CADAL receives the Alberto Marten Prize for Social Entrepreneurship

The Alberto Marten Prize for Social Entrepreneurship honors the non profit organizations that combine ideas and action. Social entrepreneurship spirit, means the solutions develped by citizens who in a voluntary and private way give answers to social problems. This prize bears the name of economist Alberto Marten Chavarria for being the founder of solidarity movement in Costa Rica on 1947.

The Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL) was distinguished by Atlas Economic Research Foundation with the Alberto Marten Prize for Social Entrepreneurship, consistent of 2,500 US dollars and a plaque.

The Alberto Marten Prize for Social Entrepreneurship honors the non profit organizations that combine ideas and action. This prize rewards organizations for their cooperation and promotion of the people and institutions of civil society in Latin America.

Think-tanks will be more efficient and successful if they are capable of combining ideas of a free society with practical efforts taking place in the local civil society. Social Entrepreneurship, is understood as the solutions developed by citizens who voluntarily and privately give answers to social problems.

The Alberto Marten Prize for Social Entrepreneurship recognizes not only those who build bridges together with social entrepreneurs, but also those who make a serious effort to mediate the effects (changes in attitude and behavior) of their work. Though it is tempting to believe that a certain activity is good and important, true social and intelectual entrepreneurs, will seek to measure if their work correspond to the results wished by means of independent criteria and objectives.

This prize bears the name of economist Alberto Marten Chavarria for being the founder of solidarity movement in Costa Rica on 1947, and for finding the means to introduce this movement in the companies. Solidarity movement is relevant to the ideas of social entrepreneurship since its aim is to increase productivity through the promotion of solidarity in the workplace, besides a fair treatment to employees through saving plans and contributions of the employer similar to that of the counterparts.

This new prize adds up to those received by CADAL before: Templeton Freedom Award Grant for Institute Excellence (2005), Francisco De Vitoria Prize for Ethics and Values (2005) y Francisco Marroquin Prize for Student Outreach (2007).

CADAL was founded on February 2003, taking into account the political, institutional and economical crises in Latin America, their regional impact, and the future challenges regarding civic, political and economic liberties. In this sense, CADAL emerged to occupy in Latin America a space of simultaneously promoting political democracies and free-markets.

The Center for Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL), with its main office in Buenos Aires and an office in Montevideo, Uruguay, is a private, non-profit, non-partisan foundation.