Partners

Groundswell has created an organizational architecture and processes that support locally rooted solutions, local resiliency, downward accountability, global learning and coordinated action on shared priorities. We seek to move away from the limitations of traditional, centralized global NGO structures and development models based on mandates from northern donors, upward accountability, service delivery and dependence on external inputs. Our decentralized partnership structure of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) works effectively in their countries and are able to learn and act together on common global agendas.

Current partners include:

Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (Ghana) – CIKOD is a Ghanaian NGO established in 2003. Its mission is to strengthen traditional authorities and civil society organizations to facilitate sustainable grassroots organizational development that gives voice to the poor and vulnerable rural families. CIKOD’s Executive Director, Bern Guri and his staff have a strong track record and credibility in promoting community-led rural development processes, both in Ghana and more widely in African networks. CIKOD joined Groundswell in July 2011 and is also partnering with a number of international organizations, such as COMPAS International. Groundswell’s Co-Coordinator for West Africa, Peter Gubbels, is working closely with CIKOD, providing technical support, training and follow-up to strengthening program methodologies, broaden impact and facilitate networking, learning and documentation of lessons and results between its work in Ghana and Groundswell-supported work in Burkina Faso and more widely. This will strengthen Groundswell’s efforts to influence local governments as well as national policy makers and development agencies to support the scaling of agroecology as a strategy to overcome hunger.

EkoRural (Ecuador)– EkoRural is recognized for its demonstrated skill in people-centered methodologies and its ability to enable marginalized people to generate improvements in their lives. EkoRural is dedicated to helping people help themselves. Through the strengthening of local leadership and organizational and self-management capacities — of women and men as well as children, EkoRural helps impoverished people analyze the roots of their problems and find lasting solutions to them, thereby alleviating the effects of hunger, disease, and poverty. The core of EkoRural is its network of community leaders, in particular Elena Telelema (Tzimbuto, Chimborazo), Bertha Pomaquero (Flores, Chimborazo), Francisco (Flores, Chimborazo) and Euler Fueltala (La Libertad, Carchi), among numerous others. These people are volunteer local leaders who periodically receive part-time support from EkoRural when working outside the demand of their farm and community. These people are supported by a small team of committed, multi-functional development practitioners with complementary expertise: 1) Stephen Sherwood, specialist in social change and rural innovation (MSc, Cornell University; PhD, Wageningen University) with more than 20 years of experience supporting grassroots rural peoples’ movements in sustainable agriculture and community health with rural people’s movements in Central and South America; 2) Pedro Oyarzun, a specialist in Food Security and Rural Livelihoods (MSc, PhD, Wageningen University) with more than 20 years of experience in food security programs in Europe and the Andes; and, 3) Ross Borja, economist (MSc, Cornell University) and specialist in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation of community-led health and agriculture programs.

Foundation for Northern Development AQ’AB’AL (Guatemala) – FUNDENOR is a Guatemalan NGO dedicated to the integrated development of rural and urban communities located in the municipalities of Purulhá and Rabinal, Baja Verapaz and La Tinta, San Cristobal Verapaz, San Pedro Carcha and Coban in the Alta Verapaz department. Its main office is located in the town of Purulhá, 165 kilometers north of Guatemala City. Field programs and day-to-day administration are run by 11 staff members and the organization is governed by a board of directors and a general assembly of 22 founding members from the Verapaz Region. Since its creation in 2009, FUNDENOR has emerged as a true grassroots organization dedicated to people centered development. Its work focuses on: strengthening the organizational capacity local partners; promoting income-generating activities with an emphasis on productive yet sustainable agriculture; improving family health and wellbeing with the Casa Hogar Saludable (Health Homes) methodology; and, promoting community-based natural resource management. FUNDENOR joined Groundswell in July 2011.

Partenariat pour le Développement Local (Haiti) – PDL is a Haitian NGO committed to rebuilding rural Haiti as a foundation for the revitalization of the entire country. PLD seeks to strengthen the capacity of communities and peasant organizations in Haiti to sustainably improve their agricultural production, income generation, food security, health and natural resources management. PLD was founded by a team of Haitian colleagues who, since 1995, have collaborated to develop a highly effective capacity building approach to rural development. Cantave Jean-Baptiste, PLD’s director, is a Haitian agronomist and rural development practitioner with over 30 years of experience supporting rural development and strengthening peasant organizations. Cantave and the PLD team have a track record in effectively supporting programs with up to 12 peasant organizations at once as well as managing annual budgets over $600,000 from multiple funding sources. PLD is a founding member of the international partnership Groundswell International, and the PLD director is a member of Groundswell’s global council, which helps to define strategic plans and implement programs and advocacy strategies.

Vecinos Honduras (Honduras) – Vecinos Honduras is an NGO based in Tegucigalpa. Its goal is to facilitate equitable and participative processes of holistic human development with families and organizations in rural communities; promoting the sustainable use of local resources, food sovereignty, moral and cultural values, community health within the framework of the protection of nature and environmental improvement for the benefit of current and future generations. Vecinos Honduras’ approach is based on strengthening local capacity for sustainable development at both the individual and community level and avoiding external dependence. Its current activities focus on: sustainable agriculture, including farmer experimentation and farmer-to-farmer promotion of successful technologies; preventive family and community health improvement with community participation; facilitating access to public services specially for women and children and adoption of good hygiene practices and eco-technologies are also strategic activities; strengthening existing local organizations to take responsibility for local development. It is governed by a seven-member board of directors and a 34-member general assembly. Vecinos Honduras joined Groundswell in July 2011.