Harmon/org
We want to leave this world better than we found it.
Harmon/org was not born out of the hubris of those who believe they alone can fix all of the planet’s problems. Instead, it comes from the humble conviction of doing what is within our grasp.
At Harmon, we try to change things through stories, narratives, imagination… through communication. We provide solutions, and we pay attention and support those who already have them.
There are things that move us so deeply that we do them simply because we must. We move others because we are moved. That’s Harmon/org.
Vivaces
The first private sector alliance aimed at providing opportunities & growth for rural Spain
The Challenge
Vivaces was born to highlight the role of the private sector in promoting the rural areas of our country, with the goal of certifying their potential.
The Project
An alliance formed by companies from different sectors working towards three objectives: (1) fostering knowledge and innovation; (2) raising awareness about the potential of rural areas; (3) Establishing a sense of community and shared vision amongst the various stakeholders involved in the initiative.
The Impact
The alliance was consolidated in 2022 with 9 participating companies and the endorsement of the Third Vice President of the Spanish Government, Teresa Ribera. Since then, more than 12 entities have joined Vivaces, having also launched several awareness campaigns.
The CODE Manifesto
Bringing programming languages to the the Spanish educational curriculum
The Challenge
Programming languages have become the medium through which our world is written. To understand the environment in which we live, it is essential to understand the language of digital machines: understanding programming is as important as reading or writing.
The Project
A manifesto for computer science education in Spain. The Spanish Computer Science Society, in collaboration with Informatics Europe, the Conference of Deans of Computer Science, and Ticjob, and Harmon, launched the Code.org manifesto in 2023. Its aim is to raise awareness throughout Spanish society about the importance of integrating computer science into the entire education system.
The Impact
The manifesto has been signed by several thousand people, including dozens of prominent figures in science, technology, culture, journalism, and sports. The campaign has mobilized associations and businesses to urge regional and state institutions to include computer science as a core subject in all educational levels, from Primary to High School.
Con Voz y Voto
Fostering political and electoral participation amongst the youth (ft. Talento para el Futuro)
The Challenge
Young people (18 to 29 years old) voted 6.6% less than adults in the 2019 general elections. Additionally, the abstention rate among young voters is higher than in any other age group. The main causes, according to all studies, are disenchantment with politics and the lack of proposals aimed at them. The #ConVozyVoto platform was created to encourage young people to vote in the general elections on July 23, 2023, and to promote their political participation.
The Project
To rekindle young people’s interest in participating in public debate, we partnered with the youth organization Talento para el Futuro and the think-tank Political Watch with the aim of jointly combating disenchantment and low electoral participation. The platform launched an awareness campaign on social media to encourage young people to vote, featuring a series of videos with retired political leaders from a wide ideological spectrum who act as ambassadors for the initiative.
The Impact
We have received support from dozens of civil society organizations working in various fields as “allies” in this campaign, and we have reached thousands of young people across the country. But we are not satisfied. To make the youth vote even more meaningful and their voices heard, we will develop proposals that tackle major generational challenges, assuring young people that their perspective is important and influential in legislature.
The half-full Spain
A podcast that challenges the common discourse around rural life in Spain
The Challenge
Tired of the stigma of (semi-)empty Spain, we decided to talk positively about rural areas and the innovative projects being developed there, giving voice—and a platform—to their protagonists.
The Project
A podcast with 10-minute episodes featuring interviews with those responsible for innovative projects in rural areas across Spain, covering diverse fields such as culture, livestock farming, digitalization, social entrepreneurship, agriculture, and the environment.
The Impact
After publishing a hundred episodes, the podcast, driven by Harmon and sponsored by Vivaces, has become one of the 30 most listened to in Spain on current affairs and society topics. It has more than 5,000 downloads per month.
Parlamentia
An innovation project to promote Civil Society's access to the legislative process (ft. Newtral)
The Challenge
We are committed to bringing the decision-making process surrounding public policies closer to civil society, third sector organizations, and the private sector on issues that have a direct impact on their daily lives. Within this framework, we partnered with Newtral on an innovation project to facilitate the understanding of legislative and regulatory processes.
The Project
With this partnership, we aim to promote transparency in the law-making process through Parlamentia, a new platform that combines technology and journalism to provide direct and clear access to the laws being processed in the Spanish Congress of Deputies.
The Impact
Parlamentia’s database includes laws passed by the parliament since the Democratic Transition. Any user can see the process each law follows from its introduction in Congress until its publication in the BOE, and access explanatory summaries of legislative proposals and their impact on citizens’ daily lives. Harmon’s support provides additional resources to the project, contributing the technical knowledge of its professionals in various thematic areas affecting the regulatory field.
B-Corp
A civic campaign for pioneering the legal recognition of purpose-driven companies in Spain
The Challenge
To achieve legal recognition in Spain for purpose-driven companies, meaning those companies whose mission goes beyond maximizing profits and includes generating a positive impact on society at human, environmental, and economic levels.
The Project
Together with the B Lab Foundation and other stakeholders, we aimed to highlight a social demand that extended beyond a specific number of companies. To this end, a Manifesto aiming to promote a new inclusive and sustainable economic model in Spain was launched and signed by more than 50 professionals and experts from various fields and ideological spectra, such as Iñaki Gabilondo, José María Lassalle, Ana Pastor, or Toni Roldán, as well as more than 200 organizations. Additionally, it was complemented by a citizen petition through Change.org that gathered more than 30,000 signatures. With this momentum, the Law on Business Creation and Growth – known as the “Create and Grow” law, which was under consideration in the Congress of Deputies at the time – was identified as the appropriate space to recognize the legal status of purpose-driven companies.
The Impact
Through intensive engagement and inference within parliamentary groups, it was achieved that the Congress Plenary approved on June 30, 2022, the creation of a new legal entity, the Societies of Benefit and Common Interest (SBIC), to recognize purpose-driven companies within the Spanish legal framework, through a transactional amendment within the Create and Grow Law. This legal recognition places Spain at the forefront of countries supporting companies in legally developing their purpose. However, this milestone will only fully realize its potential and impact on the economic model once the regulation determining the criteria that companies wishing to become SBIC must meet is approved.
SpainNAB
Towards a new economic model that integrates social and environmental impact into financial decisions
The Challenge
SpainNAB aims to promote a new economic model in which social and environmental impact is integrated into all economic and financial decisions. The mission focuses on promoting the practice of impact investment and ensuring the integrity of growing markets.
The Project
SpainNAB acts as the Advisory Board for Impact Investment in Spain, within the framework of a global scale project led by the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), with a presence in more than 30 countries. Harmon provides communication and institutional relations advice to help raise awareness of impact investment in the Spanish public sector by better identifying legislative and political challenges, and positioning investment in the public-private dialogue on seeking solutions for a sustainable future.
The Impact
The creation of a specific public affairs team helps all companies, foundations, and NGOs to convey their ideas and projects to public decision-makers through the so-called Public Administration Task Force. In January 2023, SpainNAB, Afi, and Harmon gathered more than 150 public and political representatives, from the private sector and civil society, at the Congress of Deputies to call for greater public-private collaboration in this area and to present the #CaminoAlImpacto manifesto, which aims to build consensus around the so-called impact economy, leveraging the Spanish presidency of the EU Council.
Huellas en la Tierra (Footprints on the Earth)
A documentary series on sustainability and rural life... now on Amazon Prime Video
The Challenge
We wanted to convey the potential of sustainability for promoting rural areas and addressing the demographic challenge.
The Project
An audiovisual journey by journalist Marta Fernández and Pablo Maderuelo through 25 inspiring stories from rural Spain. This journey has been materialized in a five-episode documentary, each 1.5 hours long, which can be viewed on Amazon Prime Video.
The Impact
The documentary premiered in a rural cinema before an audience of more than 130 people. It has since been screened in over 10 different public spaces in both urban and rural areas, and has generated more than 50 media impacts. Finally, we succeeded in incorporating the content into the Amazon Prime Video platform to amplify its reach.
The "One Health" Platform
Statewide network to contribute to the transition towards policies aligned with the "One Health" vision
The Challenge
The outbreak of Covid-19 triggered a global health crisis with severe socio-economic consequences and human suffering. Despite the illusory sense of security generated by the development of vaccines and treatments, this crisis has reminded us that we live in a constantly changing world. It is necessary to change our approach to health. The so-called Manhattan Principles (2004) urge the adoption of a global health vision that includes three components: human health, animal health, and ecosystem health, under the new paradigm of “One World, One Health.”
The Project
Health policy specialists at Harmon act as the institutional relations office for the One Health Platform in Spain, to strengthen the training of its members in public affairs and to promote a political advocacy strategy. Our ambition is for the “One Health” strategy to underpin all public policies.
The Impact
The platform has already secured commitments and statements from numerous political figures regarding the need for a paradigm shift in how we approach health, and the principles of this approach have been considered in political debate and action. Along the way, we continue to add more members to the platform.
EKI Foundation
Toward the eradication of energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa
The Challenge
Helping eradicate energy poverty, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. The EKI Foundation provides access to electricity in educational and healthcare centers through the installation of photovoltaic solar systems.
The Project
Through solidarity funding and technical training, the foundation facilitates the design and subsidization of solar installations, collaborates in assembly and maintenance with local companies, and trains local professionals to strengthen business networks.
The Impact
Since its founding in 2017, driven by shareholders of the company Solarpack, EKI has carried out more than 70 installation projects in 14 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Bolivia.
Voces Verdes (Green Voices)
Stories of people changing the world through sustainability and green jobs
The Challenge
Global temperatures could rise by up to 1.5ºC between 2030 and 2052 if climate change continues at its current pace. There are thousands of people in Spain who, through their labor, are contributing to slowing down the temperature increase. This campaign aims to make them visible, bring their stories to the media, and use our expertise to spread the word about their work.
The Project
A call to action aimed at identifying profiles from large and small companies, entrepreneurs, established business owners, high-level corporate representatives, and everyday workers. The Harmon reached out to companies and professional entities alike to request profiles and scoured social media in order to track great stories that deserve to be recognized.
The Impact
Dissemination of the stories of each of the protagonists and projects that are part of Voces Verdes. Their stories will get the spotlight they deserve.
