| Vol. 3, No. 2, June 2009 |
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From the Executive Director
PPAF brings together the public and private sectors, the international community and civil society, to work toward reducing poverty, especially in Madagascar and the Dominican Republic. This ambitious work includes focus on the sustainable development of biofuels, especially sugar-based ethanol, which can help meet the goal of curbing global warming. It also includes development of agribusiness and work in health. To do this we need your help. When it comes right down to it, PPAF needs money to continue its work. Funds are needed to hold meetings to bring together the various stakeholders – to rent space, arrange for audio-visuals and provide materials. Funds are needed for travel to the focus countries to meet with colleagues, community representatives, businesses, government and others.
PPAF can only function with the support of friends. All donations, large and small, are welcome. Won’t you help today? You can use a credit card with JustGive, and click on the Donate button to provide a gift. JustGive partners with GuideStar, or send a check to the address below. Please take a moment to join our Facebook Group and encourage your friends to join PPAF as a Cause. PPAF is also now on LinkedIn.
PPAF’s next event, a follow-up meeting to our Third Partners Against Poverty event focusing on Ethanol Development (held May 7), will take place at the United Nations on June 17. See the article below. A second follow-up is planned for the Dominican Republic later in the summer.
PPAF gives many opportunities to become involved. See the article below about our volunteers and interns. We are also seeking financing, investments and partnerships for specific projects. I would be happy to talk with you about any of these opportunities.
PPAF is a 501(c) 3 public charity and donations received are tax deductible to the full extent of the law and may be made directly to PPAF. ppafoundation@gmail.com PPAF's Third Annual Partners Against Poverty Event at the UN Focuses on Ethanol Development - May 7, 2009 The Public-Private Alliance Foundation (PPAF) held its Third Annual "Partners Against Poverty" event at the United Nations on May 7, 2009. Forty-five (45) high-level participants and observers representing five countries (Brazil, Dominican Republic, USA, Honduras and Haiti) engaged in a by-invitation-only facilitated discussion on business model innovation for development and production of bio-fuels, especially in the Dominican Republic. The UN Office for Partnerships sponsored the event. PPAF Executive Director, David Stillman, PhD, and ResearchPAYS®, Inc. President Tom Kadala, MBA, organized and facilitated the discussions. A report of the meeting is available on the PPAF website.
Aristides Fernandez-Zucco, Minister of State and President of the Dominican National Energy Commission, greeted participants and offered introductory remarks. Distinguished participants representing the Dominican Republic included Felipe Vicini and several senior staff of Grupo Vicini, Francis Lorenzo, Deputy Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations, and Jorge Selman, the New York representative for the Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-DR). Themes expressed included that sugar-based ethanol could make an important contribution to reduce Dominican dependence on imported petroleum, expand sugar productivity and create jobs for people in agricultural and related sectors. Cellulosic materials such as sugar cane bagasse and municipal waste have potential as the industry evolves. Also biodiesel from jatropha and other oily plants could benefit community life, and growing such feedstock on the frontier with Haiti could advance efforts to improve living standards on both sides of the border.
Participants felt that low-cost and effective distribution of product and access to capital were critical issues. Sector development requires long-term capital, though the current financial environment favors short-term periods and projects. With regard to the debates on food versus fuel and indirect land use, discussants felt these were not relevant in the Dominican Republic where sugar production has declined in recent years, fields lie fallow and farmers are out of work.
A full list of participants appears as an addendum to the report.
Institutions and companies represented included the US State Department, the UN Foundation, Cornell University, the Inter-American Development Bank, Verenium Corporation, Masada Resource Group, International Sugar Organization, International Ethanol Trade Association, Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, SIMACT, several investors and several units of the United Nations.
“Green energy in the Dominican Republic has great potential in economic, environmental and social terms,” said Stillman, who organized the event. “With direct access to major markets such as the US and Europe, ethanol production from local feedstock offers significant investment opportunities.”
Themes expressed included that sugar-based ethanol could make an important contribution to reduce Dominican dependence on imported petroleum, expand sugar productivity and create jobs for people in agricultural and related sectors. Cellulosic materials such as sugar cane bagasse and municipal waste have potential as the industry evolves. Also biodiesel from jatropha and other oily plants could benefit community life, and growing such feedstock on the frontier with Haiti could advance efforts to improve living standards on both sides of the border.
“After two-hours of an invigorating exchange, the group arrived to a number of exciting discoveries and next steps,” explained Kadala, the group’s discussion facilitator. “Group participants got a chance to interact with their peers, compare points of view, and jointly evaluate important industry issues.”
Many participants expressed a desire to engage in further discussions leading to action. Follow-up meetings will take place at the United Nations on June 17, prior to a Renewable Sources of Energy Conference that will be held by the General Assembly and in the Dominican Republic later in the summer.
 Seated l to r: Joseph Sherman, International Ethanol Trade Association; Will Kennedy, UN Office for Partnerships; Felipe Vicini, Grupo Vicini; Jorge Selman, Center for Export and Investmennt - Dominican Republic; David Rosenblum-Felson, Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
Standing l to r: Dr. David Stillman, PPAF; Lindsay Jolly, International Sugar Organization
 Seated l to r: Andrew Yager, UN Division for Sustainable Development; Ken Mackay, MS Global Finance; Thomas Apperson, Bradley Woods & Co. Ltd.; Aristides Fernandez-Zucco, Minister of State annd President, National Energy Commission, Dominican Republic
Standing: Tom Kadala, ResearchPAYS, Inc. |
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PPAF arranged for several Ethanol Meeting participants to be interviewed by Bill Miller, Host and Producer of Global Connections Television. Miller, a board member of the UNA Association of the USA and a member of the UN Correspondents Association films the interview series in cooperation with UN Television.
Miller conducted interviews which resulted in two half-hour TV programs – one with Dominican officials and the other with officials of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and a group of Haitian professionals who invest in development in Haiti. PPAF will announce when and where these interviews can be viewed publicly.
Aristides Fernandez-Zucco. Minister of State and President of the National Energy Commission of the Dominican Republic and Ambassador Francis Lorenzo of the D.R. spoke about biofuel development in the Dominican Republic and the Millennium Development Goals. The Minister emphasized that such development can make an important contribution to reducing dependence on imported petroleum, expanding sugar productivity and creating jobs for people in the agricultural and related sectors. Production of jatropha and other biodiesel feedstock on marginal land, such as that on the frontier with Haiti could also improve living standards on both sides of the border. “Green energy” in the Dominican Republic has great potential in economic, environmental and social terms. With the country well-placed by geography, growing conditions and regional trade and policy agreements, ethanol is an area of significant investment and commercial potential.
Arnoldo Vieira de Carvalho, a Specialist with the Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initiative (SECCI) of the Inter-American Development Bank, spoke about its extensive work in Latin America and the Caribbean on renewable energy and biofuels, including loans, grants and studies. He also spoke of the experience of his home country, Brazil, with sugar-based ethanol and flex-fuel cars. Daniel Faustin, Executive Vice President of SIMACT, Inc. (the Society Immobiliere d’Agriculture, de Commerce et de Tourisme), described its work and highlighted a small-scale bioenergy effort aimed also to reducing deforestation. This was accomplished through shipping scrap lumber from Delaware to Haiti to provide fuel for charcoal, at a lower price than chopping down trees in Haiti.
 l to r: Dr. David Stillman, Executive Director, Public-Private Alliance Foundation; Aristides Fernandez-Zucco, Minister of State and President, National Energy Commission;Tom Kadala, President, ResearchPAYS, Inc.; Bill Miller, Producer and Moderator, Global Connections Television; Francis Lorenzo, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations |
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Several months ago PPAF made possible a needs assessment by Project C.U.R.E. (see newsletters for October 2008 and April 2009). This has led to delivery of the first 40 foot container of medical supplies and equipment, valued at $400,000 US, to Madagascar. The delivery was announced at a ceremony on May 12 at the maternity hospital Befelatanana, in Antananarivo. Monja Roindefo, Prime Minister of the High Authority of Transition (HAT), spoke on behalf of the Authority. He was accompanied by his wife and by HAT Ministers Henri Ranaivoarisoa, Minister of Health and Family Planning, and Irene Andreas, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts. The Prime Minister expressed gratitude on behalf of the HAT for the continuation of humanitarian assistance to the people of Madagascar.
As a result of the needs assessment and successful fundraising, Project C.U.R.E. plans to ship two additional containers this summer for use elsewhere in Madagascar. |
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PPAF deeply regrets the passing of our colleague Dr. Hope White-Davis, who was founder and president of the World Association of Former United Nations Internes and Fellows (WAFUNIF). In this capacity she provided support to the Foundation during its formative period, with WAFUNIF as fiscal sponsor in 2007 and 2008.
Dr. White-Davis passed away on April 30, 2009 at the age of 57. A native of Jamaica, she received Master’s and Doctorate degrees from Columbia University and Bachelor’s and Master’s from New York University. She was a strong and passionate supporter of the United Nations, starting as an Intern with the Department of Public Information and founding WAFUNIF in 1978.
PPAF is grateful to Dr. White-Davis and to WAFUNIF for their fiscal sponsorship, which enabled PPAF to develop and grow as a non-governmental, non-profit organization until achievement of its own 501 (c) 3 status.
 Dr. Hope White-Davis and Dr. David Stillman |
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On April 23, David Stillman and Tom Kadala spoke at a meeting co-organized by the United Nations Association Council of Organizations and the Business Council for the United Nations on the topic, “The changing nature of corporate-civil society partnerships in the global economic downturn.”
Olajobi Makinwa, Civil Society Coordinator with the UN Global Compact opened the session. She noted, "Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are now understood to be real factors in the long-term viability and success of companies, whether small suppliers or large trans-nationals. It is now an established fact that corporations which care about other issues- ESG- perform better in the long run.” The UN Global Compact has published a report on this: “Future Proof? Embedding environmental, social and governance issues in investment markets. Outcomes of the Who Cares Wins Initiative 2004-2008”, which is available on the Global Compact website.
According to Makinwa, “Advancing the corporate responsibility agenda is not assured in today’s uncertain economic climate. The downturn poses serious challenges for many companies, governments and Civil Society. The natural tendency especially for businesses is to look for bailouts from governments while cutting back on Corporate Social Responsibility activities. But the consequences of taking this course of action will have a ripple effect. Issues such as climate change, human rights, corruption and poverty will not vanish as a result of economic decline, indeed some will worsen.”
Stillman introduced PPAF, which supports the principles of the UN Global Compact. PPAF brings together businesses, government, civil society, international organizations and academic institutions to collaborate for the purpose of reducing poverty, and helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. He discussed PPAF’s work in agribusiness, renewable energy and health, and introduced the PPAF event on Ethanol Development scheduled for May 7 at the United Nations. Stillman emphasized the interconnected and mutually dependent relationship between business and wider society, and said that “ignoring social responsibility in the pursuit of profit has proved to be bad business.”
Panelists agreed that now is a good time for companies to reorient themselves toward socially responsible investment strategies and business practices. Kadala gave a sample of how he planned to facilitate Business Model Innovation in the May 7 discussion of ethanol. This facilitation technique joins together five pillars of business: private sector, public sector, academia, field testing and finance. Kadala led audience members through a hypothetical exercise, focusing on the pros and cons of ethanol fuels. The ensuing discussion demonstrated the parties’ interconnected interests and the impact of a business’s structure on each.
The event took place at the Church Center for the UN and was open to the public.  l to r: David Stillman, PPAF; Jessica Hartl, UNA-USA; Olajobi Makinwa, UN Global Compact; Tom Kadala, ResearchPAYS, Inc.; Allison MacEachron, UNA-USA |
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On April 16 David Stillman joined a panel organized by the Subcommittee on Older Women of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women and the NGO Committee on Migration. The meeting addressed The Global Impact of Migration on Older Women. Stillman discussed outcomes of the Regional Consultation on Migration, Remittances and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in the Dominican Republic in July 2006, which he helped organize. The significance of women as receivers and senders of remittances was one of the major themes in the meeting and in the Declaration adopted by it. The Dominican Government submitted results to the UN General Assembly, see Document A/61/343 below in pdf format. |
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On April 14, David Stillman and Tom Kadala met with an International Relations Class taught by Dr. Greg Julian, head of Political Science at Pace University. They spoke on the nature of public-private collaboration and on renewable energy and community development in the Dominican Republic. Students in the class are interested in developing projects in the D.R.
On April 17 Stillman led a seminar at the Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN on the subject of work in the Dominican Republic toward the UN Millennium Development Goals. The seminar, offered in cooperation with D.R. Mission staff, was for the benefit of faculty and students from the College of New Rochelle. |
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| Volunteers and Interns PPAF is grateful for the assistance of several volunteers at the Ethanol Event at the United Nations. In addition to Ms. De Souza, these included:
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Please consider a gift to help PPAF develop its work to build pro-poor business opportunities. If your company will match your gift, please let us know.
Donations in any amount are welcome and will be tax-exempt to the extent of the law. You may make your gift using the Donate button, or send a check payable to Public-Private Alliance Foundation to:
PPAF
166 Edgars Lane
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10017
We would be happy to talk with you about your contribution to the work of PPAF and also give details on electronic deposits. Please call 914-924-0108 or e-mail ppafoundation@gmail.com.
 Newsletter Credits Jeanne Betsock Stillman, Editor Samantha Young, Assistant Editor
Marc Perry, Graphic and Newsletter Design
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