↑ Blog

Haug, Pascual, Ferrovial, Estudio Álvaro Catalán de Ocón and Informe Semanal, winners of the CODESPA Awards

Today we have handed over the prizes to the finalists and winners of the XVII Edition of the CODESPA Awards. The jury selected five winners from the nine finalist projects, one in each category of this edition: charitable company, social innovation, corporate volunteering, charitable SME and journalism for development.

Novelties this year included the internationalisation of the Charitable Company category, which for the first time opened its doors to organisations from all over the world, and the launch of the new category, Enterprise Social Innovation, also with an international scope.

The winners, who were announced during the gala, were:

CHARITABLE COMPANY:

Haug: ‘Casa Haug Social Responsibility Programme’.

ENTERPRISE SOCIAL INNOVATION:

Pascual: ‘Launch of the MiGurt yoghurt brand to improve the nutrition of the Venezuelan population’.

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING:

Ferrovial: ‘Social Infrastructures’.

CHARITABLE SME:

Estudio Álvaro Catalán de Ocón: ‘Pet Lamp’.

JOURNALISM FOR DEVELOPMENT:

Pedro Soler and Juana Martín (Informe Semanal): ‘El rostro oculto de Afganistán’. (The Hidden Face of Afghanistan)

Other projects considered for an award during this edition and which reached the finalist stage include: Hanesbrands with the ‘Mi Escuela, Mi Espacio’ (My School, My Space) initiative; Cervecería Nacional with ‘Programa Siembra Cebada’ (Barley Sowing Programme), Gas Natural Fenosa with its Programme ‘Asociación Día Solidario’ (Solidarity Day Association) and Jairo Marcos Pérez, a journalist of Revista Tiempo Magazine for his report ‘Guerrilleros y paramilitares SA’ (Guerrilla and paramilitary fighters, inc).

The Foundation’s Honorary President, HRH Prince Felipe de Asturias, was responsible for handing the prizes to each of the five winners. Afterwards, Don Felipe de Borbón y Grecia thanked the winning companies and journalists for the fundamental role they play in the fight against poverty and in the promotion of solidarity. He also mentioned his satisfaction with CODESPA’s growth and with its approach of backing innovation in solidarity. “The fight against poverty also needs new formulae, new initiatives, and new ideas. Novel solutions that are more effective and sustainable; and in which enterprises take part as direct, active and involved players”, said HRH Prince of Asturias.

Meanwhile, the president of Fundación CODESPA, Laura Castán, thanked participants because the projects they presented are “an example that in spite of all the difficulties, Spanish society is a charitable and supportive society” and has highlighted that the foundation wishes to “confront poverty by trying to generate the opportunities required so that everyone living in a situation of poverty can develop their potential”.

Also, José Ignacio González-Aller, managing director of CODESPA thanked donors and collaborating enterprises for their help. He also gave a presentation on one of the projects underway in Angola and which benefits 2,500 families thanks to the creation of 142 microenterprises, managed by farmers themselves, and the offer of a low cost system for storing seeds.

More information on the CODESPA Awards is available at www.premioscodespa.com.