UNITED NACION MODEL

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The goal of sustainable development is to define viable projects and reconcile the
economic, social, environmental and human activities “three pillars” to be taken into
account by the communities, both companies and individuals:

Economic: financial operation “classic” but also the ability to contribute to economic
development in the field of entrepreneurship at all levels.

Social: the social consequences of business activity at all levels: employees (working
conditions, salary levels, etc), suppliers, customers, local communities and society in
general, basic human needs.

Environment: compatibility between the activity of the company and the preservation of
biodiversity and ecosystems. It includes an analysis of the impacts of corporate social
development and their products in terms of flows, consumption of hard or slowly
renewable resources and in terms of waste generation and emissions ... This last pillar
is necessary for the other two are stable.

Yucatan is one of the states that with the federal district of Mexico make up 32 states.
The state is located in southeastern Mexico and northern Yucatan Peninsula. It is
bounded on the north by the Gulf of Mexico, southeast by the state of Quintana Roo
and southwest by the state of Campeche.

The Academic Program on Sustainable Development in the Southern Yucatan was born
in July 2001 with two purposes: to assist in improving the living standards of the
population of the southern Yucatan micro-region, from a participatory approach,
endogenous development, and to generate a comprehensive training space for college
students (initially to social service providers, which in turn enrich the academic proposal
of the institution in general, making it more relevant and appropriate with regard to
regional issues and current needs professional training, strengthening the new
educational model.
Since 2001 Yucatan has several projects in the municipalities of Tahdziú, Chacsinkín
and Tixmeuac, which form the southern Yucatan micro-region, considered the
impoverished and inhabited mostly by Mayans.

The principles which underpin the work of PADSUR are:

• Systematic generation of learning and critical proposals aimed at solving social and
environmental problems identified with the population of rural communities

• Structuring the work on the basis of interdisciplinary teams

• Design of mechanisms for ongoing planning and evaluation (outcome and impact), so
as to ensure constant feedback, both to the academic institutions involved as to the
program itself and its projects

• Participatory research methodology as the foundation of all actions

• Promotion of sustainable development as the basis of the projects (the human, social,
economic, environmental and cultural)

• Promotion of endogenous development

• Seeking self-management groups that are working in rural communities

• Promoting diversity and equity in all projects, and among members of the program

• Respect and strengthen the Mayan culture.

With regard to education

In 2000, according to the Census conducted by the INEGI, in the municipality of Merida
244 schools were registered pre-school, 395 primary level, 136 secondary level, 97 and
16 high school level professional level.