Centro Leon and the Office of the Vice President through its “Progressing with Solidarity” Program have agreed to collaborate in several arts, culture, environment and social development programs. The support is a part of a corporate responsibility effort on behalf of the former majority owners of the Presidente and Marlboro brands in the Dominican Republic that operate the Centro Leon, a leading cultural institution headquartered in Santiago de los Caballeros, the country’s second largest city.
Spokespeople for Centro Leon explained that this initiative seeks to expand their outreach to the community, stimulate production of knowledge and cultural exchanges through the study and promote the cultural artistic heritage of the Dominican Republic in a cultural context.
The goals of the initiative are to continue working to support art and artistic expression and stimulate tourism and the export of cultural industries. At the same time, the initiative seeks to enhance the quality and visibility of the diverse range of arts and crafts of the region.
The agreement was signed at Centro Leon by its director Rafael Emilio Yunen and Altagracia Suriel, director general of Progresando con Solidaridad. On hand at the signing were Vice President Margarita Cedeno and Maria Amalia Leon, director of the Eduardo Leon Jimenes Foundation.
The specific programs to be developed are:
Promoting Arts and Crafts. This program will stimulate the production and sale of high quality arts and crafts through implementing training programs in design skills. The products will be marketed at the Centro Leon and the Manos Dominicanas stores (a program of the Office Vice President) and at shopping centers nationwide.
House numbering. The project will be undertaken in Santiago to address the problem of the house numbering in Santiago communities. The highlight of this program will be the training of youth in creative workshops so that young men and women can develop skills and acquire business acumen so that they can generate income.
Ecoart in the Community with Centro Leon. This program seeks to promote art, culture, values and conservation of environment through recycling of plastics and metals.
Recycled City. The agreement calls for design of murals using recycled glass and other materials that will be collected in communities and beaches. The collection of the materials will be spearheaded by school groups and community based organizations.
Imagined Community. This program seeks to promote community development through channeling the creativity of children and teenagers. The program will be offered in IT centers and will be supervised by the Office of the Vice President Office.
Promotion of Values through Painting. This program seeks to promote the ties between art and artistic expression to positive societal values, as part of the framework of the National Strategy for a Society in Values program. The works of art will become part of an exhibition The Young Duarte in 2014.
Community Educational Visits. This program seeks to coordinate the visits of children living in high-risk areas to Centro Leon where the children will participate in activities that reinforce positive self-esteem and promote positive values and spark creativity.
The first phase of this ambitious initiative will last two years and can be renewed by the collaborating partners.
http://www.acento.com.do/index.php/news/177504/56/Centro-Leon-y-Vicepresidencia-firman-convenio-de-colaboracion-interinstitucional.html