We care for the society we live in and therefore believe that each individual as well as the enterprise can follow the example of socially responsible companies that see the way to those who need our and your help, encouragement or a kind word«.
AmCham Slovenia
»We want to emphasize the importance of giving back to society – not for profit and not for applause, but simply because it is the right thing to do«.
H.E. Joseph A. Mussomeli, the Ambassador of the United States of America
to the Republic of Slovenia
Several months of preparation with our best intentions are now put into effect – the volunteers are already fully active!
We are most thankful to all 31 Slovenian and international companies, that responded to our initiative and are this week fully participating at the project Giving Back to Community – AmCham Corporate Volunteering Week: Atlantic Grupa, Borzen, organizator trga z električno energijo, d.o.o., Cisco Systems, Podružnica Ljubljana, Competo d.o.o., Danfoss Trata d.o.o., ELI LILLY farmacevtska družba; d.o.o., Emma d.o.o., Energetika.NET d.o.o., Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires d.o.o., GBD Gorenjska borznoposredniška družba d.d., IBM Slovenija d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen; d.o.o., Knauf Insulation d.o.o., KPMG Slovenija d.o.o., Microsoft d.o.o. Ljubljana, Optilab d.o.o., Petrol d.d., Philip Morris d.o.o. Ljubljana, Republis d.o.o., S&T Slovenija d.d., SAP d.o.o. Slovenija, Simobil d.d., Studio Moderna d.o.o., TSmedia d.o.o., U.S. Embassy Ljubljana, UniCredit Banka Slovenija d.d., Volenik d.o.o. / Franšiza McDonald’s, Zavarovalnica Triglav d.d., Zavod Ypsilon, Žurnal media d.o.o.
We would like to express our special gratitude to our partner and main organizer of the Giving Back to Community project, the Slovene Philanthropy – Association for Promotion of Voluntary work, as it is their programs that are aimed at advocacy for the socially weak in need for urgent help. The activities of the Slovene Philanthropy are the bridge between the socially weak groups in a society and the healthy Slovene economy on the other side.
Special thanks also to all media sponsors: Eclipse, Europlakat, Radio1, TSmedia, Žurnal and sponsors Zavarovalnica Triglav and Sap Slovenija.
The Giving Back to Community project arose from a good practice example of company Microsoft at the global level.
It was the example of good practice at the global level of Microsoft that made the AmCham Committee for Social Responsibility to decide to follow the example and plan of Microsoft global volunteering project, which was at the meeting of Committee presented by Katra šemrov. This is how the Giving Back to Community project commenced, for which we hope that it will as to the »snowball effect« build upon itself, develop and grow each year. With you! We are stronger together!
Microsoft within the Giving back to Community project operates on the location: Slovene Philanthropy, Hiška na Viču, Cesta Dolomitskega odreda 11, Ljubljana.
»At Microsoft, we firmly believe that volunteering is indispensable for the development of a more humane society. We are proud that we have been the pioneers with our internal volunteer program in Slovenia, as we have been already for many years enabling to all our employees paid three additional days off work for volunteering purpose. Therefore, we decided with pleasure to join the project Giving Back to Community and in this way also contribute to a more sympathetic and humane society«.
Robert Trnovec, General Manager at Microsoft Slovenia
Healthy Slovenian economy wants to provide for the socially weak groups of our society
Following the good examples of socially responsible practices of the U.S. and other international businesses, the American Chamber of Commerce – AmCham Slovenia has together with the humanitarian organization, the Slovene Philanthropy, prepared the project – »GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY – AmCham Corporate Volunteering Week«, which is performed this fall in the week from 30 September till 4 October 2013 for its very first time.
The partner of the project is the Embassy of the United States of America to the Republic of Slovenia. The honorary patron of the project »GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY – AmCham Corporate Volunteering Week« is H.E. Borut Pahor, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, who will also join us in one of our corporate voluntary activities within the »GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY « project.
The initiators of the project are the members of the AmCham Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, which is very actively working within the American Chamber of Commerce – AmCham Slovenia. The project` s organizational leader is Nina Irt, AmCham PR and Communication Manager, who also gave the entire idea for it.
It is the value of volunteering that is the purpose and the goal of the Corporate Volunteering Week, called »GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITY«. Many employees are already inspired by their enterprises to become actively involved in volunteering within a wider community, whereas AmCham Slovenia as a community of international enterprises wishes to link up the activities of the Members of the American Chamber of Commerce – AmCham Slovenia for a common cause action. They will be actively involved in many local communities in need.
The aim of such connecting is a happy individual and a healthy society.
Basic and at the same time the long-term goal of the extensive action is in addition to the active participation of volunteers during the week of corporate volunteering, also to achieve that the companies that have not yet been »awakened« and do not have neither the functioning for social responsibility in their DNA activated yet, nor long-term strategies, would through this initiative alone become aware of the responsibility, mission and task that by volunteering they would be returning back to their local environment. Return to the society! Only by connecting a healthy economy and civil society – socially vulnerable groups – we can hope for and expect a revival of the society. The aim of such connecting is a happy individual and a healthy society and it is the American Chamber of Commerce that is more and more setting this aim above everything else, as its work and activities at all levels are actually focused right in that direction. They believe that such national project can inspire and encourage many companies to similar thinking and activities. In this way the aim of the project Giving Back to Community would be achieved.
We are giving back to the society. Together with you!
»Slovene Philanthropy from 2008 encourages companies to within their activities, meant for connecting employees and for the promotion of the company, also enter the voluntary work within non-governmental organizations and public institutions, which already involve volunteers in their work. We namely believe that the integration of the economy with non-governmental/voluntary organizations is of utmost importance, both for the implementation of corporate social responsibility, as well as for mutual understanding. Although the players are very different, they are all very important for the development of a company. Connecting with the American Chamber of Commerce represents a step forward for us and a great opportunity to through volunteer activities present the work of non-governmental organizations and the need for active involvement of volunteers to business companies. The connecting of the common good is after all our vision«!
Tereza Novak, Executive Director Slovene Philanthropy
»Almost every Slovene is feeling the impact of the current economic situation. During such times the first impulse is always to look inward and to focus on one’s own problems, but that is a self-defeating approach. Instead, looking outward and focusing on those who are in even greater need is what we all should do. So, I am looking forward to a series of events planned throughout October to highlight corporate social responsibility. In my view, the Slovenian name for the project (“Vračamo družbi!”) captures the spirit of what we’re trying to do much better than the English title. Together with our friends in the government, business world, and diplomatic community, we want to emphasize the importance of giving back to society – not for profit and not for applause, but simply because it is the right thing to do. Surely this is a value which all Slovenes can embrace. We can all make contributions big and small, whether we’ re helping out Slovene living with disabilities or doing our part to keep this beautiful country clean and green. I hope you’ll join us as we work together to help those in greater need than ourselves«.
HE Joseph A. Mussomeli, Ambassador of the United States of America to Slovenia
For more info please see Slovenian site
So-organizator: Slovenska filantropija- Združenje za promocijo prostovoljstva
Pokrovitelja: Zavarovalnica Triglav d.d., SAP Slovenija d.o.o.
Sponsors:
