Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, April 7, 2010 – Fundación Tropicalia, the operating and implementing arm of the programs of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Tropicalia, a sustainable tourism development of the Cisneros Group, located in Miches, Province of El Seibo, was sworn in on April 5 as a member of the National Network of Business Support for Environmental Protection (RENAEPA). Mr. William R. Phelan, President of Fundación Tropicalia, received the oath of membership before Julio Virgilio Brache, President of RENAEPA and other partners at the headquarters of the association of Santo Domingo.
RENAEPA is a prestigious network which brings together major national and international companies whose objective is to defend and protect the natural resources of the Dominican Republic through joint actions to enable sustainable growth in the country. In its commitment to this network, Fundación Tropicalia claims that its programs support the CSR Tropicalia strategy, sustainable development of the town of Miches and integration of the community for the protection and preservation of natural resources in the area. Phelan said that, "the participation of the Fundación Tropicalia in RENAEPA is a great opportunity to learn, share and promote good business practices - including transparency, social responsibility and sustainable development in the Dominican Republic."
The Fundación Tropicalia strategy is to design programs that foster the development of the Miches area, and, in this sense, has identified three areas of work to support the rescue, restoration and preservation of the environment: responsible agriculture, solid waste management and environmental education.
In an effort to minimize the use of harmful chemicals in the agricultural industry, which are harmful to the water sources in the area, Fundación Tropicalia has established a training center to train local farmers in organic production processes and support them in selling their products. To bring these concepts to the youth of Miches, Fundación Tropicalia created the organic gardens program in schools in the area, which is already running in the primary schools La Gina and El Cedro.
Studies conducted by local partners revealed that up to 65% of solid waste in the region of Miches are organic, which represents a great opportunity to establish a separation and recycling center for the responsible management of solid waste, with the support of local and international partners.
The Fundación Tropicalia also works in environmental education in schools in the 12-04 school district, through the educational program of the Fundación Cisneros - Actualización de Maestros en Educación (AME). AME offers a course on Teaching of Environmental Education, aimed at teachers of the primary school, established by the Environmental Studies Department at Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela. The course aims to make methodological strategies available to teachers that help to not only motivate students, but also involve them in the conservation of their immediate environment, taking into account their experience and their interaction with the reality in which they live. The course will be held in the Dominican Republic and other Latin countries starting April 12 for 14 weeks. It has registered more than 280 teachers across Latin America.
In the Dominican Republic, AME has strategic alliances with the Department of Education, the Higher Institute Teacher Training of Salomé Ureña (ISFODOSU) the Armed Forces Vocational Schools (FFAA EV), the Institute of Agriculture University, FundaciónTropicalia, Fundación Punta Cana, Fundación Rica and Barrick Gold.
In 2008, the Fundación Cisneros received the prestigious Global Leadership to Ensure Environmental Sustainability Award of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), in recognition of the work of the AME Program and its curriculum on environmental issues.
For its commitment in promoting sustainable development, the conservation of natural resources in the communities where Tropicalia operates, education and environmental awareness in Miches and other communities of the Dominican Republic, and the formation of strategic alliances to promote joint projects, the Fundación Tropicalia, as of now, is an active member of RENAEPA.
About Fundación Tropicalia
In 2007 Fundación Cisneros created Fundación Tropicalia with the mission of carrying out Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs for Tropicalia, the Cisneros Group’s environmentally responsible tourist development project with low environmental impact, located in Miches, in the province of El Seibo, a region designated a Millennium Village by The United Nations and the Dominican government. In an effort to integrate principles of sustainable development into its management and to motivate the MDGs in the area, Fundación Tropicalia designs and implements programs within the social, environmental and economic realms in the town of Miches and its municipal districts of El Cedro and La Gina.
About Fundación Cisneros
The Fundación Cisneros is a private, nonprofit organization established by Patricia Phelps de Cisneros and Gustavo A. Cisneros, and presided by Adriana Cisneros de Griffin. The Fundación Cisneros is devoted to improving education throughout Latin America, and fostering global awareness of the continent’s heritage and its many contributions to world culture. In the long run, its innovative programs empower communities, promote freedom of speech, lay the basis for stable democracies, promote economic development, and enhance understanding among nations. The main educational programs of the Fundación Cisneros are: The Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Piensa en arte/Think Art, and Actualización de Maestros en Educación (Professional Development for Educators). These programs are implemented through local and strategic partnerships, and are part of the Corporate Social Responsibility vision of the Cisneros Group of Companies, aimed at fostering sustainable development and building social capital in the region.