- The event, held in the vicinity of the park, marks the completion of important joint work carried out between the community and the company, which resulted in the fact that, in late 2017, EGP Chile provided land, on a commodatum agreement, to safeguard the biodiversity of its flora and fauna, according to the Mapuche cosmovision.
- This model of work became a reference case between the private sphere and indigenous communities, and was presented in Geneva in November 2018, within the framework of the United Nations Human Rights Forum.
Pilmaiquén, February 19, 2019 – This morning, representatives of the Mapu Pilmaiquén indigenous community and Enel Green Power Chile executives held the opening ceremony of Parque La Isla - Salto La Olla, a pristine six-hectare forest, located in the town of Pilmaiquén, which will safeguard the biodiversity of its flora and fauna, along with conserving the Mapuche culture.
The inauguration was attended by the President of the Mapu Pilmaiquén community, Bernadette Amolef; the senior executive in sustainability projects and CSV of Enel, María Cristina Papetti; Enel Chile's sustainability manager, Antonella Pellegrini; the CEO of Enel Green Power Chile, Valter Moro; along with representatives of the community, authorities, neighbors, and employees of the power company.
To reach this point, the company and the community began a process of dialogue in 2012 at a round table with representatives from both parties that allowed establishing and recognizing the importance of these lands for the Mapuche culture. Under this definition, in December 2017, Enel Green Power Chile delivered the land of Parque la Isla, on a commodatum agreement, to the Mapu Pilmaiquén community.
For the President of the Mapu Pailmaiquen community, Bernadette Amolef, this milestone reflects the commitment of both parties and the willingness to understand and listen to the communities. "Today we are celebrating this beautiful place of Mapuche cultural conservation that is managed by our Mapu Pilmaiquén indigenous community. Enel loaned this land to the community, where we will safeguard and protect this park according to our cosmovision. We work together and the park has its doors open to everyone." The president also highlighted the impact the park has had on tourists in the area, "we have a high number of visitors every day, from different places and origins. This park is currently among the ten most attractive in the region."
The Parque La Isla is currently under the community’s administration and has experienced strong growth in the number of people visiting the place, with an average of 100 people a day, both Chileans and foreigners from diverse countries. The community has prepared itself and has guides and other services that allow enriching the visit to the Park and its waterfalls.
For María Cristina Papetti, senior executive in sustainability projects and CSV of the Enel Group, this initiative is an excellent demonstration of the work that Enel wants to develop in the territories where it is present. "The dialogue and the commitment to work together are the paths that Enel seeks to promote and encourage in the territories where it is present. For us, Parque La Isla represents a model to imitate, since it proves that with the will of both parties it is possible to develop good initiatives which also deliver benefits to the community and the environment," emphasized the executive.
In turn, Valter Moro, Enel Green Power Chile’s CEO valued the work and commitment that the community has put into the project. "Here is an example of how dialogue and good communication with communities can promote the realization of concrete projects. Thanks to the collaboration with the Mapu Pilmaiquen community, a community very committed to its culture, we have managed to create a project that, in our opinion, is iconic in the country, because it is an example of collaboration between private business and communities, for the conservation of the environment and indigenous culture," said the executive.
EGP has supported the execution of various initiatives of the Mapu Pilmaiquén community, which has improved the quality of life and the productive development of its people. The company has participated in the construction and preparation of part of these initiatives, adding technical preparation and a longer term vision. In this way, the community has been able to make progress in the planning of its objectives for the park.
This initiative is highly relevant because of the work model carried out between the company and the community, which was highlighted in the United Nations human rights forum, held in Geneva in November 2018, as a reference case in the initiative dedicated to Business and Human rights.