(note: The three links given here don't work any longer as of March 14, 2006. They worked when the page was created.)

 

Prague, the capitol of the Czech Republic recently hosted another of those all too familiar anti-Cuba conferences we've occasionally read about in recent years. No indication was given about the background to the gathering, how it was funded and so on.

CubaNews has received some of the background material about an outfit called the Pontis Foundation, which is linked as you'll see below, to both the United States government and George Soros's OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION. Soros thinks Bush's policies have been and are bad for capitalism, but his outfit doesn't hesitate to be involved in projects together with Washington's when it suits his purposes.

Pontis began its operations in Slovakia as the US-based Foundation for a Civil Society.  The organization was put under Slovak leadership as Nadacia pre obciansku spolocnost in 1997 and was transformed into the Pontis Foundation in 2001.  Over the years, Pontis has run various projects such as the Democracy Network Program, the NGO Development Initiative, Rock Volieb, and various volunteerism projects, just to name a few.   In 2004, Pontis Foundation has three core programs that address emerging needs:

·        The NGO Loan Program
Goal: support financial stability and sustainability among non-governmental organizations while building business acumen, both for organizational success and more productive interaction with the private sector.

·        The Philanthropy Program
Goal: “build on past Pontis experience working with individuals and corporations to improve their support for NGOs through new efforts attracting the private sector and fostering citizen involvement”

·        The Institute for Civic Diplomacy
Goal: stimulate international and regional projects between NGOs and governments and to shape public opinion about foreign affairs to develop a civic dimension in Slovak public policy.

Pontis Foundation Supports Slovak Communities

Since its existance it has supported 120 projects in the amount of 92 million Slovak Crowns for public-benefit activities in supporting civil society in Slovakia and abroad.

Pontis Foundation Supports Slovak Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

The Pontis Foundation is the only organization in Slovakia that provides long-term sustainability resources for nonprofit organizations in the form of loans. It encourages nonprofit organizations to think strategically and works with them to strengthen their financial and entrepreunerial thinking.

Pontis works with more than 100 organizations. In 2004 – thanks to the support of the World Bank Small Grants Program and the Juniper Network provided nineteen with grants at the amount of $55 000 to allow them, among other things, to establish a workshop for handicapped young people, attract attention to the problems of abused children, and hold a meeting to explore alternative approaches to social care in Slovakia.

Pontis Foundation Supports Development of Corporate Philanthropy and CSR

The Pontis Foundation is one of the strongest supporters of the development of corporate philanthropy, including

1)      presentation of the annual Via Bona Slovakia Award for socially responsible companies,

2)      practical assistance to companies in establishing their corporate giving strategies, and

3)      organization of seminars and conferences on corporate social responsibility.

Pontis Foundation Supports of Solidarity in the World

The Pontis Foundation abroad is represented by the Foundation’s Institute of Public Diplomacy, focusing on development projects in Serbia, Belarus, and Cuba.  Pontis concentrates on building awareness about countries with totalitarian regimes in the world.  Recently, it delivered SK 85,000 gathered in a public collection of funds in Slovakia to families of political prisoners in Cuba. 

The Pontis Foundation Board of Directors, members of its committees, and its staff believe that at least with our small portion of work we are contributing to make Slovakia an equal political and social partner for current and future members of the European Union.

Pontis Foundation – suport  for programs of philanthropy,
development of nonprofit organizations, and support of solidarity in the world.

The Pontis Foundation is an experienced grantmaking foundation, politically and economically independent. Since 1995 it has supported more than 120 projects in the amount of SK 92 million IČO: 317 848 28

http://www.pontisfoundation.sk/en/10311

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2/The Cuban program is part of the Foundation’s mission to assist citizens in foreign countries who desire political freedom. The dissident movement in Cuba is similar to the dissident movement in former Czechoslovakia before 1989, and greatly enjoys the moral solidarity from post-communist countries of Europe.

The Cuban project focuses on assisting the dissident movement in building civic awareness within the wider community. The project also developed a humanitarian mission, and in March 2003, when Fidel Castro’s regime imprisoned 76 dissidents and independent journalists, Pontis, along with with the civic association People in Peril, initiated a public collection campaign for the families of these political prisoners. Sixteen families from different parts of the island were supported by this collection.

In January 2003, Oswaldo Payá, a Cuban dissident was permitted by the Castro regime to travel to Strasbourg in order to receive the European Parliament’s Award for Freedom of Thought. The Pontis Foundation took advantage of the opportunity to organize a visit for him to Slovakia. During his visit to Bratislava, Payá met with the Chairman of Slovak Parliament, Pavol Hrušovský, with whom he had a long discussion with some of former Slovak dissidents about their experience from the period just before the fall of communism.

Oswaldo Payá’s visit, along with other activities that focused on improving public awareness in the area of human rights in Cuba, contributed to the change in Slovak foreign policy towards Castro's regime in Havana. Ministry of Foreign Affaires issued an official protest against sentencing of the 76 prisoners of conscience in Cuba, and leading dissidents were invited to a reception at the Slovak Embassy in Havana. In 2003, Slovakia became one of the leading new EU member states that actively monitors human rights in Cuba.

http://www.pontisfoundation.sk/en/10610

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2003 Donors: