Green Cross Bolivia

Green Cross Bolivia "was officially recognized in Glion on December 9, 1995 during a Green Cross International council meeting. GC Bolivia was founded by Dr. Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas, former President of the Republic of Bolivia.

"The mission of GC Bolivia is to put into practice the objectives and principles of Green Cross International in the context of Bolivia taking into account the social, cultural and environmental characteristics of Bolivia and tackle local resource degradation issues throughout the country."

Staff
Accessed November 2008:


 * Walter Usneros Ortiz - President
 * Faride Tirado Banuz - Vice president
 * Edil Osinaga Rico - 1st Secretary
 * Blga. Adriana Becerra - 2nd Secretary
 * Beatriz Vallejos - Accountant

National programs
"In 2003, GC Bolivia was part of an independent technical team that completed a study of the “Monumento de Los Espejillos”, an area declared protected by the authorities of Santa Cruz. Based on the results of this study a project was developed, aimed to develop the ecotourism industry in the area. Sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank, the project is now in its final stage and has had a positive impact on local economy and environmental situation of the region.

"In 2004, Green Cross Bolivia received a grant from the World Bank via the support of the Ministry of Rural Affairs to initiate a Sustainable Craftsmanship and Ecotourism Project in San Antonia de Lomerio. The main purpose of the project was to help the indigenous community in finding solutions to increase access to water and improve sanitation systems.

"GC Bolivia's National Sustainable Business Program is registered at the Ministry of Education as an institution of labor creation and capacity building. In this capacity, it received financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank and the Ministry of Economy and was able to provide technical assistance to small businesses involved in crafts production, food production, and services. Following this experience, small businesses and entrepreneurs realized the importance and advantages of environmentally-friendly production and manufacturing methods.

"Thanks to the financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank, the Ministry of Education and the PROLAC Foundation, GC Bolivia was able to launch a capacity-building program aimed at assisting unemployed youth that have abandoned the formal education system. The project was carried out in the cities of Santa Cruz and Trinidad.

"In December 2004, GC Bolivia received a donation from GC Japan to begin a pilot project on basic sanitation in the community of San Antonio de Lomerio. The project involves the installation of 13 tanks for harvesting rainwater and 13 ecological latrines as well as training participants in the areas of water and system maintenance and hygiene. Thanks to a grant from Global Green USA, a video documenting the rainwater harvesting will be produced in the near future."

Contact

 * Email: greencross@infonet.com.bo
 * Web: http://gci.ch