United Life 01 | Page 39

Foundation United Philantrophy The word philantrophy is of Greek origin. Philantrophy is composed of two word roots: “philos” = to love, to like, to take care and the word “antrophos” = a human, a human being, a humanity. Thus “philantrophy” = to like, to take care of a human and his humanity. The Greeks understood this “love to humanity” as a fulfilment of the free development of body, mind and spirit of an individual by helping others and development of his personality by education. Philantrophy is a private initiative for improvement of human life quality - as for individual as for society- for the public wellbeing. By this it becomes different from the government - what is (should be) public initiative for public wellbeing and also from the work and employment - what is a private initiative for a private wellbeing. From some point of view my journey to the foundation could seem somewhat complicated , but on the other hand it was an unambiguous result of where my upbringing, study and following profession and personal life experiences were directed. My original profession, to which I was devoted for over 17 years, was a mission to me, and it had a clear ethic, human and prosocial dimension. Due to unforeseen circumstances I could not devote to this profession anymore and I took my direction to business. I enjoyed this work, even though it was so different from my previous focus and achieved education and it opened new horizons for me. However, it did not fill and satisfy me completely. Objectives of United Philanthropy support of education, science and research mainly in the relation to young and talented pupils and students by paying out the grants contribution to development and improvement of health care quality protecting of child‘s and youth rights to healthy development support of sport activities of children and youth support of development and protection of spiritual and cultural values realizing and protecting of human rights and other humanitarian goals Gradually I identified that I was missing two basic things in it, to which I was well-bred in my family and which I could develop before in my original profession: 1) Friendly, equal relationship with people whom I met professionally with - relationship based not on mutual (or even one-sided) economic benefit but on real openness, equality and human “community”. 2) A certain “higher sense” of this work - mission, feeling that something will stay after us even if we pass. Not things which will be eaten by the rust, washed away by water or things which devalue the acts of unable politicians and bad bankers. Identification of these “imperfections” gave me the clear answer of where I should direct my activities. After short “maturing” I obtained the conviction that altruism and philantrophy are the way which still fills my individual needs and also will be a mission for people around me. I was lucky to meet people of similar opinion and after few months of mutual conversations and considering we established the foundation United Philantrophy. The concept of philantrophy indicates donation which tries to solve problems of the society by the support of education, innovations and by development of people´s abilities to be able to help themselves and not to be dependent on handouts. It tries to support those abilities of people which will help them to start a process of helping to higher quality of life. By our active contribution and work we will try to fill these characteristics in foundation United Philantrophy. Vladimír Mego Administrator of United Philantrophy  ■ 39