Sustainability

Paris, 18th June 2009

The 18th of june in the beautiful location of the Petit Palais in the heart of Paris, was held the Finmeccanica Gala evening during the 48th edition of the Paris International Air Show- Le Bourget.

The "Petit Palais - Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris", created for the Universal Exposition of 1900 as a city museum, has been turned into the African bush with music, food and thematic atmosphere.

The event, called Mwana Simba, was dedicated to the three important projects that Finmeccanica is undertaking in Africa to help train young people. The countries where the Group is focusing its attention are Congo, Nigeria and Cameroon.

The name of this project comes from a Swaihili proverb: "Mwana simba ni simba" meaning "A lion cub turns into a lion", summing up the education project which is to give young Africans the tools and skills to become the "lions of tomorrow".

The three responsible of those projects presented the first results and the next goals to be pursued. The audience has heard to Padre Tobechi Anyadike, head of the Nigeria project, Assumpta Association Science Centre, Owerri, to Don Franco Fontana, head of the Congo project, in charge of Salesian missionaries in Italy and to Padre Fils Ntomb, project coordinator in Cameroon.

Minister Ignazio La Russa and Minister Roberto Maroni also participated at the event as special guests, joined the great number of ministers, ambassadors, representatives from politic, cultural and economic world, come from Italy, France and UK. Personal tours has been available for those who were interested.

During the gala evening, it has also been possible to donate to Finmeccanica's solidarity fund for the Abruzzo region after the earthquake. All donations go toward helping family members of Group employees in and around L'Aquila, as well as the reconstruction of areas of public interest.