Planting with Plaza’s
In the framework of its motto “Con la comunidad generando bienestar” (Generating well-being with the community) this Sunday October 7, Automercados Plazas planted 400 new trees of the species “saman”, chestnuts, and cedars, in “Quebrada de Duarte” sector of the Avila. More than 1,000 people, including employees, suppliers, and members of the community at large, met early in the morning at “la Cota Mil” to participate in the reforestation day that was supervised by INPARQUES personnel.

Cemex sponsors Chair of Construction Technology
Within the framework of their initiative of Corporate Social Responsibility, CEMEX Venezuela and Universidad Metropolitana formalized a strategic alliance that will allow academic exchanges as a contribution to the complete formation of the future construction professional through the " Chair of Construction Technology" of the Virtual Center of Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, ITESM. Within the framework of this initiative, the students at Universidad Metropolitana will benefit from forums, courses, seminaries and workshops that will be conducted by CEMEX specialists on specific subjects like construction, concrete, building systems, special bonding products, and related technologies.

A smile to your account
The Excelsior Gama social program "Una Sonrisa a su Cuenta” (a Smile to your Account) has broken its record of collection since 2001 to date and this week reached 3 billion Bolivars. Thanks to its clients and friends, more than 40 non-profit institutions in the country that offer aid to thousands of boys, girls and adolescents at risk have benefited.

The idea arose in 2001 and since then the results can be seen, as well as an increase in donations. In order to give this program a push and to gain a smile, every month Excelsior Gama gives its support to a charitable institution. Customers make their donation at the cash register at the moment of paying for their purchases. In order to guarantee the authenticity of the contribution, the system emits a voucher for the donation.

In 2002, a Una Sonrisa a su Cuenta collected more than 31 million Bolivars; in 2003, it surpassed 144 million Bolivars; for 2004, more than 362 million; in 2005, 466 million Bolivars was reached, and in 2006 it exceeded a billion.

In 2007, this number increased significantly compared to that of previous years and the record was broken in less time than had been predicted. From the end of 2006 to date, more than 1 billion Bolivars have been collected, so the total amount collected in six years adds up to more than 3 billion.

Lufthansa leads Sustainability Index
Deutsche Lufthansa AG was again included in the renowned Dow Jones Worldwide Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the year 2007-2008. This index, established by the Swiss company SAM Sustainable Asset Management Indexes GMBH, includes those companies that in their administration also consider ecological and social issues, in addition to economic criteria. Lufthansa has been part of the DJSI list for many years, thus being part of that 10% of worldwide leading companies to which is attributed an exemplary role in the matter of sustainability. In the environmental area, for example, Lufthansa achieves permanent successes. Since 1991, the airline has managed to reduce fuel consumption per passenger per 100 kilometers by almost 30%, so that at the moment it is at 4.4 liters. At the same time, half of the company’s growth in transport is accomplished without additional CO2 emissions. At present, Lufthansa invests in new fuel-efficient airplanes, while for a long time it has devoted a part of its energy to climate research.

 

Chevron with the children and young people at risk
Chevron Latin America Exploration and Production recently opened in Guatire, Zamora Municipality, the new seat of the Technical School of Wood of the Fundacion Instituto Artesanal de la Colonia Tovar (IACT), and also unveiled the remodeling of Casa Abierta Integral de Guatire (CAIG), belonging to the Civil Association Unamos al Mundo por la Vida. The construction, as well as the remodeling, was financed by Chevron with an investment of about 650 thousand dollars. The project was made possible thanks to the alliance of Chevron and the mentioned Civil Association, as well as with other public and private organizations, with the purpose of giving children and young people in situation of social risk an integral service that allows them to stay in the school, while they become qualified at a trade that will later allow them to get a job.

The Casa Abierta Integral is part of the system of attention centers "La Colmena de la Vida," which is a part of the Civil Association Unamos al Mundo por la Vida, and it will offer services in the pedagogical, psychological, doctor-nutritional, recreational, sport and vocational-labor areas to 60 children and adolescents between the ages of 7 and 17, who will be rigorously selected based on their situation of social vulnerability. These services also include room, board, training and family assistance. The Technical School of Wood of the IACT, on the other hand, is one of the most original and successful experiences of training in advanced woodworking and carpentry in Venezuela in the last 14 years.

 

A Nobel Prize at Universia
As part of the commemorative acts of the 10 years of Grupo Santander in Banco de Venezuela and of its 150 years in the world, this financial institution organized the Encuentro Nacional de Rectores de Universia 2007, having as a special guest: 2001 Economics Nobel Prize winner, Mr. Joseph Stiglitz.

This event was made with the purpose of establishing a point of contact for the exchange of ideas between the highest university authorities and with the participation of deans, professors and students of all the universities in the country, to deepen the initiatives undertaken by the network Universia, which is part of the program of social responsibility of the bank in the educational area. Representatives of 38 universities, 30 of them directors, attended the event, which represents 75% of the college universe in Venezuela.

As an institution that has always been in the lead with the latest tendencies in the financial market, Banco de Venezuela/Grupo Santander therefore organized the encounter with Mr. Joseph Stiglitz, one of the most famous and most-read economists, whose voice interests today all academics of the world. A pioneer in modern information economics, a specialist in subjects like globalization and macroeconomic models, with a Nobel Prize to his name, Mr. Stiglitz is a reference for all Venezuelans.

"His vision of the world, his critical analyses on the pros and cons of globalization, his ideas on how to overcome exclusion, are assumptions of the greatest relevance to Venezuela and serve as lessons for scientific, academic life, research, and teaching. That is why this encounter is appropriate for the participation of the Nobel Prize winner," added Michel J. Goguikian, president of Banco de Venezuela / Grupo Santander.