Supporting Organisations
Hivos, the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (in Dutch: Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking) is a Dutch non-governmental organisation inspired by humanist values. Together with local organisations in developing countries, Hivos seeks to contribute to a free, fair and sustainable world in which citizens - women and men - have equal access to the resources and opportunities for their development. And where they can actively and equally participate in decision-making processes that determine their lives, their society and their future. Hivos is the initiator of the Knowledge Programme. The platform for knowledge development on issues imperative to the global development sector. The Hivos-ISS Knowledge Programme on Civil Society Building (CSB) is an academic-practitioner cooperation to strengthen Civil Society Building efforts.
Cordaid stands in a long tradition of Catholic development aid, assembling agencies such as Mensen in Nood (Caritas Netherlands), Memisa Medicus Mundi, the Dutch Bishop’s Lenten Campaign (Vastenaktie) and Cebemo. Its history goes back to the beginning of the last century when the organisations were active in the area of shelter and (missionary) care for refugees, in providing direct aid in the event of disasters, in medical care and in the direct improvement of the social and economic position of poor people. Cordaid combines more than 90 years experience and expertise in emergency aid and structural poverty eradication. It is one of the biggest international development organisations with a network of almost a thousand partner organisations in 36 countries in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. The partner organisations work on various themes, including health care, quality of urban life, access to markets and peace and conflict.
Oxfam Novib is one of the best known non-governmental development agencies in the Netherlands. Established in 1956, Novib is fighting for a just world without poverty together with people, organisations, businesses and governments. It does so through project work in numerous developing countries, in cooperation with local partner organisations and by means of lobby activities, targeting at local, national and international decision makers and a wider public. In these efforts cooperation with other parties is also becoming more important. In 1994 Novib joined the international Oxfam network and changed its name into Oxfam Novib. Implicit to Oxfam Novib's work is a rights-based approach to development.
During its 45-year career, SNV has evolved from a voluntary organisation into a professional development cooperation organisation. Its expertise in technical assistance and its personnel's commitment to non-commercial goals still typify SNV. It is active in 32 countries within five region, dedicated to the effective exchange of expertise and the emergence of regional communities of professionals. As a capacity builder, SNV works with clients and partners to tackle specific issues on a regional/country/local level. It supports local actors on order to help them strengthen their performance in the effective realisation of poverty reduction and good governance.
ICCO is the inter-church organisation for development cooperation. Its mission is to work towards a world where poverty and injustice are no longer present. It does so by giving financial support and advice to local organisations and networks across the globe that are committed to providing access to basic social services, bringing about fair economic development and promoting peace and democracy. ICCO is active in countries in Africa and the Middle East, in Asia and the Pacific, in Latin America and the Carribean, and in Central and Eastern Europe.
Pax Christi is an autonomous part of Pax Christi International, an independent peace movement which is active in 50 countries and has about 60.000 members. Its aim, both in the Netherlands and in areas of conflict, is to give the advocates of peace a voice, to cooperate towards reconciliation, peace and justice and contribute to the establishment of an international legal order. It is active in 19 countries from the Horn of Africa and the African Great Lakes region to Latin America, the Middle East, Southern Europe and the Caucasus. it sets up and supports local peace initiatives and mobilises moral, political and financial support in the Dutch society. It focuses on four main themes: Security and disarmament, Economic dimensions of conflict, Human Rights, and independant media and democracy.
Context, international cooperation
Context, international cooperation is a development organisation which positions itself in between the development and academic communities, and tries to facilitate dialogue between policy makers, academics, and development practitioners. Context is organised as a social enterprise, using business principles that aim to achieve fundamental social change and generate revenue. Context has three core competencies: exploratory research; facilitating and accompanying organisational change processes within client organisations, and dissemination of experiences and research findings through publications, workshops et cetera. These competencies are applied in the following thematic areas: capacity enhancement for development, civic-driven change and civic-driven child development, measurement of development interventions, knowledge management, facilitation and accompaniment of change processes within organisations, and strengthening Dutch societal support for global issues.