Isidro Fain, president of the Fundación La Caixa and the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks (CZECH), chaired the first meeting of the Social and Philanthropic Council of the World Institute of Savings Banks and Retail Banks (WSBI) in Bangkok, Thailand. The WSBI was created in December 2023, with Fain also serving as its president. During the meeting, topics such as the contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (ODS) and success stories of member foundations were discussed. New collaboration projects were proposed, including initiatives to support job creation and microbusinesses in developing countries.
The Council issued the ‘Bangkok Declaration’, a manifesto for building more inclusive and sustainable societies. This declaration includes commitments in areas such as youth, poverty reduction, education, women’s empowerment, support for the elderly, and sustainability of the planet. Fain highlighted three social programs of the Fundación La Caixa and the recent agreement with the Sparkassenstiftung on Silver Finance.
The Council aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices among members regarding their social work programs. It also provides guidance on global trends in philanthropy and identifies areas for development to enhance global sustainability and stability. The Social and Philanthropic Council includes international actors in social work and philanthropy, such as the State Bank of India, the German Sparkassenstiftung, and the Grupo Social Foundation of Colombia.
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