Grupo Vidanta Announces Winners for Philanthropic Initiatives to Combat Poverty and Inequality in Latin America

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Sep 26, 2013, 08:30 ET

MEXICO CITY, Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth consecutive year as part of efforts to support and improve the quality of life for people who are less fortunate, The Vidanta Foundation Award is a joint initiative by the Organization of American States (OAS), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and the Vidanta Foundation.

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The Award aims to provide recognition and support for projects carried out in Latin America and the Caribbean to reduce poverty and inequality while fighting discrimination. The Award also seeks to promote humanitarian values and solidarity throughout the population, as well as encouraging philanthropy and social responsibility.

After deliberation of the members of the prestigious jury, Vidanta Foundation announced that the First Prize winner was the Colective Mujeres al Derecho (MAD) of Colombia, second prize going to IXIM, AC Mexico, and rounding out third is Project Transgender of Ecuador.

The "Lifetime Achievement Award "for a Charitable Foundation went to Hogar de Cristo, Chile.

The prizes consisted of $75,000 (USD), $50,000 (USD) and $ 25,000 (USD), respectively, and $100,000 (USD) for "Lifetime Recognition", a distinction that recognizes the efforts of individuals and civil society organizations with exemplary life stories on the fight against poverty, inequality and discrimination in Latin America and the Caribbean.

FIRST PRIZE:

Colectivo Mujeres al Derecho (MAD), from Colombia. Since 2005, the organization has been operating in the Colombian/Caribbean region. Through its Multicultural Space Program, they support women of African descent, indigenous and in displacement to promote and stimulate sustainable human integral development of their communities through its relationship to processes of participation in different areas of visibility and decision making at the local, departmental and national levels.

SECOND PRIZE:

IXIM, B.C. Mexico. IXIM. A C. works with communities Ocosingo Tzeltal of Chiapas, with high marginalization. The model "Road IXIM" combines impact actions at different terms: immediate, alleviating hunger between corn harvests by supporting sustainable cornfields, orchards, tanks and poultry to increase production and quality food, and long-term agro ecological planting favor the recovery of soil fertility.

THIRD PRIZE:

Project Transgender, Ecuador. The project started in 2002 with the aim of working with people in the communities of Trans - callejizadas sex workers, officials of public institutions, national police and Trans people in general. They created Legal Patrol, which represents an innovative approach that is based on a concept of "alternative use of right - intervention consisting of successive teams of itinerant legal advice" through the streets of the town by providing legal advice to the community's Trans sex workers.

CAREER AWARD RECOGNITION:

Charitable Foundation Hogar de Cristo. Started in Chile in 1994 on the teachings of Saint Alberto Hurtado, a Jesuit priest who had great influence in the country's social thought. The institution, whose main aim is to reduce the exclusion of the poorest and most vulnerable in the country, also calls to the whole society for the task of integration. They have established themselves as a major institution in the country in working with people poor and excluded.

The proposals from 353 nominations from across Latin America and the Caribbean were reviewed by a prestigious jury of great personalities such as:

Julio Maria Sanguinetti (Uruguay) Former president of Uruguay.

Carmelo Angulo (Spain) lawyer, diplomat and specialist in international relations and public international law. He was Ambassador of Spain in Bolivia, Mexico and Argentina.

Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica) Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and UNDP Assistant Administrator. He was Vice - President of Costa Rica (1994-1998).

Nora Lustig (Mexico) Professor Samuel Z. Stone Latin American Economics in the Department of Economics at Tulane University and nonresident fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Inter-American Dialogue, both based in Washington DC.

Jose Luis Machinea (Argentina) Former Secretary General of ECLAC and former Minister of Economy of Argentina.

Luis Maira (Argentina) Former Chilean Ambassador of Argentina and Mexico.

Billie Miller (Barbados) Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados (1994-2008).

"The award is," says Mr. Daniel Chavez Moran, President of Grupo Vidanta "to recognize and support outstanding and original works that provide ideas for reducing poverty, inequality and combat discrimination."

About the Vidanta Foundation

Vidanta Foundation was created in 2005 under the auspices of Mr. Daniel Chavez Moran and has the mission to promote social sciences and culture in Latin American non-profits, and promote humanitarian values and practices that will support reducing poverty and inequality in our region.

The essence of the Foundation and of this kind of recognition born of Mr. Daniel Chavez Moran, who is also Founder and President of Grupo Vidanta. His career in the philanthropic world also dates to the interest of his mother, Mrs. Delia Moran who in 1988 created the foundation that today bears her name to support the disadvantaged.

Delia Moran devoted her life to education as a teacher and was able to instill values and principles to hundreds of students over decades that have left an imprint on the development of our country. It was a woman, wife, mother and teacher who was distinguished by her nobility, her intelligence, values, her deep culture, ethics, love, music and children. Renowned for taking action against inequalities of our society, Vidanta Foundation and Fundacion Delia Moran is currently chaired by Mr. Chavez Moran and both institutions have an active role in Mexico and Latin America through common initiatives aimed at reducing the levels of poverty and inequality in the region.

About Grupo Vidanta

Grupo Vidanta is an award-winning company known worldwide for its leadership in hotels and luxury resorts, championship quality golf courses, and tourism infrastructure, including Mexico's first privately built international airport at Puerto Penasco. The company was founded in 1974 by Daniel Chavez Moran and now boasts an impressive portfolio of resort brands located among the most coveted coastal beach resorts in Mexico. These include Grand Luxxe, The Grand Bliss, The Bliss, The Grand Mayan, Mayan Palace, Ocean Breeze and Sea Garden, with more under development. In addition, Grupo Vidanta's real estate division, Mayan Island, has built and sold more than 2,000 vacation homes. The company has resort properties operating in Los Cabos, Nuevo Vallarta, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Puerto Penasco, Riviera Nayarit, and Mazatlan. For more information, please visit http://www.grupovidanta.com.