchange Regarding the Situation in Honduras

2009-09-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

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

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

2009-05-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

by Kimberly Maria Newton-KlootwykI 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

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

2009-05-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

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 hereNew on LAPOP news feed: - The Inter-American Dialogue, May 8th: Mitchell

Earth Day 2009 in D.C. Report

2009-04-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

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

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

2009-04-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

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

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

2009-03-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

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

Five features of great socially responsible leadership

2009-02-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

From: Mallen BakerEthical 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

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

2009-02-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

By Kimberly Newton, President of Instituto ConexionesThe 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

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

2009-02-07T15:16:00.001-08:00

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

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

2009-02-07T11:03:00.001-08:00

By Kimberly Newton, President of Instituto ConexionesAdditions by Carmina Valiente, President of 7 Filos ProduccionesWe 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

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

2009-01-13T17:35:00.000-08:00

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 "

Corporate Social Responsibility Reports Now Required By Law in Denmark

2009-01-11T10:38:00.001-08:00

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

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

2009-01-09T12:12:00.001-08:00

From: ReutersUniversity 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 SocialResponsibility, Accounting and Social Auditing', and 'Social Economy and ThirdSector' - Degrees from the University of BarcelonaBARCELONA, Spain, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The

Relevant Event Notice: A Cultural Conversation: Aldo Leopold, the Southwest, and the Evolution of a Land Ethic for the Future

2008-12-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

From Bioneers: Time: February 13, 2008 at 8am to February 14, 2008 at 6pmLocation: National Hispanic Cultural CenterCity/Town: Albuquerque, New MexicoEvent Website: http://www.aldoleopold.org/...Event Type: OpeningOrganized By: The Aldo Leopold FoundationAs the opening event in the Aldo Leopold Centennial Celebration 2009, this “cultural conversation” is intended to foster creative discussion

Socially responsible investing reaps rewards in an uncharitable market

2008-11-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Doing well by doing goodSocially responsible investing reaps rewards in an uncharitable marketBy Sam Mamudi, MarketWatchLast Update: 12:03 PM ET Nov 2, 2008NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The market's meltdown has left every category of stock mutual funds in the red this year, but one area that has held up better than most is socially responsible investing.As of Oct. 30, a total of 15 out of 91

Barak Obama's Election to U.S. Presidency Ushers in Tangible Globalization and A "We are all One" Mentality

2008-11-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

By Kimberly Newton de KlootwykHe views the world through an interacial lens is the way Beale put it (ABC 5 o'clock News). Beale was one of the pioneers who helped make Alabama's schools racially integrated. Fifty plus years later, the first black president is elected into the highest office in the United States.Obama's interacial lens is nothing to be glossed over as it is in great part the

Instituto Conexiones Launches a New Level of Cultural Brokerage for Latin American Organizations Needing a Presence in the U.S.

2008-10-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

U.S Identity & Virtual Office PlansHelping Latin American organizations attract and retain U.S. clients, partners or donors.At Instituto Conexiones we believe that equitable globalization begins with making sure all global players have an equal chance for success. In today’s world, that often times means having a presence in the U.S. and a partner that understand the U.S. culture and the English

Portugal Points The Way For Renewable Energy Adoption

2008-08-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

From: Environmental LeaderBy Diana Verde NietoFounder and CEOClownfishportugal-points-the-7332.jpgAs the world reels at the high price of fossil fuels, business and governments are increasingly casting about for renewable energy models. Portugal is happy to oblige.Portugal? Yes Portugal. While most of the world remained mired in the old mindset of the fossil fuel driven economy, Portugal

McKinsey Survey on the State of Corporate Philanthropy

2008-07-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

From: The McKinsey QuarterlyFebruary 2008Consumers’ growing expectations of companies make corporate philanthropy more important than ever. But many respondents to this survey say their companies aren’t meeting social goals or stakeholder expectations very effectively. Companies that are doing well are taking a more strategic approach.Corporate philanthropy can be an effective tool for companies

Social Responsibility is Now a Business Imperative, says Roberts of WWF

2008-07-23T22:58:00.001-07:00

Social Responsibility is Now a Business Imperative, says Roberts of WWFFrom Stanford Graduate School of Business NewsEnvironmental Challenges are Profit Opportunities, Says Roberts of World Wildlife FundOctober 2007STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS — “Companies still thinking about the environment as a social responsibility rather than a business imperative are living in the dark ages,” said

Sustainable Business Approaches Explored In New Executive Program at Standford University

2008-07-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

Business Strategies for Environmental Sustainability2008 Dates: September 14 - 20Limited spaces availablePlease contact Brett Cicerone or apply directly onlineProgram Tuition: $9,000 USD*Additional funding for applicants from nonprofit/education/government organizations available on a limited basis.Location: Stanford Sierra Conference CenterTrue innovators set the bar. They redefine the terms of

The Laikipia Predator Project shows how predators like lions and humans can potentially co-exist

2008-07-05T22:06:00.001-07:00

From: Nature - The Vanishing LionsThe Laikipia Predator ProjectIt’s called the Laikipia Plateau. It sits along the equator in central Kenya, in the shadow of snow-capped Mount Kenya. Laikipia’s vast grasslands, riverbanks, and watering holes attract a rich array of wildlife, including some of Kenya’s largest numbers of rhinos, elephants, leopards, and buffalo. Researchers say the area — about 2

Creating currency that is readable by the blind says a lot about equality

2008-05-20T18:44:00.001-07:00

commentary by knk -According to the New York Times, a U.S. "federal appeals court panel ruled on Tuesday that the United States discriminates against the blind because the country’s paper currency is the same size regardless of a bill’s value."This decision says a lot about the quality of care and amount of attention the U.S. society pays to even the smallest cultural group, as the blind could be

Fair Trade Cities Initiatives Prove How Much Power Local Municapilities/Counties Can Have on Social/Sustainability Issues

2008-05-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

Communication from Oxfam SF Action Corps- What: World Fair Trade DayWhen: This Saturday, May 10th, from 11 am- 4 pmWhere: Dolores Park in San FranciscoWhy: Mayor and Board of Supervisors to Declare San Francisco a Fair Trade City,live music and performances, community speakers, yummy fairly traded treats,and more!This event will feature speakers from the Mayor’s Office, the Board ofSupervisors,

The New Philanthropy and Development Aid

2008-05-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

Raj M. Desai, Visiting Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Wolfensohn Center for DevelopmentHomi Kharas, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Wolfensohn Center for DevelopmentA Communication from: The Brookings InstitutionApril 24, 2008 —Two annual spring gatherings that shape the agenda for foreign aid have just been held. One of these is well known and was widely reported on

Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes: Social Policy, Informality and Economic Growth in Mexico

2008-05-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

A Global Economy and Development and Wolfensohn Center for Development EventA communication from: Brookings InstitutionEvent SummaryDespite a decade of macroeconomic stability, Mexico’s growth and productivity performance has been lackluster. A significant factor restricting the Mexican economic growth rate is a social policy that gives workers incentives to seek informal, low-productivity jobs

Deloitte Makes its 2008 Report Available and highlights environmental sustainability and globalization as top priorities

2008-04-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

From: Deloitte Deloitte: The Business Issues That Will Matter Most in 2008Published: 1/14/08Contact: Francine FianoDeloitte Services LP(203) 708-4254NEW YORK, January 14, 2008 – The 2008 Presidential election. Energy costs expected to continue their upward climb in 2008. Customers demanding more environmentally friendly products than ever before. Each are challenges and opportunities that will

What is a Consortia?

2008-04-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Consortia as it applies to Instituto Conexiones:An open and informal group of independent organizations and individuals joined by common interests.A combination or group formed in order to undertake a venture that would be beyond the resources of a single individual/companySources: Athabasca University, Pearson Education, IEEE

The Bigger Picture of Rainforest Conservation & Green Investment in Developing Countries

2008-04-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

By Kimberly Maria Newton-Klootwyk, 2006 Also published in Dominical Days, Voice of Nosara, & Mariri under the title: "The Bigger Picture ~ Socially Responsible Conservation" And in TriplePundit under the title "The Hidden Impacts of Conservation and Green Investment Initiatives in Developing Countries" In Latin America, particularly Costa Rica and Brazil, we are seeing a record-breaking

Calling for Socially Responsible Real Estate Companies and Land Developers in Costa Rica & Mexico

2008-04-03T03:45:00.000-07:00

If you are a socially conscious individual or organization participating in the exchange of land and houses in Costa Rica or Mexico, we want to hear from you! We are collecting real life case studies of real estate brokers and land development organizations on how they interact with those who are selling the lands.We have been involved in looking at the Costa Rican and Nicaraguan campesino (

1Sky Aims to Unite the Voices Calling on the U.S. Government for Sustainability in their Policy Making

2008-03-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Excerpt From: Gillian Caldwell, Campaign Director of 1Sky - 3.19.08...I honestly feel that the climate crisis, and the opportunity we have to turn it around, represents the defining challenge of our time. And I just can't look my kids in the eye unless I am working to tackle that challenge. This is an incredible time for our movement. As last year's Step It Up and Power Shift events so clearly

Geraldo Rivera Writes About the Growth of Hispanics in America in his new book, "His Panic: Why Americans Fear Hispanics in the U.S."

2008-03-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Extract from an interview on the Tavis Smiley Show On PBS/KQED - 3.13.08Tavis: With all due respect to Eliot Spitzer, let's now turn our attention and talk about something that really does matter, and that is the issue of immigration and specifically, the Hispanic community. I love, as I said earlier, the title of the book, "His Panic." What is this panic all about where your people are concerned

Is Corporate America Waking up and Smelling Another Kind of Green??

2008-03-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

Corporate America goes greenThurs. March 13, 2008By: David LouieSANTA BARBARA, CA (KGO) -- For years, environmentalists and corporate America have been at odds over sustainability and climate change -- that's changing. An "eco"-nomics conference in Santa Barbara is taking place where one-time adversaries say they're ready to move forward together. Wal-mart's president and CEO, H. Lee

From The Earth Day Network - 02.28.2008

2008-03-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

If You Want to Do One Thing on Earth Day: CALL FOR CLIMATE! Global warming is our most urgent environmental problem: The time for waiting and inadequate solutions is over. On Earth Day, April 22nd, join Earth Day Network in our global Call for Climate by contacting your national leaders and demanding bold, swift and fair action to tackle climate change. And from now until

Invitation: A Critical Look at NAFTA - 2.28.08

2008-02-28T17:58:00.001-08:00

A communication from Global Exchange: Please attend our March 5 forum in Washington, DC: Linking Agriculture, Development and Migration: A Critical Look at NAFTA Past, Present and Future. Join experts from the US, Canada, and Mexico as they take a critical look at how NAFTA has impacted the region and what we can do to reverse the trends that displaced farmers and workers in all three countries

UN World Food Program warns of coming hunger crisis due to new biofuel demands - 2.26.08

2008-02-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

From BBC News:UN warns over food aid rationing The WFP's budget requirements are rising by millions of dollars a week The director of the UN's World Food Programme has

Costa Rican Newspaper (La Nacion) Reports on the Environmental Damages Vacation Home Development is Causing in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica - 2.15.08

2008-02-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

Por Vanessa Loaiza N. | vloaiza@nacion.comMinae presenta denuncia ante Ministerio Público Construcción causa graves daños en un bosque de Osa Inspectores confirman tala y obras ilegales cerca de laguna de Sierpe Desarrolladores incumplen orden dada en noviembre de frenar obras La apertura de varias trochas, tala de bosque y la construcción de supuestos planteles provocaron “graves”

In Memory of Raul R. Salinas (Xicanindio) - 3.17.1934 - 2.13.2008

2008-02-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

We would like to take a moment to honor the memory of Raul R. Salinas, who passed away on Feb. 13, 2008. Raul was a poet & international human rights activist - he spent many years documenting and raising awareness about Latin American & Latino American issues from a primary source perspective. We will always be grateful for the work he did to help us understand the perspective of often

The Hard Numbers on Social Investments

2003-11-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

From: The Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge E-NewsletterQ&A with: Stacey M. ChildressPublished: November 10, 2003Author: Manda SallsIn what is believed to be the largest study of its kind, MBA students at Harvard Business School recently analyzed the financial returns generated by 110 early-stage companies backed by Investors' Circle, a national network dedicated to early-stage