Russia - accepting funds from PMI to improve technical colleges..

College students, click to enlarge..

December 23, 2010 - Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) and the Russian nonprofit Centre for Non-Governmental Organizations’ Development (see below) announced today the continuation of an agreement initiated in 2009 for the funding of a charitable program to improve two technical colleges in St. Petersburg and five technical colleges in the Leningrad region, where Philip Morris’ Izhora factory is located.

Russia - 73 percent of boys and 65 percent of girls smoke... A country with a bright future..

from Guidelines for implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC):
Payments, gifts and services, monetary or in-kind, and research funding offered by the tobacco industry to government institutions, officials or employees can create conflicts of interest. Conflicting interests are created even if a promise of favourable consideration is not given in exchange, as the potential exists for personal

Principle 1: There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco
industry’s interests and public health policy interests. 13. The tobacco industry produces and promotes a product that has been proven scientifically to be addictive, to cause disease and death and to give rise to a variety of social ills, including increased poverty. Therefore, Parties should protect the formulation and
implementation of public health policies for tobacco control from the tobacco industry to the greatest extent possible.

PMI’s grant will be used to transform these technical schools into centers of manufacturing excellence by upgrading and modernizing classroom facilities and purchasing modern equipment to replace out-dated machinery. In addition, Philip Morris Izhora will provide promising students with a factory internship program and offer available full-time entry-level positions to the best graduates of the colleges in 2011. Philip Morris Izhora employees will also volunteer their time to provide technical training to teachers and students at the schools.

This support program for technical schools in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region was initiated by PMI in 2009 with an initial grant to purchase new machinery for 6 technical schools in the area along with scholarships and teaching grants for students and teachers at the selected schools. More than 1000 students per year benefit from the program.

About Centre for Non-Governmental Organizations’ Development: established in 1994 to promote corporate responsibility and charity in Russia, and to provide assistance and support to NGOs. This organization administers charitable projects aimed at assisting socially vulnerable groups with support from leading local and international companies. From PMI reference below.

Reference: Philip Morris International Provides Grants to Improve Seven Technical Colleges in the Leningrad region and St. Petersburg, Source: Philip Morris International, 121/22/2010

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