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SEKEM Insight Nr SEKEM‘s Journal for Economy, Culture and Society in Egypt SEKEM Insight Nr. �� March ���� News Events Business Dear Reader, Triodos, GLS Bank ��. Anniversiy of From Egyp�an fields much can be achieved alone. But invest in SEKEM Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish to Tokyo‘s shows li�le will last without percevering partners. Partnerships have a long tradi�on in SEKEM. We have repor- Triodos Bank, GLS Bank ted on them o�en, par�cularly on how the mul�ple interna�onal part- Invest in SEKEM Ini�a�ve ners have helped to realize the very large projects SEKEM has taken on Large-Scale Financial Investments Support over the past years. Especially the Longterm Business Development work of the SEKEM Development Founda�on (formerly Society for Cultural Development in Egypt) would ot be possible with their voluntary engagement. In our present-day world, social phil- antropy usually just doesn‘t com- pute. Naturally, we are primarily thinking of its economic dimension. There needs to be a flourishing eco- nomic life where human develop- ment is supposed to grow. It is clear that this can o�en lead to conflicts and constraints. A�er all, wasn‘t the original idea of „sustainability“ meant to crack the mould of old- style capitalism? There are other perspec�ves on the issue. Maybe we should remind ourselves more o�en that „eco- nomy“ ini�ally meant to „run the Peter Blom (Triodos Bank), Helmy Abouleish (SEKEM ) and Thomas Jorberg (GLS Bank) house“. Its linguis�c roots stem from the greek „oikos“ („house“) On occasion of the Biofach 2007 fair sive business development prin- and referred to the general idea in Nuremberg, the GLS Bank and ciples for an extended �me and for of keeping many more than just the Triodos Bank announced a far- several years in coopera�on with monetary interests in a stable and reaching expansion of their enga- SEKEM. They have contributed a frui�ul balance in order to allow for gement in the advancement of the substan�al part to SEKEM‘s suc- good condi�ons of human life. SEKEM Ini�a�ve. The two banks cessful development un�l today, will contribute to future invest- par�cularly to the double-digit SEKEM has just found two strong ments of the SEKEM Group added growth most SEKEM firms experi- partners in its work towards such to an overall immediate financial enced on average in the past years. an understanding of economics. We investment in shares of 2,5 million They have helped SEKEM to become will introduce them to our readers Euro per ins�tu�on. Both ins�tu�- the healthy business it is today. ons will furthermore receive one in this issue and wish the common Helmy Abouleish underligned his seat each on the board. future plans best of luck. excitement about the decision of The SEKEM Insight-Team The two banks have been working the two banks: „Both banks have on the founda�on of comprehen- been specializing in ‚green money‘. Con�nued on page � Page � Nr. �� | March ���� The comprehensive concept of their to 25 million overall in the coming The GLS Bank also offers the usual financial investments has and will con- years. As the SEKEM Group has seen banking services and addi�onally acts �nue to have a central importance in significant growth in recent years, it as a founda�on. Currently, the ins�- the development of SEKEM. Eventually, will have to increase its overall invest- tute finances about 4.000 projects. all of us are interested in more than ments in the future. Since its incep�on in 1980, the Triodos just money.“ „ Not only machines and tools will Bank also supports sustainable, social have to be purchased. The group will and financial goals in compliance We are proud to now being also have to make investments in with the connected more directly to infrastructures on the mother farm. „Three-Way- Furthermore, addi�onal funds will Principle“, that the SEKEM enterprise. allow for an increase in employee is investments numbers and investments into regu- in the interest Thomas Jorberg, Chairman of the GLS lar business materials. Par�cularly the of human life, Bank, welcomed the investment of the firms ISIS and ATOS will benefit from the environment and the economy. two leading ins�tu�ons for ecologi- the greater financial room for mano- It is an innova�ve, driving forcing in cally sound, socially aware and sustai- euvre available to them. Now SEKEM the sustainable banking business with nable investments: „We are proud to can commence with inves�ng more branches in the Netherlands, Belgium, deepen our coopera�on and that we in processing machinery, cooling and the United Kingdom, Spain and can now be connected more directly storage facili�es or new produc�on Germany. The Triodos Bank finances to the SEKEM enterprise.“ Peter Blom, plants for dried and fresh vegetables, enterprises that exhibit ecological, Chairman of the Triodos Bank, added: herbs and other products. social or cultural engagement. For „SEKEM shows that a firm can be sup- more than 10 years, the ins�tute has The two new financing partners are ported successfully by several part- been ac�ve also in private equity. The well-known beyond the borders ners. Together, we will make growth Triodos Bank Group currently finances of Europe for their ‚green invest- possible beyond former limits.“ around 4.000 projects. ment‘ interests. The GLS Bank, based Concrete plans for investment pro- in Bochum and Freiburg, Stu�gart, More informa�on on the two new part- jects are supposed to be formed and Hamburg and Frankfurt works exclu- ners of SEKEM and the future plans are realized in sively with ecologically sound, socially available online at: www.triodos.com the course aware and sustainable projects. One and www.gls.de. of 2007. The of the most important principles of Triodos Bank, GLS Bank, Bijan Kafi GLS Bank and the Bank‘s work is total transparency, the Triodos Bank will contribute in an par�cularly in the loans segment. even more substan�al way as in the past to investments that will amount Naturetex Now fairtrade-Cer�fied Cer�fica�on Process Completed for Successor of Conytex Nature Tex�les Brand SEKEMs successor company to of close and dependable partner- Conytex, Naturetex, has recently ship. Now, the new cer�fica�on can received fairtrade cer�fica�on from demonstrate even more clearly and the Fairtrade Labeling Organiza�on believably what that precisely means: (FLO) in Bonn as a processor and long-term guarantees for organic far- exporter of tex�les made from fair- mers at stable and guaranteed mini- trade co�on. The document now offi- mum prices that do not only cover cially cer�fies what has been a part their running costs but also allow for of SEKEM‘s business model for a long room for development, fair wages �me: the responsible and fair treat- for the employees of the tex�le pro- ment of employees and suppliers of duc�on plants and work condi�ons organic co�on. Furthermore, SEKEM including numerous opportuni�es for has always highlighted the level of Sewer in SEKEMs Firm Naturetex personal development through adult communica�on between processor educa�on or ar�s�c courses and free ducts are publicly accessible at www. and supplier as an important part from human exploita�on. fairtrade.net. of a healthy value chain, par�cularly through extensive social protec�on The criteria of fairtrade for the cul�- Chris�na Boecker schemes and a trus�ul coopera�on va�on and the processing of its pro- Page � Nr. �� | March ���� Double Anniversary Marks New Challenges Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish and SEKEM Ini�a�ve Celebrate Anniversaries Impressions from SEKEM The children from the SEKEM kinder- garten that walk in a colourful pro- cession across the stage of SEKEM‘s roman theatre on this picture are dressed according to classes and groups. The „uniform“ of the children is colou- red in a different way every year not only making the daily rou�ne in the school more enjoyable but also sup- por�ng a sense of connectedness and belonging. This way, such kind of clo- thing also helps teachers in their aim to posi�vely influence social cohesion in the classroom and avoid tension between poor and rich children. Dr. Abouleish among the crowds of employees and guests of SEKEM at his public anniversary celebra�ons Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish, founder of the With the 70th birthday of Dr. Abouleish SEKEM ini�a�ve and the chairman the SEKEM ini�a�ve itself celebrates of the SEKEM Group of companies its anniversary, too. Three decades un�l the present day, celebrated his ago, in 1977, the Round House that 70. anniversary on 23 April 2007. This today houses the guest house, served year, the event was celbrated publicly as the founding stone of the ini�a- as an open air event in the roman the- �ve that has in recent years grown to atre of SEKEM on its mother farm near more than 6 firms with approxima- Belbeis. tely 2.000 employees leading a great number of educa�onal and cultural The theatre was filled to the last place Kinder in farbiger Bekleidung der SEKEM Schule projects. Appropriately, today the on this day as hundreds of SEKEM Round House houses next to the guest employees, pupils and trainees had rooms also a centrally placed, lush arrived to celebrate together with garden place marking the spot where A colorful mixture of ar�s�c presenta- Dr. Abouleish what turned out to be the centre of the first of SEKEM‘s buil- �ons was on the agenda for the event.
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