This is the first post in an eight-part series about how we can transform the roles of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Groundswell to make food sovereignty a reality. It was a collaborative effort by Steve Brescia (Groundswell’s International Director), Fatou Batta (Groundswell Co-Coordinator for West Africa), Peter Gubbels (Groundswell Co-Coordinator for West Africa), Cantave Jean-Baptiste […]
Last week I visited Haiti for the first time. As we flew into Port-au-Prince the devastation was plain to see. On the ground it was visceral; crumbling buildings and sprawling tent camps were constant reminders of the earthquake’s terrible power. But just as I thought I would be mired in thoughts of destruction and the […]
Ekorural, a Groundswell partner organization based in Ecuador, along with Wageningen University’s Communication and Innovation Studies Group, and the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences recently won a grant from WOTRO, a division of The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research that supports scientific research on development issues, in particular poverty alleviation and sustainable development. The […]
Groundswell made a significant impact in 2010, and we have exciting plans for the year ahead. Our strategic objectives for 2011 are: Empower 500,000 people living on less than $1.25 per day to improve their lives. Consolidate and sustain: Consolidate strong partner programs for lasting impact in Haiti, Ecuador, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mali. Spread […]
Steve Sherwood, a Groundswell co-founder, wrote a compelling article titled, “Mobilising our greatest resource for continuity and change: people”, for the latest issue of Farming Matters, the flagship publication of the ILEIA Centre for Learning on Sustainable Agriculture. Steve examines some of the ideas, including those of anthropologist Ronald Wright and Honduran farmer-philosopher Elias Sanchez, […]
“Message in a bottle: learning our way out of unsustainability” is the title of the provocative inaugural lecture given by Professor Arjen E. J. Wals upon taking up the posts of Professor of Social Learning and Sustainable Development, and UNESCO Chair at Wageningen University on May 27, 2010. Professor Wals describes the fundamental shift in […]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j2Z71upwEs
Steve Brescia: Cantave, what is the current situation in Haiti 6 months after the earthquake? Cantave Jean-Baptiste: People are still waiting for the government and international organizations to address the challenges and problems created by the earthquake on January 12. Port-au-Prince remains almost the same … It will probably take about 10 years to […]
Rural communities in developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America have pursued their local processes of development and survived, indeed often thrived, since time immemorial. They achieved this without the advice of outside experts and without depending on major flows of external inputs. Rural people acquired sophisticated indigenous knowledge and created vibrant cultures. Over […]
On June 10 and 11, Christopher Sacco from Groundswell International joined nearly 600 farmers, activists, nonprofit representatives, green entrepreneurs, and social investors for the Slow Money National Gathering held at Shelburne Farms, a 1,440-acre working farm, environmental education center and National Historic Landmark located on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. The conference […]