Portal de Murcia
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The project 17 ODSesiones of the University of Murcia has dedicated Thursday to address three different models to combat poverty in the Region.
'Companies and poverty: energy poverty, social responsibility and responsible public procurement', which was developed in the auditorium of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Murcia.
The conference was attended by Pilar Megía Rico, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility of Aguas de Murcia;
José Manuel García Marrero, president of ADEIRMUR, Association of Labor Insertion Companies of the Region of Murcia;
and Diego Cruzado, president of EAPN RM, the Network to Fight Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Region of Murcia.
Moderating the conference was Longinos Marín Rives, delegate of the UMU's rector for CSR and Transparency.
The first of the interventions came from the hand of Pilar Megía, representing Aguas de Murcia, who explained in what measures the company's commitment to social problems is specified.
"Nobody who can not pay for water in Murcia, will run out of water," he said bluntly.
During his speech he commented on the beginnings of the company's Social Fund, which date back to 2012, with 200,000 euros.
At that time this amount was intended for the forgiveness of debts of people belonging to groups at risk of exclusion.
As explained by the head of RSC Aguas de Murcia, the beginnings of this program were not easy.
In 2015, its management was delegated to the Social Services of the City of Murcia, which allowed a better distribution of the same.
In 2017 they presented a study on these policies, in which the UMU participated, and as a result of this study, the Social Debt Relief Fund was replaced by a "flat rate of 5 euros per month for those families that demonstrate a situation of economic precariousness "
From 2012 to date, Aguas de Murcia has allocated 5.7 million euros to its Social Fund.
For his part, Juan Manuel García (ADEIRMUR) has explained to those present what is meant by insertion companies.
They are those that, through their commercial activity, carry out social actions and job placement, and that currently must be registered in a register managed by the Ministry of Employment, Universities, Business and Environment.
In this sense, the speaker said that they are companies that "must compete in the market, like any other."
In addition, he added that in order to effectively perform their function "they must generate jobs that are transit, in three years people must enter the regular labor market."
Finally, Diego Cruzado, from EAPN Murcia, has indicated that "the best way to reduce poverty is to generate wealth and redistribute it".
It has shown that, after the worst years of the crisis, "the situation has improved, but there is still a long way to go".
As explained, 34.7% of the population of the Region is at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
Cruzado has concluded that proof of this is that "having work is not a sufficient condition to avoid this risk due to the precarization of it".
The conference is part of the project 17 ODSesiones of the University that was officially inaugurated on January 31.
During the month of February, activities focused on ODS1 are carried out: End of poverty, with the Faculties of Economy and Business and Social Work being the headquarters.
Source: Universidad de Murcia
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