Section SOCIETY
TOPIC

INTERAMERICAN
“Plan for Life Actions: responsibility actions, quality of Life project”

With the “Plan for Life Actions” INTERAMERICAN aims at constantly increasing its contribution in improving quality of life and strengthening social cohesion and well-being. With “Life Actions” INTERAMERICAN aims at maximising its contribution to society, focusing on quality of life and on ways to combat social inequality, discrimination, and exclusion.

It is very important to point out that INTERAMERICAN’s CSR strategic plan includes a package of actions that address each of the Company’s CSR axes/fields and aim to achieve specific midterm objectives per axis. 

INTERAMERICAN’s “Plan for Life Actions” is addressed to both society collectively and to each person (colleague, associate, fellow citizen) individually. INTERAMERICAN is listening to the needs and concerns of its stakeholders and responds to them through the plan of actions for Society and People.

The “Plan for Life Actions: responsibility actions, quality of Life project” has been systematically implemented since 2008.

Social Responsibility is an integral part of the philosophy underlying INTERAMERICAN’s corporate conduct. The Company’s objective is to consistently contribute to the development of society as a whole, and to the creation of added value for all its stakeholders. “Life Actions”, a multidimensional social responsibility plan, is a long-term plan of social and environmental actions and initiatives, which keeps evolving, as it is being updated annually and enriched with new practices and collaborations on a regular basis. The purpose is to allow it to cover a wider range of social needs and to contribute intensively towards improving quality of life.

“Life Actions” unfolds along five main thematic axes:

A. “Life Actions” for Health
For INTERAMERICAN, health is life’s most valuable asset, a prerequisite for personal, family and social well-being. 

B. “Life Actions” for Addressing Risk
Preventing or mitigating risk, as well as dealing with its effects successfully, is very similar in nature to the idea of insurance action. 

C. “Life Actions” for Vulnerable Social Groups
INTERAMERICAN develops a series of initiatives for the benefit of social groups and populations tried by poverty, discrimination, and exclusion in terms of human rights concerning health, education and employment, while it is also actively involved in the social living of people with special needs. 

D. “Life Actions” for Education and Culture
Education and Culture are the source of long-standing values that lay the foundations for continuity and progress in social life in every geographical area; they feed creativity and growth and shape its distinct “identity”. On this assumption, in 2010 INTERAMERICAN introduced the main thematic axes for the “Life Actions” plan in Education and Culture and has taken a series of related initiatives.

E. “Life Actions” for the protection of the Environment
Since the improvement of life quality is directly linked to the protection and rehabilitation of the natural environment, the Company, through the actions and initiatives it takes, makes every possible effort to bring about the development of an environmental culture, of ecological awareness, and of environment friendly conduct both among its employees as well as associates, suppliers and clients.

For the purposes of the implementation of the “Plan for Life Actions: responsibility actions, quality of Life project”, INTERAMERICAN has been working with several organisations, associations and other social groups. INTERAMERICAN’s social partners in the implementation of the “Life Actions” project are:

  • Non-Governmental Organisations (“The Smile of the Child”, “Doctors Without Borders”, “UNICEF”. "Anoixti Agkalia”, “SOS Children's Villages”, “ActionAid”, etc.)
  • Private sector enterprises 
  • Institutional bodies and the Public Sector (municipalities, the Hellenic Management Association (EEDE), Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Hellenic Association of Insurance Companies, etc)
  • And of course, INTERAMERICAN’s own “Volunteers for LIfe”

Employees are an important factor for the successful implementation of INTERAMERICAN’s Social Action Plan, as they either fully organise or actively participate in the implementation of the actions each time taken.

The “Plan for Life Actions: responsibility actions, quality of Life project” is implemented throughout the territory of Greece.

The impact of the “Life Actions” project is both multiple and also quantifiable at various levels. The qualitative impact of the “Life Actions” project is recorded in the annual CSR Report. 

The total amount made available by INTERAMERICAN to sponsoring, donations and other social contributions in recent years is as follows.

Category    2012    2013    2014    2015    %
Care for Health                                            48,790    112,235    18,311    8,156    3%
Risk Mitigation                                             41,107    40,584    28,751    24,110    9%
Assistance to Vulnerable Social Groups         93,987    108,978    112,452    102,746    37%
Supporting Education and Culture                  55,845    51,766    47,492    79,193    29%
Protection of the Environment                       12,786    8,888    8,444    14,889    5%
Other Sponsorships - Donations                    56,500    80,795    57,645    45,043    16%
Total                                                          309,015    402,246    273,094    274,138    100%

It needs to be pointed out that despite the long duration of the financial crisis, it has been the policy of INTERAMERICAN on the one hand not to cut down on social contribution and environmental action expenses, and on the other to seek to add to its mix alternative CSR practices which would entail low costs for the Company. Such practices have been implemented in the last two years as part of the CSR plan, and they include among others, free insurance and health services, and participation in partnerships. 

It should also be said that it is Company policy that CSR Communication and Advertising Expenses do not exceed 10% of total Corporate Social Responsibility, Communication and Advertising Expenses.
Finally, the impact of the programme is also confirmed by third party testimonials provided by representatives of Company stakeholders (see, pp. 47-60 of the 2013 CSR Report, and pp. 38-47 of the 2012 CSR Report).

INTERAMERICAN’s contribution through the “Plan for Life Actions: responsibility actions, quality of Life project” in addition to the quantifiable results for People and Society also has very significant effects for the Company:

  • It enhances the Company’s value
  • It enhances the personnel’s sense of safety and trust
  • It has a positive impact on the relations of the Company with all its associates
  • It enhances the Company’s reputation and its recognition by the wider public as a “responsible” organisation.