Isabelle Bonnal has been selected as patron of the students of Monaco’s Nurses’ Training Institute (IFSI) for the class of 2016-2019.
Isabelle Bonnal is well-known as Director of National Education for Youth and Sports. During a ceremony held at the IFSI, in the presence of their director, Monique Le Du, the nurses explained the reasons for this choice of new patron.
For her part, Ms Bonnal enthusiastically accepted the role, saying she was very honoured to have been chosen. She reiterated her esteem for healthcare professionals in general, and nurses in particular.
Saying that “one does not become a nurse by chance, but by vocation”, she applauded the quality of the teaching team at IFSI and the training provided in the Institute. “Along with professionalism,” she concluded, “altruism, exemplarity and dedication are qualities that are expected of you. These are values that will mark the nobility of your commitment.”
Very soon, a great humanitarian event will be organised on the coasts of the Mediterranean. “Les Voiles de l’Espoir” (Sails of Hope) is the world’s largest organised nautical event for children in remission from cancer or leukemia.
Initiated in 2001, and held every two years, Les Voiles de l’Espoir, organised by Ronde Table France, aims to share a week of sailing for these children.
With over 60 sailboats available, 100 children from eight to 14 will take part from all over the world, including France, the Antilles, Reunion Island, New Caledonia, Morocco, and Luxembourg, to participate in various events over seven days.
More than 650 volunteers will be at their side to allow them to escape, to forget, and to discover, safely, the world of sailing and the sea.
The 2017 Edition, the ninth is the series, will take place from June 10 to 17 along the Côte d’Azur and the Mediterranean coast between Grimaud, Saint Raphaël, Cannes and, on Tuesday, June 13, Monaco.
With this prize, first awarded in 1992, the Monaco Yacht Club recognises the endeavours of leading figures in the maritime world, be it for competition, the environment, science, safeguarding maritime heritage or nautical industry.
In a year that has seen numerous offshore events, the 2017 “Personnalité de la Mer” prize will be awarded to a sailor recently distinguished in this discipline. The Monaco Yacht Club will present the trophy to the winner at the La Belle Classe party on Friday, September 15, held during Monaco Classic Week.
The trophy will be presented by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Jury President for Monaco Classic Week 2017, who was the first man to sail solo non-stop round the world, and the second person to win the Jules Verne Trophy.
Interested parties have until July 1, 2017, to vote for one of three nominees, with the possibility of putting forward a fourth personality. Previous winners have included Sir Robin Knox Johnstone (2013), Mike Horn (2009), Carlo Riva (2005), and King Juan Carlos de Borbon (1997).
On the second day of the Kuwait Yacht Show, Fraser, the world’s largest superyacht brokerage firm, has announced its recent partnership with Seas & Deserts Group. Fraser will be expanding the choices for Seas & Deserts customers with its unique portfolio of yachts for sale and charter, as well as its yacht management, crew and construction services.
Seas & Deserts is the premier Marine & Land Equipment Company in The Arabian Gulf and the Middle East. The company will bring its knowledge and experience to Fraser’s customers in the region. Fraser said it is excited to expand its presence in the Middle East by partnering with such a leading company in the area.
Seas & Deserts was established in Kuwait in 1978 to cater for the Middle Eastern love of “Bahar” & “Barr” (Sea & Desert). The company imports, exports, distributes, and is responsible for the supply and sale services of yachts and superyachts as well as other marine‐based and multi‐terrain vehicles, vessels and equipment. Fraser’s partnership with Seas & Deserts was a natural choice, with the company being the exclusive dealer for Azimut Yachts in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman.
Fraser CEO Raphael Sauleau commented, “ We are delighted to be announcing our partnership with Seas & Deserts, they have a strong presence and sustainable history across the whole of the Middle East. This, combined with their experience and skills in the brokerage market, will allow us to expand our offering and provide a more dedicated service to clients in this region.”
Jeremy Tutt, Regional Director at Seas & Deserts added, “We are excited to partner with Fraser which will enable us to broaden the choice for our customers. Buying brokerage yachts and yacht charters is a specialist field, by combining our experience in the region with Fraser’s respected and unique portfolio, we can ensure our customers continue to receive privileged and reliable product and service.”
Fraser is part of the Azimut‐Benetti Group, the largest manufacturer of luxury yachts and the world’s largest private group in the yachting sector and V.Ships, the largest marine services provider in the world.
An international study led by scientists from the University of Monash (Melbourne, Australia) and carried out in close collaboration with the Prince’s Government, the Scientific Centre of Monaco (SCM) and the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), has come to the conclusion that the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean are healthier than the rest of the world.
This study, published in the Journal “PLOS Biology”, is one of the outcomes of a meeting held in Monaco in 2015, during which a multidisciplinary group of 23 experts carried out the first biodiversity assessment in Antarctica: “The Evaluation of Monaco.” The objective was to compare the situation of Antarctic biodiversity and its management with that of the rest of the world.
The Aichi objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, as defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), had never been applied to Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, which represents about 10 percent of the surface of the planet.
“The results were truly surprising,” said Professor Steven Chown, lead author of the study and Director of the Faculty of Biological Sciences at Monash. “While in some areas, such as the management of introduced species, the Antarctic region is doing quite well, in others, such as protected area management and bioprospecting regulation, it lags far behind.”
The study found that overall the difference between the state of biodiversity in Antarctica and the rest of the world was very small, contrary to the pure image we have of this remote place.
The data collected this year in Adélie Land by CSM researchers, in partnership with the CNRS and the University of Strasbourg, corroborate this sad fact: “For the second time in 60 years of presence in the region, we deplore, as in 2014, a total reproductive failure of Adélie penguins on the Island of Pétrels where the research station of Dumont D’Urville is located. The causes of this mortality are to be clarified but they undoubtedly associate global and local causes linked to global warming,” said Scientific Director of the CSM, Professor Denis Allemand.
“Despite this rather pessimistic assessment, there are great opportunities for positive action,” said Professor Melodie McGeoch of Monash University and co-author of the article. “Agreements under the Antarctic Treaty System lend themselves to effective action and parties have recently strengthened their commitment to protect the biodiversity of the region.”
This scientific study ensures that future assessments under the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 will be truly comprehensive. Professor McGeoch said that this study will help inform us about the overall progress towards achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
The Prince’s Government is pleased to have supported the development of such a study and is delighted to once again be able to welcome biodiversity experts from the Antarctic region to the Principality. A second workshop, entitled “Antarctica and the Strategic Plan for Biological Diversity 2011-2020: The Monaco Assessment-Implementation Programme”, will be organised in July 2017 in the Principality.
This article addresses the increasing interest by Families on how to be philanthropic, especially from the Millennial (18-35 year olds) members.
Why give? There are many reasons, ranging from wealth and tax planning, to brand building, to much more personal motivations, that people may decide to get involved in philanthropy.
Philanthropy is now in vogue, widely celebrated, and adopted as a worthy lifestyle choice amongst the wealthy. We know that philanthropy is on the rise, too. According to the Coutts Million Dollar Donors Report, $56 billion (€47 billion) donations of more than $1 million (€840,000) were made in 2015 – a significant rise from the previous year.
Giving can be a hugely rewarding experience. Getting to know the dynamic individuals and organisations working at the frontline of social change is enriching and humbling. And such engagement can cut across different aspects of your life – from involving the family and even the children in planning and choosing donations, to engaging companies and their employees.
One of the best reasons to give is that the world needs it. Philanthropy has often played a hugely important role in the development of just, democratic societies. Now more than ever – with such global and complex challenges as global under-nutrition, gender inequality, climate change and the refugee crisis – philanthropy has a very important role to play.
What are some of the challenges donors face? While the journey of a philanthropist is a privileged and rewarding one, it’s not easy to be effective. Here are some of the key pitfalls:
Feeling overwhelmed by need. The sheer scale of today’s social challenges can be overwhelming. It is said, for example that the global economy will lose $12 trillion (€10.06 trillion) if greenhouse gases are not tackled, and that $3.5 trillion (€2.93 trillion) is lost every year due to global under-nutrition. These are staggering figures, but we mustn’t be disheartened. Private wealth has resources to contribute to this challenge, but they need to be allocated wisely. The great news is that with strategic thinking, even a $26,000 (€21,800) donation could have a catalytic effect in a chosen field.
Defining purpose and value-add. We live in an age of information overload and there will be competing demands for a donor’s attention. The challenge for any donor is how to focus their involvement – this takes a good filtering system and often some solid support. Defining your own purpose and value-add within your chosen field is the true challenge and opportunity of every philanthropist.
Finding great opportunities. The causes that shout the loudest are not necessarily the most effective. Unlike the corporate world, assessing organisations and causes is not straightforward as there is no single bottom line to be compared. There is no stock market for charitable causes. It often takes expertise and/or time and immersion into particular cause areas to find fantastic causes that resonate with your purpose and goals.
Regulatory and risk issues. Donors do not often realise the myriad risk, legal and tax considerations in giving. Setting up your own charitable foundation is an appealing option, but comes with its own regulation and governance requirements. The level of transparency that is needed often surprises and frustrates donors, particularly if giving overseas. It is worth taking advice on the right structure for your giving early on.
Power dynamics. Funders need to be aware that they can influence entire sectors of work (not always positively) by how and what they choose to fund. It’s easy for new donors to wade into subjects with hubris, particularly if they’ve been successful businessmen or women. Unequal power dynamics between funder and recipient do not help to create an honest relationship. Trying to solve a social problem (which is really what this is all about) can take many years, often decades – think of the abolition of slavery, for example, which was pushed forward by a strong civil society movement backed by philanthropic support. It takes patience, focus, and – critically – collaboration across sectors.
Top tips for new philanthropists Understand the change you want to see and try to think strategically. Understand what change you want to see in the world and work backwards from there. Philanthropy can be catalytic when targeted carefully, but should be informed by a good mix of passion and evidence in order to be really effective.
Avoid duplication There are already 160,000 charities in the UK, so be brutally honest about whether you have something new to offer by setting up a new initiative or charitable foundation. A good example is Warren Buffet, who has pledged to give 99% of his substantial wealth to philanthropic causes, the majority of which will go to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffet recognises the critical importance of both leverage and avoiding duplication. Sometimes it is worth funding someone else’s initiative rather than reinventing the wheel.
Acknowledge what you don’t know Get informed. Meet people and organisations. Understand the issues in which you are interested. And don’t expect to go it alone. We know that donors give more when they seek and receive good advice – be it from other, experienced philanthropists, or professionals. Support can help you to filter information, find and assess great causes, and ensure you are meeting all legal requirements. It will enable you to focus on the fun and rewarding parts of philanthropy while ensuring you see the fruits of your contribution much more quickly.
Make a start Have a go in one area of interest. Make smaller and simpler contributions initially until you are more comfortable with the process. If there’s one thing I’ve witnessed in my years of working in this space, it’s that donors learn best by doing – so just make a start, and have fun with it!
Article first published September 6, 2017. Mark Estcourt is CEO of Cavendish Family Office in London. For more information, see cavfo.com. This article was written in association with one of our Strategic Partners, Juliet Cockram Agnew who is Head of Philanthropy at I.G Advisors.
