Mercedes 2006 Annual Report Download - page 125

Sustainability | Social Responsibility | 109
Since 1998, DaimlerChrysler has been supporting gifted school
students in Germany through the “Perspective Forum” in cooper-
ation with the “Young Researchers” foundation. Within this
forum, today’s experts discuss important future issues with the
research scientists and engineers of tomorrow. In the year 2006,
the discussion in Berlin focused on the significance of values and
ethics in business, science and society.
“Mondialogo”: intercultural learning and sustainable devel-
opment. Together with UNESCO, DaimlerChrysler founded the
“Mondialogo” initiative in 2003 in order to foster understanding,
respect and acceptance among young people from different
cultures. In 2006, the Chairman of DaimlerChrysler’s Board of
Management, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, and the Director General
of UNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, agreed to continue the
Mondialogo project. In November 2006, prizes were awarded
in Rome to the winners of the second “Mondialogo School
Contest”, in which 35,000 students from 138 countries partici-
pated. The first prize was awarded to a partner team from
Indonesia and Italy that used donations to set up an evening
school in Jakarta for 100 children who earn a living during
the day by collecting garbage. In addition to the School Contest,
there is also a worldwide Mondialogo “Engineering Award”,
which will be presented for the second time at the end of 2007
to engineering students who have developed concepts for
promoting knowledge transfer between industrial and developing
countries.
Enhanced traffic safety for children in road traffic. Improving
the safety of children in road traffic was once again a key focus of
DaimlerChrysler’s social commitment in 2006. “MobileKids”,
DaimlerChrysler’s traffic-safety initiative for children between the
ages of eight and twelve, is based on the principle of learning
through play. The concept includes a TV cartoon series (“The
Nimbols”) and a multi-lingual interactive Internet game platform
(“Mokitown”) with more than 900,000 registered users worldwide.
The highlight of the year in Germany was the MobileKids
“S-Cool-Tour”, which visited 40 primary schools in Bavaria. We also
promote traffic safety for children with other worldwide initiatives
such as the “Global Road Safety Partnership” and “Seat-Check”
in the United States.
Focus on supplier diversity. In connection with our purchasing
activities, it is important for us to open up opportunities for
minority suppliers and disadvantaged social groups. The purchasing
activities of the Chrysler Group alone sourced goods and services
worth over US $3.9 billion from minority-owned suppliers
in the United States in 2006. This represents an increase of
US $0.2 billion compared to the previous year. Within the
last seven years, Chrysler has nearly doubled its purchases from
minority suppliers. Our objectives are anchored in internal
goal agreements. We also expect our suppliers to increase their
purchasing volume from minorities in the second-tier supply
chain. To help them do so, the Chrysler Group conducts a wide
range of activities.
Responsible partnerships create mutual trust. Sustainability
and social responsibility are key elements of DaimlerChrysler’s
corporate vision. They combine economic, ecological and social
aspects with corporate success. We are aware of the numerous
social challenges worldwide, and are also prepared to play
an active part in finding solutions – in the local community as a
good neighbor, in the wider society as a committed corporate
citizen, and in the political arena as a reliable and credible partner.
DaimlerChrysler employees are responsible citizens – as good
neighbors in their communities, as committed participants
in society in general, and as credible and reliable partners in the
political arena.