Davis, Calif., Aug 4 /CSRwire/ - On Oct. 19, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, social financiers, grant-makers and agents of change Participating in the Opportunity Collaboration event being held in Ixtapa, Mexico will join the founder of Rainforest2Reef.org, Playa Viva Principal and Social Investor, David Leventhal on a visit to Juluchuca, Mexico to explore opportunities to collaborate in poverty alleviation.

Excursion participants will learn about the economic and environmental challenges of this small village, and similar villages in Mexico and around the world. The day's events will focus on traditional agriculture, the development of local businesses and the protection of marine life.

"Juluchuca is a fascinating village because it starkly reveals the delicate line between being trapped in poverty and the opportunity to rise above it," explains Opportunity Collaboration creator Jonathan C. Lewis. "Once again, a small contribution of resources, training and access to markets is a fulcrum for creating a better standard of living."

Delegates attending the tour will witness the condition of rural poverty in Mexico and the opportunity to overcome this condition - as exemplified by the village's few burgeoning industries.

Juluchuca's modest economy depends on traditional agriculture and a few specialized products. Excursion participants will meet with organic co-op leaders, a coconut candy factory owner and a salt farmer to discuss challenges, history and plans for expansion. Ending their excursion at La Tortuga Feliz, participants will visit this turtle sanctuary managed completely by local volunteers and have the privilege of releasing baby turtles to sea.

"The residents of Juluchuca have dreams and aspirations like all of us - to have good jobs, a good education and a healthy environment. If we can be a part of helping them realize their dreams, then we have succeeded," states Leventhal.

The Opportunity Collaboration is honored to work with Leventhal and his organizations. The opportunity to witness his organization's commitment to the local community, wildlife, local business development, environment and overall health will truly be an inspiration for all.

About Rainforest2Reef
Rainforest2Reef is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the biological corridor stretching from the rainforest of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve to the Mesoamerican Reef.

Rainforest2Reef's mission is to protect biodiversity, maintain ecosystem services, and slow climate change by safeguarding tropical forests, coral reefs and the corridors connecting these threatened habitats. We do this by working in partnership with local communities to protect ecologically important lands through innovative mechanisms, using sound scientific research to manage and monitor protected areas, and developing non-extractive economic activities that improve livelihoods of local people. Please visit www.Rainforest2Reef.org to learn more.

About Playa Viva LLC
Playa Viva is a boutique hotel and sustainable community being developed in Juluchuca, Mexico, about 30-minutes south of Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa resort area. The community is being built on 200 acres with 1.3 kilometers of beach front with over 85% of the land being restored as part of a private reserve. Playa Viva is committed to the values of triple bottom-line: profit for the community, the environment and the endeavor. Playa Viva is committed to preserving the cultures, traditions, communities, species and habitats that make this planet worth exploring. Find Come visit Playa Viva opening November 2009 - more at www.playaviva.com.

About the Opportunity Collaboration
From October 17-20, 2009, the Opportunity Collaboration is strategic networking summit of social investors/social ventures, entrepreneurial nonprofit leaders, foundation trustees/executives and policy thought leaders. An impartial, non-aligned congress, the co-conveners are the Ashoka, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, Calvert Social Investment Foundation, Global Philanthropy Forum, Social Venture Network, Stanford Social Innovation Review (Stanford Center for Social Innovation), Women Donors Network, Worldways Social Marketing and MicroCredit Enterprises CEO Jonathan C. Lewis. The Opportunity Collaboration brings together leaders from all over the world to leverage resources and create new alliances in the fight against poverty. Learn more about the Opportunity Collaboration at www.OpportunityCollaboration.net.

Opportunity Collaboration

Opportunity Collaboration

A four-day problem-solving, strategic retreat for nonprofit leaders, for-profit social entrepreneurs, grant-makers and social investors engaged in poverty alleviation and economic justice enterprises. On World Poverty Day, leverage resources, combine forces, share innovations and operate more effectively. Break down the silos of unproductive competition and go beyond the boundaries of conventional poverty alleviation.

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