Who We Are and What We Do

Mission - Strategy

 



MISSION

To contribute to sustainable development in Latin America by encouraging productive alliances based on trust among social and business leaders and by brokering consensus around agendas for action.


VISION


We seek a prosperous, integrated, and democratic Latin America, inspired in its diversity, built in solidarity by its citizens, and known globally for its own model of sustainable and inclusive development. We want to be recognized as an effective and innovative organization that contributes to the sustainable development of Latin America.


STRATEGY


To achieve our mission...


We focus on four areas: Equity of Opportunities, Democratic Governance and the Rule of Law, Sustainable Economic Development, and Conservation and Management of Natural Resources.


We identify the best opportunities to ally ourselves with leaders from civil society and the business sector in shared initiatives promoting sustainable development.


We strengthen our partners, creating spaces in which they can build partnerships and communicate their messages of change to a larger audience.


We promote links of trust, shared values, and common agendas between civil society and the business sector.


We encourage the collective construction of shared agendas for action that effectively promote sustainable development.





HYPOTHESES


It is possible to build development processes that are sustainable, satisfying the needs of the present while at the same time safeguarding the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs.

Latin American society possesses the resources and potential to create solutions for the challenges that it faces.

Those who assume a leadership role with a vision for the future are key players in uniting interests around models that are sustainable.

True leadership focuses on helping others to grow without neglecting the needs of the leader.

Sustainable development depends to a large extent on the ability of civil society, business, and government to discuss, collaborate, and implement mutually agreed agendas for action.


VALUES

  • The full realization of the human being, in a context of individual, social, and environmental harmony, as the central focus of sustainable development.
  • Human dignity expressed as the exercise of democracy, equity of opportunities, freedom with responsibility, honesty, and solidarity.
  • Modesty, which must guide our actions, encouraging us to celebrate the contributions of others in the process of building together a better world for each and every person.
  • Continuous innovation, which allows us to be increasingly effective and productive.


    ORIGIN


AVINA was founded in 1994 by the Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny, who inspired the vision and values that guide the organization.

AVINA is maintained by VIVA, a trust created by Stephan Schmidheiny to further sustainable development through alliances between successful and responsible
businesses and philanthropic organizations that promote leadership and innovation.


SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT


AVINA defines Sustainable Development as forms of development that satisfy the needs of the present, while at the same time safeguarding the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs. Our actions in our four strategic areas seek to contribute towards a prosperous, integrated and democratic Latin America inspired in its diversity, built in solidarity by its citizens, and known globally for its model of sustainable and inclusive development.

 

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