Daniel Chavez Moran

Daniel Chavez Moran: Latin American Decade

2011-10-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Founded by Mexican philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran, the nonprofit Vidanta Foundation and its affiliated institutions of higher learning focus on the promotion of Latin American studies, and the analysis of Latin American international relations and strategies for a positive integration of the region in the global economy. Daniel Chavez Moran came across these insights on the Latin American decade ahead from Alberto Ramos of Goldman Sachs, a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm:

This definitely could be the Latin American decade—if policy-makers seize the opportunity to adopt longstanding structural reforms geared to increase productivity, diversify the economic base, and boost real GDP growth.

Second-generation reforms that could help unlock the growth potential in Latin American economies include reforms in education, labor markets, and trade, but also institutional reforms aimed at increasing the efficiency of the public sector and at attracting domestic and foreign investment.

Brazil has emerged as an important power in the region and has in recent years attracted significant portfolio and direct investment flows. But the large capital inflows added pressure on the exchange rate, which has reduced the overall competitiveness of Brazil's non-commodity exporters.

China's emergence as a global economic and financial powerhouse and major consumer of commodities has admittedly levered the economic performance of Latin America. At the same time, China is now a formidable competitor in the export of manufacturing goods, particularly for Mexico.

Since Latin America is commodity rich (given its large endowment of natural resources), it experiences a significant positive "wealth shock" when commodity prices rise. The macro resilience accumulated in recent years has better prepared the region to withstand negative price shocks, and so a downward correction of commodity prices should not in itself trigger disruptive macroeconomic dynamics.

Daniel Chavez Moran on Uniting for Education

2011-10-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Mexican philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran understands education is one of the keys to freeing people from the bondage of poverty throughout the Americas. His founding of the nonprofit Vidanta Foundation, and his founding of the Fundación Delia Moran A.C., in honor of his mother, a gifted school teacher, are testaments to that belief. Chavez Moran applauds efforts in the United States to improve education for the more than 11 million Hispanic students in America’s public elementary and secondary schools as noted in this Washington Post article:

“President Obama has appointed Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll — the Colombian singer better known around the world as Shakira — to a presidential commission on education for Hispanics...

“Shakira was recently named the 2011 Latin Recording Academy person of the year. Here’s the biography of her on the White House release:

She founded the Barefoot Foundation in 1995, which operates schools and educational projects in Colombia, South Africa, and Haiti, feeding and educating approximately 6,000 children. In 2010, she collaborated with the World Bank and the Barefoot Foundation to establish an initiative that distributes educational and developmental programs for children across Latin America. In 2008, Ms. Mebarak Ripoll served as the Honorary Chair of the Global Campaign for Education’s Global Action Week. In 2005, she became a founding member of Latin America in Solidarity Action, a coalition of artists and business leaders seeking to promote integrated early childhood public policies. Ms. Mebarak Ripoll became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in 2003, where she promotes the expansion and improvement of comprehensive early childhood care and education across the world.

“...The other two members to be appointed to the advisory team are Adrian Pendoza, who leads a grass-roots immigration and education reform organization, and Kent Scribner, who serves as a school superintendent in Phoenix.”

Daniel Chavez Moran: Welcomes Pan-American Games

2011-10-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Vidanta Foundation, welcomes the thousands of international competitors and visitors to the Pan-American games, hosted Oct. 14-30, 2011, in Jalisco, Mexico.

About some of the venue cities from the Mexican Tourism Board:

Guadalajara: Renowned as a state-of-the-art city and a business center, will be the main venue of the encounter which will gather 42 countries and over 5 thousand athletes. The second most populated city of the country also provides the visitors the typical mariachi, tequila and charrería (Mexican rodeo style), symbols which are representative of the city and the state in general.

Tapalpa: Named as a Magic Town and located at 118 kilometers from Guadalajara, this town offers ideal natural landscapes for extreme sports. Besides, its gastronomy includes delights as the sheep “al pastor,” rompope (kind of eggnog), fruits punch and pulque.

Ciudad Guzmán: Favorite place for the practice of ecotourism, will also be present in the sportive competition which will start on October 14th. The Volcano Nevado 'El Colima', which summit covers in white from December to February, as well as the Ecological Park Las Peñas and the Lagoon of Zapotlán are some of the places which allow the visitor to practice activities to the open sky.

Puerto Vallarta: Forms part of the beautiful Bahía de Banderas, and is one of the beach destinations more frequently visited in Mexico thanks to its tradition, beauty and hospitality. This site will be another sub-venue of the international games.

Lagos de Moreno: Another municipality which will form part of the Games is Lagos de Moreno, that was honored by UNESCO in 2010 thanks to its Historical Downtown, acknowledged as a Cultural Heritage of Mankind. This municipality provides a direct encounter to the roots of the Mexican identity.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Bridge to a New Energy Future

2011-10-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran, following a successful career as developer of five-star hotels and resorts, golf courses, vacation ownership resorts and tourism infrastructure throughout Latin America, founded the non-profit Vidanta Foundation to support public policies that strengthen democracy and promote economic and social development in Latin America.

Integration of the region in the global economy being key to that vision, Chavez Moran notes this Wall Street Journal article about a new energy future for Latin America:

RIO DE JANEIRO (Dow Jones)--Brazil's emergence as a hot frontier for oil and natural gas was boosted Wednesday by two fresh discoveries, with exploration and development of the country's newfound oil wealth likely to attract billions in investments over the next decade.

Latin America's largest country is squarely in the cross hairs of the global oil industry, with Brazil's stable democracy and robust economic growth making it especially attractive...

Brazil is betting heavily on development of its offshore fields, with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva--the predecessor and mentor to current head of state Dilma Rousseff--saying oil could transform the country by easing the crushing poverty afflicting many of its citizens. The area known as the pre-salt, where oil was found more than 4 miles below the ocean surface, could hold between 50 billion and 100 billion barrels of oil and make Brazil the world's fourth-largest crude producer and a top-10 exporter...

The latest discovery builds on a string of high-profile finds that started in 2007, when Brazil announced the first pre-salt oil field. The Tupi field, now in pilot production after being renamed Lula, was the largest discovery in the Western Hemisphere since Mexico's Cantarell in 1976. Lula alone is estimated to hold 6.5 billion barrels of recoverable oil...

Despite the technical challenges that make pumping oil from the ocean depths expensive and complicated, the Ernst & Young Terco-Getulio Vargas study said that oil exports could reach 600,000 barrels a day by 2020 and generate $27.9 billion in revenue. That's nearly double the $16.1 billion in oil-export revenue Brazil earned in 2010.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Equality in Education

2011-10-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran is the son of a gifted and caring school teacher. He is also the founder of Fundación Delia Moran A.C., which seeks to improve the lives of those less fortunate by providing support for poverty-stricken children ages 6 to 12 who struggle to survive each day.

Chavez Moran understands the vital role education plays in lifting people from poverty. That is why he read with interest this recent news from the United Nations on tackling the disparities in education faced by girls around the world:

3 October 2011 – With evidence showing that disparities in education widen as girls grow, the United Nations today kicked off a two-day meeting in Paris devoted to gender inequality in classroom achievement and on women’s leadership role in education.

The forum on gender equality in education brings together experts, government officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to examine the root causes of inequality between girls’ and boys’ school performances.

While gender equality in education remains a crucial issue for many countries, women still account for two thirds of the world’s illiterate population and the majority of out-of-school children are girls, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which organized the forum.

“Equality is not a numbers game,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said in her address to the meeting.

“Equality implies the same chances of learning, of benefiting from equitable treatment within the school, and the same opportunities in terms of employment, wages and civic participation,” she added.

...Participants at the forum will also consider the progress achieved in reducing the gender gap, and the obstacles that stand in the way of women’s ability to achieve senior leadership positions in the public sector and more specifically in education.

Daniel Chavez Moran on Brighter Trade Horizons

2011-10-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran, now retired from the development of hotels and resorts, founded Grupo Vidanta in 1974 after graduating from The University of Guadalajara with a degree in Civil Engineering. He retired in 2005 to found the Vidanta Foundation, which actively promotes public policies that support economic growth, strengthening democracy, and the reduction of poverty, inequality and discrimination in Latin America.

Chavez Moran follows news of global economic development with special interest, including this recent article, “Latin America Buffered Against Global Shock, World Bank Says,” from Bloomberg news:

“Latin American countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Chile have created a buffer against a global recession after raising interest rates in the past 15 months, the World Bank said in a report today...Latin America and the Caribbean is forecast to grow between 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent this year, thanks to capital inflows and high commodity prices...the World Bank foresees emerging markets, including China, continuing to outgrow the developed world, with commodity prices remaining high...the emergence of China as a major trading partner for Latin America has been a driver of the region’s robust growth in the past decade, contrary to initial concerns that China ‘would outcompete and displace’ Latin America and the Caribbean... “

Daniel Chavez Moran on Economic Growth in Brazil

2011-10-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Retired resort developer and philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran encourages scholarly and civic projects supporting economic development and the growth of democracy throughout Latin America through the Vidanta Foundation, a nonprofit organization he founded in 2005.

Chavez Moran notes this recent positive economic news published by Reuters news service about growing economic opportunities in Brazil that will help increase tourism. An excerpt from that story:

(Reuters) - German airline Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) will take advantage of strong economic performance in Latin America at a time when its businesses elsewhere are under pressure, a senior executive said on Wednesday...the carrier is expanding in Latin America, opening what it sees as key routes in recent months, including to Bogota and Rio de Janeiro. It has also launched an alliance with Colombian and Salvadoran tie-up AviancaTaca AVTp.CN for other routes.

"We want to develop our business in Latin America because we see that the area has been quite stable during the crisis," Lufthansa's vice president for the Americas, Jurgen Siebenrock, told Reuters during a visit to Venezuela.

"There's a lot of growth, especially in Brazil ... we want to be part of that," he said, citing the potential offered by Brazil hosting the 2014 soccer World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

Daniel Chavez Moran Announces 2011 Prize Winners

2011-10-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

PhilanthropistDaniel Chavez Moran proudly announces the winners of the 2011Vidanta Foundation Prize for "Contributions to the Reduction of Povertyand Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean."

First place and $100,000 is awarded toDesarrollo Autogestionario, A. C. (AUGE), Mexico.
Second place and $75,000 is awarded toCE-Mujer, Dominican Republic.
Third place and $50,000 is awarded toAssociação Para Valorização de Pessoas com Deficiência, (AVAPE), Brazil.

The annual Vidanta Foundation Prize is a joint initiative by the Organization ofAmerican States (OAS), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and the nonprofitVidantaFoundation, founded byDaniel Chavez Moran.

More than200 civic organizations throughout the Americas applied for the VidantaFoundation Prize this year. The winning submissions were selected on August 26,2011, at Riviera Maya, Quintana Roo state, Mexico, by an esteemed internationaljury including Mrs. Billie Miller (Barbados), Mr. Carmelo Angulo (Spain), LuisMaira (Chile), Esteban Moctezuma (Mexico) and Julio María Sanguinetti (Uruguay).

Alsonominated as finalists were:

FundaciónAllegro, Argentina.
FundaciónInstituto de la Mujer, Chile.
SinFronteras, I. A. P., Mexico.

Relatedposts: Daniel Chavez Moran on opening doors to the future and Daniel Chavez Moran on creating opportunities.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Education in the Battle Against Poverty

2011-10-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

As the sonof a school teacher in Mexico, DanielChavez Moran remembersthe lessons taught to him by his mother who dedicated her life to helpingchildren combat the destructive combination of ignorance and poverty. That iswhy Chavez Moran created Fundación Delia Moran A.C. in 2002 in his mother’shonor to provide assistance to children ages 6 to 12 whose day-to-day life is aconstant struggle.

But moreneeds to be done to battle poverty through education according to WorldFund.org , founded by Luanne Zurlo after a nine-yearcareer as a securities analyst on Wall Street:

Withouta high-level education, Latin American children will continue to lack theskills necessary for entering the workforce and participating in theincreasingly competitive global economy.

50 million people in Latin America cannotread or write.
Latin Americans receive an average of sixyears of schooling, compared to nine-and-a-half years in the OECD (Organizationof Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.
Nearly one-third of children in primaryschool in Latin America repeat a grade. The additional cost to the region'seducation systems has been estimated at $4 billion per year.
Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru rank behindUganda, Zambia, Botswana and Burundi in the quality of their math and scienceeducation.
In Mexico, only 13 percent of adults receivea high school diploma versus 87 percent of American adults.
Over 50 percent of Mexican and Brazilian15-year old youth are functionally illiterate and thus unable to compete intoday's economy.

DanielChavez Moran salutes the work of WorldFund.org and the dedication of all of thoseinvolved in this important effort “to minimize the education gap in LatinAmerica by investing in high-quality and outcome-driven schools and educationprograms that serve impoverished children.”

Daniel Chavez Moran on Mexico’s Global Economy

2011-09-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

DanielChavez Moran, a retireddeveloper now focused on philanthropy through the non-profit VidantaFoundation, recognizesthat today’s global economy directly connects life in Mexico with decisionsmade far away in Manhattan in the United States. He read with interest thisrecent article on the subject in the Economistmagazine, excerptedbelow:

Making the desert bloom ...Thefinancial crisis of 2008 began on the trading floors of Manhattan, but thebiggest tremors were felt in the desert south of the Rio Grande. Mexicosuffered the steepest recession of any country in the Americas... Its economyshrank by 6.1 percent in 2009... Between the third quarter of 2008 and thesecond quarter of 2009, 700,000 jobs were lost, 260,000 of them inmanufacturing. The slump was deepest in the prosperous north: worst hit was theborder state of Coahuila. Saltillo, its capital, had grown rich exporting toAmerica. The state’s output fell by 12.3 percent in 2009 as orders dried up. Therecession turned a reasonable decade for Mexico’s economy into a dreary one. Inthe ten years to 2010, income per person grew by 0.6 percent a year, one of thelowest rates in the world. In the early 2000s Mexico boasted Latin America’sbiggest economy, measured at market exchange rates, but it was soon overtakenby Brazil, whose GDP is now twice as big and still pulling away, boosted by thesoaring real...
YetMexico’s economy is packed with potential. Thanks to the North AmericanFree-Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and a string of bilateral deals, it trades morethan Argentina and Brazil combined, and more per person than China. Last yearit did $400 billion of business with the United States, more than any countrybar Canada and China... Thoughexpatriates whinge about bureaucracy, the World Bank ranks Mexico the easiestplace in Latin America to do business and the 35th-easiest in the world, aheadof Italy and Spain...
Thesestrengths have helped Mexico to rebound smartly from its calamitous slump...

Daniel Chavez Moran: Latin American Currencies Gain

2011-09-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Though now retired,Mexican entrepreneur Daniel Chavez Moran remains dedicated to advancing democracy andeconomic opportunity for all of Latin America through his philanthropic workwith the non-profit Vidanta Foundation. Chavez Moran also follows economic news andnotes this recent report from Reuters news service regarding gains for LatinAmerican currencies and the inter-relation of the economies of Mexico and theUnited States:

RIODE JANEIRO/MEXICO CITY, Aug 29 (Reuters) – Latin American currencies gainedagainst the U.S. dollar on Monday, led by Mexico's peso, after better-than-expectedU.S. economic activity reduced concern that the world's largest economy is enteringanother recession. U.S. consumer spending rose 0.8 percent in July, its fastestpace in five months, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Monday. The resultbeat the 0.5 percent expected by 59 economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters ECONALLUS.
TheUnited States is responsible for about 80 percent of Mexico's export earningsand is the largest or second-largest trading partner of most Latin Americancountries. "When you get news of growth in the U.S., that's better for thepeso," said Marcelo Salomon, chief economist for Brazil and Mexico atBarclay's Capital in New York. "Concern about the United States going intorecession would have been bad news not just for Mexico but for the rest ofLatin America as well."

Daniel Chavez Moran: Latin American-European Relations

2011-09-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Retired businessman DanielChavez Moran announces theinternational seminar, "Latin America and Europe and its Global Relationships,"sponsored by the non-profit Vidanta Foundation, will take place on Sep. 13, 2011, in BuenosAires, Argentina. The meeting will be held at the Torcuato Di Tella University,an associated institution of the Vidanta Foundation. The seminar is cosponsored by the magazineNueva Sociedad, and its participants will be prominent figures from Europe andLatin America.

About Torcuato Di Tella University:

“Anon-profit private university...Located in the Belgrano neighbourhood of BuenosAires, Argentina, it has an undergraduate enrollment of 1,200 students and agraduate enrollment of 1,300. The university is focused primarily on socialsciences. The undergraduates majors available are economics, businessadministration, law, political science, international relations, history andmore recently, architecture. The university also offers 28 graduate programs.

“UniversidadTorcuato Di Tella was founded in 1991, with the mission of educating newgenerations of academics, and business, social and political leaders. It wasfounded by the Torcuato di Tella Foundation, making use of the experience andresources of the Torcuato di Tella Institute. The latter, a non-profitinstitute founded in 1958 to promote research in the interest of scientific,cultural and artistic development in Argentina, became a leading local centerfor avant-garde art during the 1960s. The establishments' namesake, Torcuato diTella, had been a leading Argentine industrialist through his Siam di Tellaconglomerate (founded in 1911).”

Chavez Moran Announces Gov. Richardson as Speaker, Constructing Democratic Governance

2011-09-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran is pleased to announce Bill Richardson,former two-term governor of New Mexico, U.S., will be the keynote speaker ofthe seminar titled "La Construcción de la Gobernabilidad Democrática,"sponsored by the non-profit Vidanta Foundation. The seminar will take place on Oct. 6-7,2011, in Washington, D.C. Its primaryobjective will be to present and discuss the main findings of the VidantaFoundation’s Constructing Democratic Governance series, coordinated by Michael Shifter at the Inter-American Dialogue and Jorge Dominguez at Harvard University.

Gov. Richardson served as the 30th governor of New Mexicofrom 2003 to 2011. Before being elected governor, Richardson served in theadministration of U.S. President Bill Clinton as U.S. Ambassador to the UnitedNations, and as Energy Secretary. Richardson has also served as a U.S.Congressman, chairman of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and chairmanof the Democratic Governors Association.

The Constructing Democratic Governance project sponsored by the Vidanta Foundation isconcerned with democratic institutions and practice in the Latin America. Scholarlypublications resulting from the project have been widely used in college anduniversity classes concerned with democracy in Latin America and have beencited frequently by policy specialists grappling with the complicated issuessurrounding democratic progress in the region.

Despiteprogress in recent years, almost all Latin American countries continue to facechallenges, and possible setbacks, to democratic governance and the rule oflaw. In light of these critical problems, it is productive to once again takean in-depth, systematic look at regional trends in democratic governance. Thecentral purpose of such an assessment is to illuminate current trends andchallenges and to make practical lessons available to analysts and key decisionmakers on Latin American issues.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Creating More Value

2011-09-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Retired Mexican entrepreneur Daniel Chavez Moran learned from his mother, a great teacher who dedicated her life to helping children combat ignorance and poverty, that the true measure of a man’s success is not what he makes of himself but how he helps others. That is why Daniel Chavez Moran created Fundación Delia Moran A.C. in 2002 to help young children whose day-to-day life is a constant struggle to survive. That is also why he founded the non-profit Vidanta Foundation, with a primary goal of promoting the social sciences and culture of Latin America as well as promoting corporate social responsibility. A recent paper published by the Harvard Business Review explains the impact corporations can have in creating even more economic and social value for the communities they serve. Here are excerpts:

Companies must take the lead in bringing business and society back together. The recognition is there among sophisticated business and thought leaders, and promising elements of a new model are emerging...

The solution lies in the principle of shared value, which involves creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges.

...Capitalism is an unparalleled vehicle for meeting human needs, improving efficiency, creating jobs, and building wealth. But a narrow conception of capitalism has prevented business from harnessing its full potential to meet society’s broader challenges. The opportunities have been there all along but have been overlooked. Businesses acting as businesses, not as charitable donors, are the most powerful force for addressing the pressing issues we face. The moment for a new conception of capitalism is now; society’s needs are large and growing, while customers, employees, and a new generation of young people are asking business to step up.

...The concept of shared value, in contrast, recognizes that societal needs, not just conventional economic needs, define markets. It also recognizes that social harms or weaknesses frequently create internal costs for firms—such as wasted energy or raw materials, costly accidents, and the need for remedial training to compensate for inadequacies in education. And addressing societal harms and constraints does not necessarily raise costs for firms, because they can innovate through using new technologies, operating methods, and management approaches—and as a result, increase their productivity and expand their markets.

Daniel Chavez Moran On Revitalized Trade Relations

2011-09-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

Building on lessons learned from his career as developer of five-star hotels and resorts, golf courses, vacation ownership resorts and tourism infrastructure throughout Latin America, the now-retired Mexican philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran founded the non-profit Vidanta Foundation in 2005 to support public policies that strengthen democracy and promote economic and social development in Latin America.

With positive international relations and integration of the region in the global economy being key to that vision, Chavez Moran notes this news of successful trade meetings between Canada and Brazil as published by CBC News:

Canada signed a series of agreements with Brazil Monday that Prime Minister Stephen Harper says will boost business ties and increase the flow of goods and people between the two countries.

Harper and President Dilma Rousseff signed the pacts on air travel, pension benefits, international aid and other areas at the presidential palace in Brasilia.

Brazil is the first stop on Harper's six-day tour of South and Central American countries that will see him try to improve trade relations in perilous economic times.

The agreements signed Monday will enhance Canada's competitiveness and translate into other benefits for Canadian businesses and consumers, Harper said in a release announcing the agreements.

“Brazil is a major global economic player and a key priority market for Canada,” said Harper. “These agreements will benefit both countries by promoting greater two-way flow of people, goods and services, enhancing our competitiveness and further strengthening our partnership in key areas of shared interest.”

Daniel Chavez Moran: Investing in Infrastructure

2011-09-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

A retired businessman, Daniel Chavez Moran understands the value of investing in infrastructure improvements for future growth. Through his philanthropic work with the non-profit Vidanta Foundation, he seeks to promote scholarship in the social sciences to influence the formulation of public policies that strengthen democracy and economic sustainability for the future of Latin America.

Chavez Moran notes with interest this recent technology article from The Atlantic, a U.S. publication, on how expanded broadband internet access in Latin America can create a pathway to jobs:

Is a poor broadband network holding back the region's economy? Investing in infrastructure doesn't mean just roads and bridges anymore.
In the days of the Great Depression, governments built roads and bridges in an attempt to nudge the economy into a recovery. Is expanding the broadband network the 21st-century equivalent?

Latin America is ripe for such an effort, argues Raul L. Katz of Columbia Business School. The underdeveloped broadband network there is holding back the region from faster economic growth.

In 2008, 5.5 percent of people living in Latin America had access to broadband Internet. In Europe and America, around a quarter of people did. Chile, the Latin American country with the most developed broadband network, still has a lower rate of access (8.4 percent) than Greece, the lowest-ranking European country surveyed.

The potential jobs growth will come from closing the gap between the demand for broadband (estimated based on the size of the Latin American economies) and its availability. The largest gaps are in Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela. Additionally, about 15 percent of Internet users have dial-up connections, many of whom would switch over to faster broadband were it available and affordable.

Greater Internet access could certainly encourage the development of businesses ranging from small tech start-ups to global firms.

Daniel Chavez Moran Remembers the Victims of September 11, 2001

2011-09-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

As the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States nears, Daniel Chavez Moran remembers the victims and their still grieving families from all across the Americas. He was touched by the remembrances recently shared by Colin Powell, the former United States Secretary of State, who was in Lima, Peru, on that fateful day to attend a meeting of the Organization of American States, the 34 democratic nations of the Americas.

Secretary Powell’s reflections as printed in the July/August 2011 issue of Americas, an official publication of the Organization of American States:

...Early that morning, I was having breakfast at the home of President Alejandro Toledo. There were eight of us at the round breakfast table and we were discussing, of all things, cotton textile quotas. President Toledo was anxious for the United States to improve the quotas for Peruvian textiles. Suddenly, my assistant came into the room and handed me a note saying a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. We didn’t know if it was an accident, a mad man, or a terrorist attack. A short while later he handed me a second note which said that another plane had crashed into the second World Trade Center tower. It was definitely a terrorist attack...

At the conference, my colleagues extended their condolences and promised support in responding to the crisis. I thanked them and said the best immediate support they could provide was to pass the Democratic Charter so terrorists would see that we remained steadfast to our principles, even in a time of tragedy. The Charter was passed by a vote of acclamation.

In the ten years since, the Charter has grown to become a defining standard of democratic ideals in the Americas. Just before leaving the conference on the morning of 9-11, I made a statement that ten years later seems as relevant today as it was on that fateful day:

“A terrible, terrible tragedy has befallen my nation, but it has befallen all of the nations of this region, all the nations of the world, and befallen all those who believe in democracy. Once again we see terrorism, we see terrorists, people who don’t believe in democracy— people who believe that with the destruction of buildings, with the murder of people, they can somehow achieve a political purpose. They can destroy buildings, they can kill people, and we will be saddened by this tragedy; but they will never be allowed to kill the spirit of democracy. They cannot destroy our society. They cannot destroy our belief in the democratic way...”

Related posts: Daniel Chavez Moran on partnering with the Organization for American States and Daniel Chavez Moran on international solutions to strengthen democracy.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Opening Doors to the Future

2011-08-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran eagerly awaits the announcement of the winners of the 2011 Vidanta Foundation Prize for "Contributions to the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean." A jury meeting on August 26th in Cancun, Mexico, will select first, second and third place winners from among the more than 200 nominations received.

Its aim is to provide recognition and support for outstanding projects carried out in Latin America and the Caribbean. The prize helps open the doors to the future, with a first place award of $100,000; a second of $75,000; and a third, $50,000.

Here are excerpts from last year’s announcement by OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza:

October 15, 2010: The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, presented the prizes of the Grupo Vidanta Foundation to the Mundo Mujer Foundation, of Colombia, to the Chilean organization Un Techo para Chile and to Comunidades de la Tierra, of Guatemala, for the work these organizations carry out to fight poverty in the region.

In a ceremony held in the Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, Secretary General Insulza highlighted the value of the efforts of these organizations, which structure their activities around issues related to poverty. The head of the OAS praised the work of the winners in influencing the elaboration of public policies that fight the causes of underdevelopment and for creating awareness of the negative social effects of inequality and discrimination.

..."I wish to recognize the talent of our people and the importance of taking advantage of it to benefit others,” Secretary General Insulza said. He added that the prize is given at a time when poverty rates in the region have fallen in recent years, and when despite the crisis Latin America and the Caribbean have persevered. “The reason for this has to do with public policies and with economic growth, but above all with initiatives like those undertaken by these groups, intended to fight poverty.”

Daniel Chavez Moran on Foundation Advisor Dr. Jorge I. Domínguez

2011-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Founded by philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran, the Vidanta Foundation is a non-profit institution focused on the promotion of Latin American studies, and the analysis of Latin American international relations and strategies for a positive integration of the region in the global economy.

Along with Dr. Roberto Russell, president of the Vidanta Foundation who was recently appointed to the advisory board of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, an equally esteemed advisory committee helps to guide the work of the Foundation.

The committee includes Dr. Jorge I. Domínguez, the Antonio Madero Professor for the Study of Mexico, vice provost for international affairs, special advisor for international studies to the dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, and chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies at Harvard University.

His current interests center on comparative politics and international relations in Latin America, United States-Latin America and United States-Mexico relations and issues relating to public opinion and democracy in Mexico.

Along with numerous awards, distinctions and publications, among notable recent works is “Contemporary U.S.-Latín American Relations. Cooperation or Conflict in the 21st Century,” edited by Dr. Domínguez and Rafael Fernández de Castro. This book, from a project funded by the Vidanta Foundation, brings together a collection of essays on the relations of various countries in the region with the U.S. in the last decade.

Related posts: Philanthropist and retired businessman Daniel Chavez Moran on the path to Mexico's future and Daniel Chavez Moran on the affiliated institutions of the Vidanta Foundation.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Rising Retail Sales

2011-08-24T10:21:00.000-07:00

An accomplished businessman and entrepreneur from Mexico, the now retired Daniel Chavez Moran built his businesses with a reputation for service and a skill for responding to marketplace opportunities. Chavez Moran read this retail news in the Wall Street Journal with interest for the growth opportunity it shows for Latin America in the global retail market.

Adidas Sees Latin America Helping It Meet 2015 Sales Target

BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones)--German sportswear company Adidas AG (ADS.XE, ADDYY) hopes to ride its ubiquitous brand to sharply higher sales over the next five years as it piggybacks on improving lifestyles and rising disposable income in emerging markets like Latin America.

Adidas is the world's second-largest maker of sports goods by revenue after Nike Inc. (NKE), and is synonymous with soccer across much of the world.

The company is on track to meet its target to increase net profit 10% to 15% this year amid steady growth in sales, Chief Executive Herbert Hainer said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires on Thursday.

Adidas has plans to increase its total sales 42% to 17 billion euros ($24 billion) by 2015, from EUR12 billion last year, Hainer said.

Today, Latin America accounts for about EUR1.3 billion, or 10%, of its annual sales. While its operations are growing worldwide, the company expects brisk sales to continue in Latin America thanks to rising incomes in the soccer-mad countries.

Adidas has enjoyed eight years of double-digit sales growth in the region, said Charlie Maurath, head of Adidas Latin America, at a press conference. The pace has been even higher in Argentina, where sales have grown at an annual rate of about 25% in the last few years, said Walter Koll, the director of Argentina operations.

Philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran, through his work with the Vidanta Foundation, studies the challenges and opportunities faced by the nations of Latin America in the 21st century global economy. Related posts: Daniel Chavez Moran on Latin America's fast-growing retail market and Daniel Chavez Moran on Latin America’s decade of growth.

Daniel Chavez Moran on Democratic Progress in Latin America

2011-08-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Strengthening democracy and promoting economic and social development to reduce poverty and social inequality in Latin America are two of the aims of the Vidanta Foundation, founded by Daniel Chavez Moran.

Chavez Moran is pleased the United States Senate recently recognized democratic progress in Latin America at a Foreign Relations Committee panel hearing chaired by Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

Experts testified that Latin America as a whole is more democratic today than it has ever been in the past. More citizens are participating in government as there is a broader acceptance of elections as the way to transfer power.

Roberta Jacobson, U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, testified:

“Mr. Chairman, I have heard you highlight the important success many societies in Latin America and the Caribbean are enjoying today. We share your assessment. That success is measureable in very tangible ways: in rising levels of political and personal freedom, greater economic prosperity, and increasing global integration. These factors work together in remarkable synergy. They generate vast opportunity. They strengthen institutions. They have helped lift scores of millions of people out of poverty in the last decade—and in the process brought forth huge new pools of talent and energy that are literally transforming very diverse countries. It is difficult to imagine this happening without the consolidation of democratic and market societies in most of Latin America and the strengthening of democratic institutions in much of the Caribbean over the last two decades.”

Whether in his earlier business dealings or in his founding of the Vidanta Foundation, Daniel Chavez Moran has hoped to inspire others to dream more, to learn more and to be more.

Related posts: Philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran on U.S.-Latin American relations and Daniel Chavez Moran announces Vidanta Foundation Prize entries.

Daniel Chavez Moran: On Sustainable Development

2011-08-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran is now retired, but he remains committed to environmental stewardship. Throughout his career prior to his 2005 retirement, Daniel Chavez Moran invested heavily in sustainable economic development and resource conservation as a developer of five-star hotels, resorts and golf courses across Mexico and Latin America.

Daniel Chavez Moran is pleased to learn of plans for Earth Summit 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be hosted in Rio de Janeiro in June of 2012.

According to Earth Summit 2012 organizers, the objectives of the Summit are:

To secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development; to assess progress towards internationally agreed goals on sustainable development and to address new and emerging challenges. The Summit will also focus on two specific themes: a green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and an institutional framework for sustainable development.

The summit will be attended by politicians and heads of state/heads of government from member countries as well as officials from member countries and international institutions.

...The world is facing a mounting crisis. In recent years we have experienced a combination of a global financial crisis, a food crisis, volatile oil prices, accelerating ecosystem degradation and an increasing number of climate-induced extreme weather events. These multiple and inter-related crises call into question the ability of a growing human population to live peacefully and sustainably on this planet, and demand the urgent attention governments and citizens around the world.

Earth Summit 2012 will be the fourth Summit of its kind and represents another milestone in ongoing international efforts to accelerate progress towards achieving sustainable development globally.

Read more about Daniel Chavez Moran's guide to saving natural resources and the work of the Vidanta Foundation to improve the quality of life for the people of Latin America.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Economic Outlook for 2011

2011-08-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

As a young man in Mexico with a degree in civil engineering from the Universidad de Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Daniel Chavez Moran dreamt of building a successful international business. Three decades later, Chavez Moran is now retired, having successfully developed five-star hotels and resorts, golf courses, vacation ownership resorts and tourism infrastructure throughout Latin America. His passion and interest in economic and social development continues through his philanthropic work with the non-profit Vidanta Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to promote scholarship in the social sciences and culture, to promote intra-Latin America relations, and to influence the formulation of public policies that strengthen democracy and economic sustainability for the future of Latin America.

Chavez Moran follows international economic trends and notes this recent analysis of the debt crisis now facing the United States as published by Reuters news service:

Role reversal: Latin America taunts U.S. on debt woes

(Reuters) - After three decades spent battling their own debt crises and getting constantly lectured about them by Uncle Sam, many Latin Americans are watching the countdown to a possible default in Washington with a mix of schadenfreude and fear of what a collapse might mean for them.

For everybody from presidents on down to street vendors, seeing U.S. politicians argue over where to make painful budget cuts has also been a reminder that those days are over in Latin America. For now, at least, as most of the region enjoys an era of economic prosperity and comparatively tiny deficits.

...These days, Latin America's economy as a whole is expected to expand about 4.7 percent in 2011 -- almost twice the expected rate in the United States -- thanks to strong demand for the region's commodities and a decade of mostly prudent fiscal management, itself the product of many hard-learned lessons of the past.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Market News in Latin America

2011-08-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Understanding that inter-American cooperation is critical for Latin America’s success in a global economy, philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran notes this recent market news published in the Wall Street Journal about Brazil’s and Colombia’s stock and future exchanges signing a partnership accord:

"Brazil's BM&FBOVESPA (BVMF3.BR), which runs Brazil's main stock and futures exchange, and its Colombia counterpart signed a memorandum of understanding in order to evaluate alternatives focused on a possible interconnection of their equities, fixed income and derivatives markets to promote the development of the capital markets," BM&FBOVESPA said over the weekend.

"With the signature of a memorandum of understanding, the two exchanges are keen on starting an exploration phase, that will establish a plan that would make feasible the interconnection of securities trading platforms in both countries, which allows the bid and ask order routing," said BM&FBovespa.

"The purpose is to explore the benefits and value opportunities in both markets and this is the first step of the process; the modalities and the date for the happening of the interconnection will be discussed and established by the exchanges in the future," it added.

Daniel Chavez Moran founded a conglomerate of companies that actively participated in the socioeconomic development of Mexico and Latin America through the strategic development and construction of new tourist destinations, hotel operations, urban infrastructure, roadways, real estate developments and a new international airport. Though now retired, Chavez Moran now dedicates his time to his family and the philanthropic work of the Vidanta Foundation to help create a sustainable economic future for the 580 million people of Latin America. Read more about the work of Daniel Chavez Moran.

Chavez Moran: About International Studies

2011-08-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

Until his official retirement in 2005, Daniel Chavez Moran worked for over three decades to make his business dreams come true. In founding the non-profit Vidanta Foundation, Chavez Moran continues to make a difference in the lives of the people of Latin America with his support of economic and social development projects and causes.

The Vidanta Foundation hosts international seminars and conferences; awards prizes in recognition and support of outstanding projects in Latin America and the Caribbean to reduce poverty, inequality and discrimination; and publishes scholarly works on public policies that support economic growth and strengthening democracy.

Among the Foundation’s affiliated institutions is the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.

From the school’s website:

Seven Decades of Educating Global Leaders

SAIS has always looked to the future. When the school was founded in 1943, World War II raged in Europe and Asia. But a group of visionaries —led by statesmen Christian A. Herter and Paul H. Nitze—foresaw the need for a graduate school that would prepare young men and women to assume responsibilities in the postwar world. In today’s post-9/11 era, the challenges are enormous and unprecedented. Yet SAIS’s mission is more relevant than ever: to train the next generation of leaders in the global arena.

A division of The Johns Hopkins University since 1950, SAIS is truly an international institution, with campuses in Washington, D.C., Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China, that draw students from throughout the world. Unique among its peers, SAIS provides the opportunity for students to take advantage of all three campuses during their graduate experience—designing a degree program based on individual academic and professional interests.

SAIS offers the building blocks of leadership in all professional fields: core functional disciplines, such as strategic studies and international development; strong emphasis on international economics; robust regional programs; and essential foreign language training.

Daniel Chavez Moran salutes all of the internationally recognized institutions supporting the efforts of the Vidanta Foundation. For more on Daniel Chavez Moran, the Vidanta Foundation and its affiliated institutions, read here.

Daniel Chavez Moran On Latin America's Decade for Growth

2011-08-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran notes this interesting blog post from Mauricio Cárdenas, Director of the Latin America Initiative at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.:

“Historically, experts have often characterized Latin America as a region with poor economic features: hyperinflation, fiscal populism, and costly industrial policies rife with corruption are just a few examples. However, experts are beginning to change their tune. In fact, many analysts are referring to the 2010s as Latin America’s decade. Last year, The Economist ran a special report, where the magazine turned the hemispheric map upside-down under the label ‘Nobody’s Backyard,’ suggesting that the region had learned from its previous mistakes and is entering a brighter phase. Although predicting the future is always dangerous, especially in a place where so many booms have ended in severe crises, the argument that Latin America is entering a decade of considerable opportunity does have merit.”

Cárdenas offers three interconnected reasons to make this point: The changing demographics of Latin America, the economic growth of China as a trading partner, and trends in global savings and liquidity.

And he continues: “Whether Latin America can seize the moment and take advantage of this extraordinary chance to speed-up prosperity is still an open question. What is certain though is that there is no time for complacency or self-gratification...If Latin American leaders focus on this task ahead, this will be a transformational decade indeed. Otherwise, it will simply be another cycle of high and unsustainable consumption, a wasted opportunity of which the region has seen plenty in the past.”

Helping to address and resolve the economic and social development challenges faced by the nations and people of Latin America is what Daniel Chavez Moran focuses his philanthropy on through the nonprofit Vidanta Foundation he founded in 2005. Read more here about Daniel Chavez Moran and how the Foundation supports the integration of Latin America with the rest of the world through the strengthening of democracy and economic opportunity.

Daniel Chavez Moran: For the Children

2011-07-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

Daniel Jesus Chavez Moran remembers well the lessons his mother taught him, that is why he seeks to improve the lives of those less fortunate. Toward this goal, Chavez Moran created Fundación Delia Moran A.C. in 2002 to provide assistance to children ages 6 to 12 whose day-to-day life is a constant struggle. The foundation is named in honor of his mother, a great teacher who dedicated her life to helping children combat the destructive combination of ignorance and poverty. It has opened numerous cultural and educational centers to provide these children with medical assistance and opportunities so that they can become healthy, contributing members of the community.

Daniel Chavez Moran was pleased to note in recent news that El Salvador, Spanish for “the savior,” the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America is hosting the 8th Forum of Ministers of Social Development in Latin America.

The meeting is sponsored by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO), which reports that the President of El Salvador, H.E. Mr Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena, will participate in the opening session, as well as Pilar Álvarez Laso, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences. Representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, France, Honduras, Uruguay, Panamá, Perú and México will particípate, among others.

One of the expected results of the forum will be the design and implementation of strategic and efficient policies for development involving youth and social inclusion.

Daniel Chavez Moran salutes the efforts of these leaders to exchange ideas on the state of the art of policies for social inclusion in Latin America, a shared goal with the nonprofit Vidanta Foundation Chavez Moran founded in 2005. Read more on Daniel Chavez Moran, and his philanthropic work through the Vidanta Foundation here.

Chavez Moran: A Public Forum with Mexican President Calderón

2011-07-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran, philanthropist and founder of the Vidanta Foundation which works with internationally recognized institutions from all across the Americas to promote the study of intra-Latin American relations, recommends a recent video of Mexican President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa at a public forum cosponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Council of the Americas.

According to the Woodrow Wilson Center, an affiliated institution of the Vidanta Foundation:

“In his prepared remarks given in English, Calderon stressed the deep economic interdependence that exists between the United States and Mexico and noted that one million U.S. families are employed by Mexican-owned companies. Calderon gave his remarks before a capacity crowd of approximately 600 attendees in the Amphitheater of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC.”

In his address at the forum, which followed a day of meetings with U.S. leaders, including President Barack Obama, President Calderon “stressed the need for shared responsibility between Mexico and the United States in dealing with transnational organized crime groups. He compared organized crime to a ‘cancer’ plaguing Mexico, and highlighted his government's efforts to eradicate it.”

President Calderon also “called on both countries to do more about migration. He noted that out-migration from Mexico is not good for Mexico and requires that Mexico do more in economic development. He also pledged to sign an immigration bill that would protect the right of migrants in Mexico in the coming weeks once Congress approves it. However, he noted that it was also important to create legal channels for Mexicans and others to come to the United States to work with legal documents.”

Watch the online video here. And for more about the philanthropy of retired businessman Daniel Chavez Moran, the Vidanta Foundation and Mexico’s path to the future, read here.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Latin America Fast-Growing Retail Market

2011-07-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran and the Vidanta Foundation study the challenges and opportunities faced by the nations of Latin America in the 21st century global economy. A recent article in the Los Angeles Times reinforced the importance of Latin America as a fast-growing retail market in the announced expansion of Netflix, the online film and television subscription service, into Latin America.

“The Los Gatos, Calif., company, which boasts more than 23.6 million subscribers and has become the nation's No. 1 movie rental provider, announced Tuesday that this year it will expand into 43 countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean but not Cuba. The company did not specify a launch date.

“The news sent Netflix's stock soaring 8% on Tuesday, closing at a record $289.63. That put the company's year-to-date share-price increase at 65%.

“Though reports had previously indicated the company was eyeing a move south, analysts said few on Wall Street had expected it would boldly launch simultaneously throughout the entire region.”

The article continued:

“Netflix's decision to go into Latin America underscores the region's growing importance to Hollywood. In 2010 it was the fastest-growing market for movie ticket sales, according to the Motion Picture Assn. of America. Led by regional powerhouses Brazil and Mexico, total box-office revenue grew 25% last year.”

The Vidanta Foundation is a non-profit institution founded by Daniel Chavez Moran. Among its goals is the generation and spread of awareness of the factors determining the gap in political, economic and social development that holds Latin America back from achieving the standards of economic growth and welfare that characterizes developed countries.

Read more about philanthropist and retired businessman Daniel Chavez Moran and the work of the Vidanta Foundation here.

Chavez Moran Celebrates the Growing Role of Women

2011-07-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

As the proud son of a schoolteacher from Mexico who dedicated her life to helping children overcome the destructive combination of ignorance and poverty, Daniel Chavez Moran recommends this article on women in leadership roles in Latin America found in the Wall Street Journal:

“Latin America ranks second only to Nordic Europe in terms of the percentage of women elected to parliamentary-level posts, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, a grouping of legislative bodies world-wide. In countries such as Argentina and Bolivia, two of the most advanced in terms of women in national office, the percentage is well over 30 percent, according to data compiled by International IDEA, an intergovernmental agency that promotes democracy around the world.

“But sociologists and electoral scholars say multiple other factors have combined in recent decades to give women greater say in Latin American politics. For one, women for decades have held significant sway in community issues and grass-roots movements—female leaders and women's groups have fought for democracy and against dictatorships across the continent—even if top offices were held by men.

“As Latin America embraced democracy, toppling traditional parties and eroding once-powerful old-boy networks, new opportunities emerged in recent decades for female leaders, especially considering that female voters account for at least half of the electorate in most countries—and tend to vote for women.”

For more about Mexican philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran and the Fundación Delia Moran A.C., which continues his mother’s work, read here. http://daniel-chavez-moran.blogspot.com/2011/02/honoring-his-mothers-work.html

Condolences from Daniel Chavez Moran

2011-07-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran shares his thoughts and prayers with the families who lost loved ones in Mexico in Tropical Storm Arlene.

From a New York Times article:

“Mexican authorities have confirmed 11 deaths from Tropical Storm Arlene and the aftermath of floods, mudslides and overflowing rivers in central Mexico and Gulf Coast states.

“State civil protection officials say five people in Hidalgo, two young children in Mexico state and a rescue worker and woman in Veracruz were killed. Most died after being buried alive in their homes by mudslides or drowning in heavy currents while trying to cross swollen streams.

“The state officials confirmed the deaths Saturday. They are in addition to two people killed in Tamaulipas on Friday.

“The Atlantic season's first tropical storm dumped heavy rains for two days since Thursday. Weather reports warned of moderate to heavy rains for the rest of the weekend.”

About Daniel Jesus Chavez Moran and his work to improve the lives of the people of Latin America.

Chavez Moran Notes Economic News

2011-07-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran shares this economic news from the Global Entrepreneur Indicator Business Environment Report, as published in a recent Wall Street Journal article:

“Canadian, Caribbean and Latin-American entrepreneurs have the most positive economic outlook, according to the Global Entrepreneur Indicator Business Environment Report released Friday...More than 90 percent of Canadian entrepreneurs expect improvement in the economy in the coming six months. Nearly three-quarters of entrepreneurs from the Caribbean and Latin America said the same.”

This is good news for the overall economy of Latin America, as the Global Entrepreneur Indicator notes:
“Entrepreneurs and their businesses drive the global business landscape. Tomorrow’s jobs and innovations begin with today’s business owners.”

Other key findings in the report:

A large majority of entrepreneurs in the U.S. and Latin America / Caribbean regions have experienced an increase in profits in the past six months.
Latin American / Caribbean entrepreneurs lead the pack regarding increases in net profits over the past six months (66%), but only by a very small margin over the U.S. (64%).
A much greater proportion of entrepreneurs in the Latin America / Caribbean region have increased their use of debt instruments over the past six months (42%), than those who have either decreased (25%) or maintained (28%) their debt load.

Here's an infographic visually displaying some of this information:

For other recent news of note from philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran, read here.

Daniel Chavez Moran: The Path to Mexico’s Future

2011-07-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran, credited with the modernization of the tourism industry in Mexico in the 1990s, remains focused on finding the path to the future for his home country and all of Latin America through the scholarly work of the nonprofit Vidanta Foundation which he founded in 2005.

The Foundation recently sponsored an international seminar, “The Bicentennial Opportunity,” in Mexico City in conjunction with the Carolina Foundation of Spain, the Democracia y Desarrollo Foundation of Chile, the Center for Research and Teaching of Economics (CIDE) and the magazine Nexos.

Among the seven books presented that evaluated the history of Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Mexico during the last century, and analyzed the dilemmas and opportunities of the current times, were these two titles on Mexico’s future:

México 2010. El Juicio del Siglo, 2010

Edited by María Amparo Casar and Guadalupe González and published by Taurus, the book brings together six prominent Mexican researchers who analyze the path followed by Mexico between 1910 and 2010. The authors offer essays on: politics, economy, society, international relations, justice and security, and the thought and culture in Mexico. They are: Maria Amparo Casar, Francisco Suarez Davila, Federico Reyes Heroles, José Ramón Cossio, Guadalupe Gonzalez and Hector Aguilar Camin, respectively.

México 2010. Hipotecando el Futuro, Ciudad de México, 2010

Edited by Erika Ruiz Sandoval and published by Taurus, the book contains eights essays writen by: Nicolas Alvarado, Gerardo Esquivel, Silva E. Giorguli Saucedo, Fausto Hernández Trillo, Alejandro Moreno, Erika Ruiz Sandoval, Pedro Salazar Ugarte, Jesus Silva-Herzog Márquez. From a discerning eye, disenchanted and lucid, they present a series of reflections on the path that Mexico could take in the spheres of politics, economics, international relations and culture.

For more information on Daniel Chavez Moran and the publications of the Vidanta Foundation, read here.

Chavez Moran: Partnering for Progress

2011-07-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

As a retired businessman and now philanthropist, Daniel Chavez Moran recognizes the power of partnerships in pursuing growth strategies. That is why the Vidanta Foundation, founded by Chavez Moran in 2005, works with internationally recognized institutions from all across the Americas to promote the study of intra-Latin American relations, the integration of Latin America with the rest of the world, and the strengthening of democracy and economic opportunity. Affiliated institutions include:

Centro de Investigaciones y de Docencia Económicas (CIDE)
Foreign Affairs Latino America
Fundación Carolina
Fundación Democracia y Desarrollo
Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE)
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM)
Inter-American Dialogue
Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA)
Real Instituto Elcano
Secretaria General Iberoamericana (SEGIB
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, The Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)
The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Universidad Externado de Colombia
Universidad Torcuato Di Tella
University of Southern California
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Among these, the Organization of American States is the world’s oldest regional organization dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. The OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas in order to achieve among its member states “an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence.”

For more information on the work of Daniel Chavez Moran, read here.

Daniel Chavez Moran Announces Vidanta Foundation Prize Entries

2011-07-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran announces more than 200 nominations were submitted for the transformative 2011 Vidanta Foundation Prize for "Contributions to the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean" by the deadline of May 21, 2011. Entries were received from the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, United States, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The annual Vidanta Foundation Prize is a joint initiative by the Organization of American States (OAS), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) and the Vidanta Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded by philanthropist Daniel Jesus Chavez Moran. Its aim is to provide recognition and support for outstanding projects carried out in Latin America and the Caribbean to reduce poverty and inequality, and fight discrimination.

The recipients of the first, second and third place Vidanta Prize will be selected by a jury, meeting on August 26th in Cancun, Mexico, to announce its decision. The jury will be comprised of Mrs. Billie Miller (Barbados), Carmelo Angulo (Spain), Luis Maira (Chile), Julio Maria Sanguinetti (Uruguay) and Ernesto Zedillo (Mexico).

The first place winner of the 2010 Prize, Fundación Mundo Mujer, is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life of poor working women and their families, through easy and timely access to credit and other services.

Read more about philanthropist and retired businessman Daniel Chavez Moran and the 2011 Vidanta Foundation Prize here.

Chavez Moran: Book News of Note

2011-07-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran recommends this enlightening online video presentation by The Cato Institute, a public policy research organization in Washington, D.C., featuring Francis Fukuyama, editor of “Falling Behind: Explaining the Development Gap Between Latin America and the United States,” a publication supported by the Vidanta Foundation.

From an introduction to the video of the book forum at The Cato Institute:

“During the past 400 years, the development gap between Latin America and British North America dramatically widened. Francis Fukuyama will discuss prominent theories for that divergence – including those that emphasize the roles of natural resources, culture, and geography – and explain how institutions and economic policies are the keys to understanding growth outcomes. At different times, several Latin American countries have narrowed the gap with the United States, and genuine institutional reform has occurred in the past several decades across the region.”

Francis Fukuyama is Professor of International Political Economy, School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

Read more about Daniel Chavez Moran and the Vidanta Foundation’s projects and publications here.

Daniel Chavez Moran: U.S.-Latin American Interwoven Relations

2011-07-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran, Mexican philanthropist and founder of the Vidanta Foundation, recommends this review of the book “Contemporary U.S. - Latin American Relations: Cooperation or Conflict in the 21 Century,” as published in Foreign Affairs magazine, a publication of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The book is part of a project supported by Daniel Chavez Moran and the Vidanta Foundation to analyze the interwoven relationship between the United States and Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Central America, the Caribbean, Cuba, Peru, Mexico, and Venezuela throughout the present decade. The project's coordinators were: Jorge I. Domínguez of Harvard University, and Rafael Fernández de Castro of Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico.

“As Latin America becomes more differentiated, with many countries surging ahead while some lag behind, and as the region’s governments veer off in a variety of ideological directions, it is becoming notoriously difficult to generalize about inter-American relations. It is more manageable to speak of U.S. relations country by country. So Domínguez and Fernández de Castro (now Mexican President Felipe Calderón’s national security adviser) have understandably served up a collection of separate – and in each case credible – essays on Argentina (Roberto Russell), Brazil (Monica Hirst), Chile (Claudia Fuentes Julio and Francisco Rojas Aravena), Colombia (Cynthia Arnson and Arlene Tickner), Peru (Cynthia McClintock and Fabián Vallas), and Venezuela (Carlos Romero and Javier Corrales). Cristina Eguizábal and Anthony Maingot ably handle Central America and the Caribbean, respectively. Dominguez’s overview establishes four themes to provide coherence, with partial success: “balancing” against the United States, the rise of China, the breakdown of ideological consensus, and the securitization of U.S. policies. Notwithstanding its emphasis on the George W. Bush years, the volume marvelously responds to the prayers of college professors searching for concise and accessible accounts of contemporary bilateral policies in our hemisphere.”

Read more about Daniel Chavez Moran and the Foundation’s Contemporary Inter-American Relations project here.

Chavez Moran on 100 Years of Lessons

2011-07-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

Founded by philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran, the Vidanta Foundation is a non-profit institution whose primary aim is the promotion of social sciences and culture to the benefit of all with a special interest in academia and policy-making. One of the organization’s primary objectives is to promote the field of Latin American studies, and the analysis of Latin American international relations and the strategies for a positive integration of the region in the global world of the XXI Century.

A recent project of the Foundation, the Bicentennial Project, was designed “to provide a critical evaluation of the trajectory followed by Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Mexico over the last hundred years. Its aim is was to identify common aspects as well as the differences that have characterized the historical evolution of these countries from 1910 to 2010.”

The research focused on five key areas: politics, economy, society, international relations, and political thought and culture. The Vidanta Foundation funded over forty studies in association with renowned international universities and academic institutions including:

The seven books published as part of the project were presented at “The Bicentennial: Lessons and Opportunities, 1910-2010" international seminar in Mexico City.

Read more about Daniel Chavez Moran and the Bicentennial Project books here.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Constructing Democratic Governance

2011-06-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

With support from the Vidanta Foundation, the nonprofit organization founded by Daniel Chavez Moran, the Constructing Democratic Governance series explored democratic institutions and practices in Latin America.
Though the region has seen numerous free and fair elections, almost all Latin American countries continue to face challenges, and possible setbacks, to democratic governance and the rule of law.

In the Constructing Democratic Governance project, Michael Shifter at the Inter-American Dialogue and Jorge Dominguez at Harvard University, took an in-depth, systematic look at regional trends in democratic governance to illuminate trends and challenges, and to make practical lessons available to analysts and key decision makers on Latin American issues.

In addition to producing a fourth edition of the book with the same title, “Constructing Democratic Governance,” the project included a two-day meeting in Washington, D.C., bringing together the best analysts and academics on democratic governance in Latin America, and engaging the wider policy community in Washington with varied perspectives and interpretations to shed light on political trends.

For more on Daniel Chavez Moran and the Constructing Democratic Governance project, visit www.vidantafoundation.org.

Chavez Moran: Travel News of Note

2011-06-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Retired developer Daniel Chavez Moran, widely recognized for modernizing the Mexican tourism industry in the 1990s, notes this travel news reported in the WallStreet Journal: Mexican President Felipe Calderon reassured the international travel industry that Mexico remains a safe destination for tourists in his address to the Global Travel & Tourism Summit, the foremost gathering of travel and tourism leaders in the world, held recently in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Mexico is a safe place to visit," Pres. Calderon told the conference attendees. "Yes, we have problems, but we are being transparent. We are dealing with it and we are fixing it."

A presentation at the summit revealed that travel and tourism contribute $6 trillion to the world gross domestic product. And in Mexico, the numbers tell more of the story: Visitors grew to 23 million in 2010, a 6 percent increase from a year earlier. And Mexico's Caribbean coast remains the world's top port of call, welcoming six million cruise-ship visitors in 2010.

Read more about philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran and the treasures that await visitors to Mexico here.

Chavez Moran: Promoting Social Science and the Common Good

2011-06-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

The new website for the Vidanta Foundation, one of the foundations of philanthropist Daniel Chavez Moran, clearly outlines the mission of the nonprofit organization: To promote social sciences and culture with a focus on Latin America to the benefit of all with a special interest in academia and policymaking.

The Foundation’s main objectives are to:

Generate and spread awareness of the factors determining the gap in political, economic and social development that holds Latin America back from achieving the standards of economic growth and welfare that characterizes developed countries.
Actively influence the formulation of public policies designed to strengthen democracy, promote economic and social development and reduce poverty and social inequality in Latin America.
Promote the field of Latin American studies, and the analysis of Latin American international relations and the strategies for a positive integration of the region in the global world of the XXI Century.
Promote corporate social responsibility.

For more on Daniel Chavez Moran and the important work of the Vidanta Foundation, read here.

Chavez Moran Joined by International Experts

2011-06-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

The success of the Vidanta Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Daniel Chavez Moran in 2005, can be attributed to the leadership of Dr. Roberto Russell and the Foundation’s advisory board of international experts, including:

Jorge I. Domínguez
Harvard PhD 1972, M.A. 1968; Yale B.A. 1967.
Vice Provost for International Affairs, Harvard University, Chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies.
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Luis Maira
Degree in Law, University of Chile. Studied international relations at Oxford University and Bristol University (United Kingdom) and Mexico.
Former Minister of Planning and Cooperation, Chile (1993-1996).
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Celso Lafer
PhD in Political Science, Cornell University, U.S.A.
Former Brazilian Minister of Development and of Foreign Affairs.
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Erika Ruiz Sandoval
Studied International Relations at El Colegio de México; she has a Master in Public Policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University.
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Read more here on Daniel Chavez Moran and the Vidanta Foundation.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Contemporary Inter-American Relations

2011-06-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran founded the non-profit organization Vidanta Foundation to promote economic and social development in Latin America. Among the Foundation’s many sponsored projects: an international seminar on “Contemporary Inter-American Relations.” This seminar analyzed the relationship between Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Central America, the Caribbean, Cuba, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela with the United States and other global economic leaders like China. Findings were published in a 2010 book entitled Contemporary U.S.-Latín American Relations: Cooperation or Conflict in the 21st Century, edited by Jorge I. Domínguez and Rafael Fernández de Castro.

An excerpt from the chapter, “The Changes in the International System during the 2000s,” by Jorge I. Domínguez, examines the impact of trade with China:

“Latin America’s good economic performance between 2000 and 2007 owes much to the rise of its trade with China. From the end of the recession in 2003 to the end of 2008—on the eve of the severe economic crisis at the close of the decade—Latin America’s aggregate gross domestic product grew between 4.6 and 6.1 per cent every year. Among the countries studied in this book, Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela grew substantially above the Latin American median during those years; Colombia rose also above the median; Brazil, Chile, and the aggregate of the Caribbean and Central America hugged the Latin American median; and Mexico lagged the median but still grew respectably ... Because this economic growth resulted to a large extent from an export boom, the international financial position of most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean also improved substantially.”

The publication is available for purchase at Amazon.com. Read more on Daniel Chavez Moran and the Vidanta Foundation here.

Daniel Chavez Moran: International Solutions

2011-05-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran founded the non-profit Vidanta Foundation to generate and spread awareness of the factors determining the gap in political, economic and social development that holds Latin America back from achieving the standards of economic growth and welfare that characterizes developed countries.

Under the leadership of its president Dr. Roberto Russell and an international advisory committee, the Vidanta Foundation continues Chavez Moran’s vision of actively influencing public policies that strengthen democracy and promote economic and social development in Latin America. Positive international relations and integration of the region in the global economy are integral to that vision as highlighted by the Foundation’s recent endeavors:

· The Vidanta Foundation assisted in funding the workshop, "Scholars, Practitioners, and Inter-American Relations," directed by Prof. Abraham Lowenthal of the Center for International Studies at the University of Southern California. The project was also sponsored by the Center for International Studies, the Office of Globalization, and the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of the University of Southern California, as well as the United Nations Program for Development and the International Development Research Centre of Canada.

· The Vidanta Foundation, along with Inter-American Dialogue, provided financing for the "La Construcción de la Gobernabilidad Democrática" project, coordinated by Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, and by Jorge Dominguez from Harvard University. Their results were presented at an international seminar in Washington, D.C.

Read more about Daniel Chavez Moran and globalization.

Daniel Chavez Moran Congratulates Dr. Roberto Russell

2011-05-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran congratulates Dr. Roberto Russell, president of the Vidanta Foundation, on his recent appointment to the Advisory Board of the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The Woodrow Wilson Center, a living memorial to the 28th president of the United States, is a non-partisan, non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., committed to addressing current and emerging challenges confronting the United States and the world. The Center provides a neutral forum for advanced research and open and informed dialogue on issues of public policy. The Latin American Program at the Wilson Center sponsors research, conferences, and publications aimed at deepening the understanding of Latin American and Caribbean politics, history, economics, culture, and U.S.-Latin American relations.

Dr. Russell’s impressive educational background includes a Ph.D. in International Relations, from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, D.C., and a Master of Social Sciences degree, with specialization in Political Science, from the Latin American School of Social Sciences, in Buenos Aires.

The Wilson Center is one of the many international institutions associated with the Vidanta Foundation, founded by Chavez Moran and where Dr. Russell serves as president.

Daniel Chavez Moran Unveils New Vidanta Foundation Website

2011-05-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Bold graphics and a clean, easy-to-read format are just some of the features of the recently redesigned website for the Vidanta Foundation, the non-profit institution founded by Daniel Jesus Chavez Moran and headed by the internationally recognized Dr. Roberto Russell.

The primary mission of the Vidanta Foundation is the promotion of social sciences and culture to the benefit of all with a special interest in academia and policymaking. The Foundation is entirely self-financed with resources contributed by the member shareholders of the companies comprising the Grupo Vidanta. Founded by Chavez Moran as the Daniel Chavez Moran Foundation, then renamed the Grupo Mayan Foundation, in 2005, the institution adopted the name Grupo Vidanta Foundation in 2008, since simplified to the Vidanta Foundation.

The newly launched website includes the latest updates on the projects, seminars and publications sponsored by the Foundation and produced through a partnership with international organizations and institutions of higher learning throughout the Americas, including the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, in the United States.

New social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, provide readers with up-to-the-minute reports on Vidanta Foundation activities, including the imminent May 31, 2011, deadline for the 2011 Vidanta Foundation Prize. Awarded annually, in collaboration with the Organization of American States Secretary General, the Vidanta Foundation Prize recognizes and supports outstanding work carried out in Latin America and the Caribbean to reduce poverty and inequality, and combat discrimination.

Information from Daniel Chavez Moran on the 2010 first prize winner.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Globalization and Latin America

2011-05-18T08:41:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran and the Vidanta Foundation cosponsored a study of the challenges and opportunities faced by the nations of Latin America in the 21st century global economy, along with the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Questions posed by the study, one of many supporting scholarship and international relations, supporting scholarship and international relations included:

What is the explanation for Latin America’s position within the international system and what are the opportunities and challenges posed by globalization?
Why, in spite of high international reserves and an improved fiscal situation, does Latin America continue to lag behind other regions?
How is Latin American integration forged and defined by factors such as:

The paralysis of sub-regional integration paralysis,
The increasing gap between North and South Latin America,
The interests of extra-regional players such as China and the European Union,
The different strategies to handle U.S. relations,
The competition for or lack of leadership, domestic and foreign problems influencing regional security,
The resurgence of energy as an hemispheric priority,
And the role of poverty and inequality in the Latin American international agenda?

The thoughts of prominent analysts and scholars with expertise in Latin American international relations were compiled in “América Latina:integración o fragmentación?” edited by Ricardo Lagos and published by Editorial Edhasa (Buenos Aires). For more information on the scholarly publications supported by Daniel Chavez Moran and the Vidanta Foundation, visit: http://www.fundacionvidanta.org.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Overcoming Challenges

2011-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran is dedicated to helping the countries of Latin America meet the business and economic challenges of this century. His work with the Grupo Vidanta Foundation is possible because of his three decades of business success before his 2005 retirement.

That success did not come without challenges. In 2008, a case was brought against Daniel Chavez Moran and Grupo Mayan Palace, one of the first luxury resorts he founded in 1974. Daniel Chavez Moran successfully defended the integrity of his business practices and the quality of his customer service. A U.S. federal district judge agreed with Chavez Moran, dismissing in its entirety the plaintiff’s case against Daniel Chavez Moran, Grupo Mayan Palace and the other vindicated defendants, Desarollo Marina Vallarta S.A. de C.V., Daniel Omar Chavez, Scott R Erikson, Casey Jon Owens, Canamere Inc., Huffsmith-Kohrville Inc., Preferred Vacations Inc., Premium Travel Services Inc., Resort Solutions Inc., Seven Oceans US Inc., AZM Marketing LLC, Resort Quality Controls Inc., Resort Condominiums International LLC, and Resorts International Marketing Corp.

The judge ruled that the customer’s rights were protected in Grupo Mayan Palace’s contracts, and the vacation ownership purchase decision was entirely at the customer’s discretion. With the challenge successfully defeated, the plaintiff filed no appeal. No other case has since been filed against Chavez Moran or Grupo Mayan Palace, now known as Mayan Resorts.

Mayan Resorts features over 20 top leisure developments in Latin America designed to meet the unique vacation needs of its members and users. Daniel Chavez Moran now focuses his time and energy pursuing the philanthropic goals of Fundación Delia Moran A.C. and the Grupo Vidanta Foundation.

Daniel Chavez Moran’s Guide to Saving Natural Resources

2011-04-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Throughout his 36-year career prior to his 2005 retirement, Daniel Chavez Moran invested heavily in conservation and preservation efforts as a developer of five-star hotels, resorts and golf courses across Latin America. Chavez Moran now offers these resource- and money-saving tips to other entrepreneurs looking for energy and waste reduction ideas:

Capture and use recycled water for irrigation
Avoiding irrigating during peak sun hours to minimize evaporation
Install water-conserving toilets, faucets and showers to reduce water consumption
Control in-room air conditioning and lighting consumption during off hours
Review utility consumption monthly and devise an action plan to reduce it
Close unused rooms and sections of buildings to reduce air conditioning and electricity consumption
Use special laundry agents that allow linens to be washed at a lower temperature
Look for suppliers that use less cardboard and plastic in their products
Compost organic wastes for landscape and garden maintenance
Separate and recycle aluminum, paper, plastic, metal and glass to sell to suppliers
Implement eco-friendly LED lighting, and use solar heating systems to heat water and pool facilities.

Daniel Chavez Moran: On Environmental Stewardship

2011-04-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran is now retired, but he remains committed to environmental stewardship and is proud of the continuing efforts of the Grupo Vidanta management team to protect threatened and endangered species.

Several Grupo Mayan Resort brands are part of En Advance, which unites efforts for the preservation of the Mexican ecology and the protection of the marine turtle, in order to rescue this species from the threat of extinction. The Acapulco and Riviera Maya locations actively work to ensure that turtles are born and the species continues to survive.

At the Mayan Palace Resort, sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches, sometimes more than 80 a night. From October until December, freeing baby turtles becomes an activity for guests. This exciting and educational activity sustains the natural habitat and teaches guests about Grupo Mayan’s conservation efforts.

Daniel Chavez Moran Welcomes Visitors from the Americas

2011-04-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

While enjoying retirement with his family, Daniel Chavez Moran is proud to share the natural beauty of the Sea of Cortez in Mexico with vacationers from across the Americas. Known as “the world’s aquarium” and designated a World Heritage Site, the Sea of Cortez is renowned for its beaches, perfect weather, water sports, fishing and wildlife, including migrating whales and birds.

Situated along the northern coastline, Puerto Peñasco, known by residents of the Southwest as Rocky Point or even Arizona’s Beach because of its proximity to Phoenix and Tucson, is undergoing dramatic growth. The Mexican government and the private sector have made major investments in the region, building hotels, resorts, recreational facilities, several golf courses, homes and infrastructure.

Travel to Puerto Peñasco is now easier with the new Mar de Cortes (Sea of Cortez) International Airport, the first completely privately built airport in Mexico. The destination location is now less than an hour by air from Phoenix, and less than two hours from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Albuquerque.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Creating a Sustainable Future

2011-04-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Prior to retiring in 2005 to focus on his philanthropic work with Fundación Grupo Vidanta, Daniel Chavez Moran introduced green business practices at Grupo Vidanta’s real estate and resort development properties. Chavez Moran understood a sustainable economic future for Latin America includes maintaining and preserving the natural beauty of the environment.

Grupo Vidanta Mayan properties continue to employ these strict energy and waste conservation procedures today. Chavez Moran is proud this continuing commitment to the environment by the executive team now leading Grupo Vidanta has been recognized. The Grand Mayan resort received the 2010 WQC International Star Award of the 24th Annual World Quality Commitment in Paris. The Grand Mayan was recognized in the “Gold Category,” the highest of international standards for respect for the environment, and for the community in which the resort operates, along with its sustainability, customer service and competitive pricing.

Daniel Chavez Moran: Educating the Next Generation

2011-04-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran and the Grupo Vidanta Foundation scholarly works that support economic growth and the strengthening democracy in Latin America. An excerpt from “Falling Behind: Explaining the Development Gap between the United States and Latin America,” published by the Foundation in 2008, offers future generations lessons from the past:

“Prior to the arrival of Europeans in 1492, many parts of Latin America were richer than North America. Colonization, it is widely agreed, had a devastating impact on the welfare of the indigenous pre-Columbian populations in Mexico and the Andean region, as the Spanish set up an empire to extract gold, silver, and other commodities, much in the same way that the British and French colonization devastated the smaller number of indigenous peoples in North America. But initial conditions were not all that different in the two halves of the New World, in terms of either per capita income or economic structure. Both regions were predominantly agricultural economies and commodity exporters to the more-developed parts of the world. This situation persisted more or less through the end of the eighteenth century and the emergence of an independent United States of America.”

The book explores the historical context, the politics of the underdevelopment, and the institutional factors creating the gap between Latin America of today and its northern neighbor.

For more on this or other publications, please click here.

Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize Recognizes Work with Underserved Populations

2011-04-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran celebrates the accomplishments of two winners of the 2010 Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize to improve the lives of underserved populations in their communities.

Un Techo para Mi Pais (A Roof for My Country), the $75,000 USD second place award winner, was founded in 1999 as a social real estate management entity in Chile. Founded to address the deplorable housing situation for the underserved population, the organization has benefitted 43,000 families among 14 countries in the area, developing strategic alliances with young college students and public institutions, in addition to corporate entities that advocate corporate social responsibility.

Since 2004, Comunidades de la Tierra (Communities of the Earth), the third place winner of $50,000 USD, has been devoted to entrepreneurial development and the nurturing of rural businesses, and the formation and promotion of community groups, especially women, in low income communities to provide entrepreneurs with market access. Comunidades de la Tierra has supported 1,500 people in Guatemala.

Applications for the 2011 Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize are open until May 31, 2011.

To learn more and apply click here

2010 Grupo Vidanta Foundation First Prize Winner Creates Opportunities

2011-04-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

The first Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize $100,000 USD was awarded in 2010 to Fundación Mundo Mujer (Women's World Foundation), a provider since 1985 of credit for low-income women and men, micro-entrepreneurs for the informal sector of the economy and independent workers in Columbia.

Daniel Chavez Moran and the Grupo Vidanta Foundation honored the Fundación Mundo Mujer for the opportunities it creates for its 293,000 clients, 60 percent of whom are women. The group’s accomplishments included: profit increase by 45 percent; product quality raised by 80 percent; quality of life, nutrition and clothing improvement by 50 percent; and a 35 percent increase in housing quality.

Chavez Moran notes he is looking forward to again recognizing the accomplishments of other organizations this year like the 2010 first-place winner Fundación Mundo Mujer, the second-place winner Un Techo para Mi Pais, Chile (A Roof for My Country), and the third-place winner Comunidades de la Tierra, Guatemala (Communities of the Earth), with the 2011 Foundation Prize. Applications are open until May 31, 2011 with the awards to be announced in November 2011.

To learn more and apply, visit http://www.fundaciongrupovidanta.com/new/premio/premio2011/index_en.html

Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize: Daniel Chavez Moran Announces 2011 Deadline

2011-04-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Daniel Chavez Moran and the Grupo Vidanta Foundation registration for the 2011 Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize for “Contributions to the Reduction of Inequality and Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean” is now open until May 31, 2011.

The Foundation awards the Prize to promote equality and democracy, reduce poverty and prejudice, and encourage corporate philanthropy and social accountability in Latin America.

All nationals of the countries of the Americas, and of Andorra, Spain and Portugal, are eligible to participate. Individual or community-based civic organizations or non-governmental institutions working toward the reduction of poverty, inequality and discrimination in Latin America and the Caribbean may enter.

Click here to learn more or to apply

Grupo Vidanta Unveils Two New Resorts

2011-02-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

Daniel Chavez Moran founded Grupo Vidanta, Mexico’s leading developer of vacation resorts, before moving into the non-profit space and founding the Grupo Vidanta Foundation. Recently, two new resorts were announced under the Grupo Vidanta umbrella that Moran formed in the 1990s.

Part of the Grand Luxxe investment, the two new resorts are located in Nuevo Vallarta and Riviera Maya. We are excited about the continued success of Grupo Vidanta, the namesake to our non-profit organization dedicated to social development in Latin America. To find out more about these resorts, see this news article covering their grand openings in MexicoPremiere.com.

About Vidanta Golf's 'Uniting Nations Cup'

2011-02-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

Daniel Chavez Moran commented recently on Vidanta Golf's new annual tournament, the Uniting Nations Cup. The tournament will take place at the Mayan Palace's Peninsula de Cortez golf course, designed by famed golf course designer Jack Nicklaus. Javier Licea, Executive Director of the PGA in Mexico, described the course as "challenging and ready for the pros to fully enjoy."

Daniel Chavez Moran stated that he sees this as more than a competitive tournament, but also a way to "strengthen the ties of two nations [US and Mexico] joined by the bonds of history, culture, and business."

To learn more about the first annual Uniting Nations Cup, to be held May 12-15 of 2011, read this article on Yahoo! Finance.

Daniel Chavez Moran Honors His Mother’s Work

2011-02-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

Learning from the example of his parents, Daniel Chavez Moran knew at an early age that he had to work hard to make his dreams come true. Understanding that the true value of a man is measured by what he shares of himself, Chavez Moran created Fundación Delia Moran A.C. in 2002. The foundation seeks to improve the lives of those less fortunate by providing support for poverty-stricken children ages 6 to 12 who struggle to survive each day.

The foundation honors his mother and her life’s work as a schoolteacher dedicated to helping children overcome the destructive combination of ignorance and poverty. Numerous cultural and educational centers sponsored by the foundation provide these at-risk children with medical assistance and opportunities to become healthy contributing members of the community.

Next Vidanta Foundation Prize Announced

2011-02-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

In October 2010, the Grupo Vidanta Foundation awarded its prize to individuals and organizations who addressed the issue of inequality in Latin America. This Prize was titled "Contributions to the reduction of poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean" and consisted of a $100,000 first place prize, a $75,000 second place prize, and a $50,000 third place prize.

The entries had great ideas for reducing poverty and inequality, as well as combating discrimination. Because of this success, Fundación Grupo Vidanta is announcing the 2011 prize with the same title and purpose. To learn more, please visit http://www.fundaciongrupovidanta.com/new/premio/premio2011/index_en.html

Recognizing Thought Leadership

2011-02-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

The Grupo Vidanta Foundation, founded by Daniel Chavez Moran, recognizes outstanding thought leadership that encourages democracy and reduces poverty, inequality and discrimination in Latin America. The Grupo Vidanta Foundation 2010 Prize for “Contributions to the Reduction of Inequality and Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean” was recently awarded in a ceremony at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The Foundation was joined by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) in honoring the prize winners:

Fundación Mundo Mujer, Colombia (Women’s World Foundation)
Un Techo para Mi Pais, Chile (A Roof for My Country)
Comunidades de la Tierra, Guatemala (Communities of the Earth)

Runners-up included:

CE-MUJER, Dominican Republic
Corporacion Vallenpaz, Colombia
Desarrollo Autogestionario, AC, Mexico
Programa de Voluntariado Internacional Juvenil, Costa Rica

The Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize is announced on an annual basis in the month of November. All nationals of the countries of the Americas, and of Andorra, Spain and Portugal, may participate. All individuals or community-based civic organizations or non-governmental institutions concerned with the reduction of poverty and inequality, and combating discrimination in Latin America and the Caribbean, may present submissions.

Registration for the 2011 Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize is open until April 13, 2011.

Supporting Scholarship and International Relations

2011-01-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

The Grupo Vidanta Foundation funds the publication of scholarly works studying intra-Latin American relations, the integration of Latin America with the rest of the world, and the strengthening of democracy and economic opportunity.

Seven books exploring the history of Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Mexico during the last century, as well as the dilemmas and opportunities of the current time, were unveiled at the Grupo Vidanta Foundation’s third international seminar titled “The Bicentennial Opportunity” in Mexico City. This seminar was organized by the Grupo Vidanta Foundation in conjunction with the Carolina Foundation, the Democracy and Development Foundation, the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) and Nexos Magazine.

The seminar is part of a series of conferences and seminars put on by the Grupo Vidanta Foundation. To view the information about this and other events in the seminar series, please visit http://www.fundaciongrupovidanta.com/new/seminarios/p_11chile2010/index_en.html.

Daniel Chavez Moran's Foundation Addresses Poverty in Latin America

2011-01-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

Brazil and Mexico are among the top 20 in the world in terms of gross domestic product according to World Bank statistics for 2009; however, inequality and poverty continue to be challenges throughout the 20 nations of Latin America.

Daniel Chavez Moran founded the non-profit organization Grupo Vidanta Foundation (Spanish: Fundación Grupo Vidanta) to help create a sustainable economic future for the 580 million people of Latin America. Known as Grupo Mayan Foundation when it began in 2005, its name was changed May 1, 2008 to better reflect the numerous institutions comprising the Grupo Vidanta.

Led by Roberto Russell and an international advisory board, the Grupo Vidanta Foundation seeks to generate awareness of the factors determining the gap in political, economic and social development that holds Latin America back from the standards of economic growth and welfare that characterize developed countries; promote the study of intra-Latin American relations and the strategies to integrate Latin America with the rest of the world; and actively influence the formulation of public policies designed to strengthen democracy, to promote economic and social development and to reduce social inequality in Latin America.

A non-profit organization, the Grupo Vidanta Foundation is funded entirely by donations from charitable individuals. Visit http://www.fundaciongrupovidanta.com/ for more information on Moran’s Grupo Vidanta Foundation.