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Global Heritage Fund Celebrates Dr. Richard Hansen’s Award as Environmentalist of the Year
October 22, 2008
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Global Heritage Fund Celebrates Dr. Richard Hansen’s Award as Environmentalist of the Year
GHF’s Mirador Project Director to Receive Prestigious Latin Business Bravo Award
Palo Alto and Guatemala City – October 22, 2008. Global Heritage Fund (GHF) celebrates the award of Environmentalist of the Year to GHF Mirador Project Director, Dr. Richard Hansen, by the Latin Trade Bravo Business Awards.
Now in its 14th year, the Latin Trade Bravo Business Awards honors business and political leaders for their contributions to progress and excellence in Latin America and the Caribbean. Every year, business, political and social leaders are recognized for outstanding achievement with consultation by leading international experts, widely acknowledged as the “Oscars” of Latin American business.
At the black-tie gala this year, Dr. Hansen will be honored with an exclusive group of leaders from across the Americas, joining fellow awardees President Alvaro Uribe Velez of Colombia, Carlos Slim Helú, Chairman, América Movil, Telmex and Grupo Carso, and María Andrade Hernández, General Director, Pronatura.
More than 300 leaders from Latin America and the United States, including presidents, government ministers, CEOs of multinational and Latin American companies and financial institutions are expected to attend.
“We are proud of Dr. Richard Hansen for recognition by the Latin American community for his 25 years of dedication to the cause of saving the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Northern Guatemala, which has been devastated by fires, massive clearing for drug trafficking and illegal logging,” says Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of GHF. “His work has helped create a bright future and secured long-term protection for El Mirador National Park and the Mirador Basin through major investments by GHF, FARES (the Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies) and Guatemalan partner PACUNAM (Fundacion Patrimonio Cultrual y Natural Maya) into Mirador’s archaeological and nature conservation, community development, training and infrastructure. We are still under great threat, but Dr. Hansen has given the local communities new hope and helped create hundreds of new jobs based on sustainable tourism into the Mirador Basin, the Cradle of Maya Civilization.”
The Bravo Environmentalist of the Year is awarded to the individual with the highest achievements in the promotion of the environment in Latin America. Dr. Hansen is being awarded October 24th in Miami, Florida in the presence of hundreds of Latin American business, political and social leaders for his outstanding work to protect the environment and the archaeological sites of the Petén region in Guatemala.
About the Bravo Awards
Sponsored by Latin Trade, the Bravo Business Awards are The Bravo Business Awards are widely acknowledged as the “Oscars” of Latin American business. The pantheon of Bravo Award winners includes presidents, business and social leaders of the highest calibre and representing a broad spectrum of countries and interests. Sponsors include Citi, BMW, American Airlines, The Nature Conservancy, CNN and InterContinental Hotel Group. For more information, see: http://www.latintrade.com/bravo.asp.
Latin Trade Bravo Awards
LEADER OF THE YEAR
Álvaro Uribe Vélez, President of Colombia
ENVIRONMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Richard Hansen, President, Foundation for Anthropological Research
and Environmental Studies
MOST INNOVATIVE LEADER
Rubén Blades, Minister of Tourism of Panama
FINANCIER OF THE YEAR
Henrique de Campos Meirelles, Governor, Central Bank of Brazil
CEO OF THE YEAR
Enrique Cueto Plaza, CEO, LAN Airlines
INTERNATIONAL CEO OF THE YEAR
Subramaniam Ramadorai, CEO, Tata Consultancy Services
MOST DYNAMIC CEO OF THE YEAR
Luis Fernando Santos, President, Casa Editorial El Tiempo
TECHNOLOGY LEADER OF THE YEAR
Marcelo Argüelles, Chairman, Grupo de Empresas Farmacéuticas Sidus
HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR
Vivian Pellas, Executive Director, Asociación Pro Niños Quemados de Nicaragua
Mirador Partners in Conservation
About FARES
Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies
The Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), scientific research institution and public charity formed in January 1996 whose primary function is to conduct scientific research on ancient and contemporary societies and associated environments and to utilize this research for development, conservation, and education. FARES is currently working in close collaboration with the government of Guatemala and numerous foundations and institutions throughout the world. The organization employs a comprehensive developmental approach to form a strong, multidisciplinary, and systematic approach to understanding human behavior and cultural relationships with the environment from both an ancient and contemporary perspective.
Web site: http://www.miradorbasin.com
About PACUNAM
The Foundation of Cultural and Natural Maya Patrimony (PACUNAM) looks to become Guatemala’s leading foundation in the preservation of Mayan natural and cultural heritage by combining the efforts of companies, businessmen and individuals. With a long-range planning, its mission includes education, recovery, maintenance, protection and advertising of Mayan natural and cultural heritage, by promoting a responsible, sustainable and profitable Tourism.
The Foundation’s values are: To fulfill its vision and mission, to promote multisectoral cooperation, publication of information and of acquired knowledge and Archeological and Ecological investigations. Its primary objectives are to support the Cuenca Mirador Project in order to attract sustainable tourism that benefits Guatemalans’ wellbeing in general, and of Peten people in particular. Founding members since 2006 are Cementos Progreso, Wal- Mart Central América, Ingenio Pantaleón, Cervecería Centroamericana, Banco Industrial, Telgua/Claro and Disagro and Citi Latin America.
About Global Heritage Fund
Global Heritage Fund is an international conservancy dedicated to preserving endangered world heritage sites in developing countries to improve lives of local people. GHF enables successful, long-term preservation of the developing world’s most important archaeological sites and ancient townscapes in developing countries, creating new opportunities for economic growth. To achieve this, Global Heritage Fund deploys a well-proven Preservation by Design methodology: 1) comprehensive master conservation planning, 2) sustained preservation through local community involvement, 3) excellence in scientific conservation, and 4) partnerships and complementary funding. Global Heritage Fund is a registered nonprofit international conservancy based in Palo Alto, California.
