Impunity, freedom of expression and social justice

There is an apparent low profile war going on against progressive circles in Honduras, and this edition of Envio magazine demands that the international community take notice. It reports on an international expert meeting in which Hivos teamed up with CEJIL, ERIC and Jueces por la Democracia to talk about impunity, freedom of expression and Justice. The goal of the event, held in october 2011, was to support Honduran human rights activism with reflextions and lessons from neighbouring countries.

State, society and nature in Ecuador: the case of the Yasuní-ITT initiative

This paper critically analyses the emergence and development of the Yasuní-ITT initiative, which is built on the idea of leaving oil underground in exchange for financial contributions from the international community .Development politics in Ecuador has experienced major changes since the   election of Correa in 2007.

Participation, planning and natural resources in Bolivia: from fiction to practice?

In this paper, we focus on participation in the main planning documents produced in Bolivia in the first decade of the 2000s: the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and the National Development Plan (PND). We analyze how these planning instruments have been able to capture popular participation through diverse mechanisms and how these practices fit in the current mainstream participation discourse. For more knowledge programme publications on participation in development click here. In t...

5 Rights, Politics and Power: The Struggle over the 2006 Abortion Reform and the Women’s Movement in Nicaragua Katherine Kruk

Since 2006 the Nicaraguan abortion law eliminates all forms of therapeutic abortion in the country with a penalty of up to three years in prison. This paper considers the 2006 Nicaraguan abortion law reform by looking at the situation in the country, with special attention to women’s rights, in particular reproductive rights—and, more specifically, abortion rights. The paper shows that the reform is unrepresentative of the attitudes and opinions of much of its civil society members, namely, w...

4 Localised Voices in the Globalised Amazon: Challenges of Civil Society Building in Ecuador Brian Wallis

Civil society building efforts in Ecuador have provided the Achuar and Kichwas of the Amazon with a voice. This is particularly relevant given the global significance of the Amazon, which makes it essential that local voices are empowered to have a say in the future of their local space. Civil society building efforts aim at empowering historically excluded groups, leading to their political inclusion, as well as to an increase in their decision-making power.

Seminar: Mining in Paradise?

Large-scale mining and oil extraction by transnational companies have expanded enormously under the current neo-liberal government in Peru. Many of these extraction projects have had a negative impact on local communities and the environment and have generated social, economical and political conflicts.

This Ain't Democracy Anymore...

"This ain´t democracy anymore..." : Reflections based on the referendum on mining in the Northern frontier of Peru.Over the last years conflicts around mining have emerged around Peru. One of the emblematic cases is the resistance against the illegal presence of the Rio Blanco mining in the territories of the Yanta and Segunda y Cajas communities, in the Ayavaca and Huancabamba provinces. In the northern frontier of Peru, apart from direct action, legal initiatives, attempts to dial...

From activist research to promiscuous theories and methodologies

Sexual diversity in Peru found political expression at the beginning of the 1980s, with the formation of the Movimiento Homosexual de Lima and the Grupo de Autoconciencia Lésbico Feminista. The movement spread to include other groups, for example, those who identify with a ‘trans’ identity, and outside the capital to other regions of the country. There are now more than 60 groups engaged in the fight for sexual diversity and gender identity in the country, with a wide range of identities, age...

Knowledge & Change Spotlight - social movements and citizenship

How do social movements work? How do their actions influence social change? And how do outside actors influence their dynamics? In this session, Kees Biekart, Rosalba Icaza and Jose Manuel Valverde offer an inside perspective, adding new pieces to the puzzle of social movement complexity.

Knowledge & Change spotlight - social movements and citizenship

How do social movements work? How do their actions influence social change? And how do outside actors influence their dynamics? In this session, Kees Biekart, Rosalba Icaza and Jose Manuel Valverde offer an inside perspective, adding new pieces to the puzzle of social movement complexity.

Knowledge & Change Spotlight: Unusual Suspects

The 'spotlight' session series provides a daily preview of key events of our upcoming Knowledge Dialogue. Today, we highlight a discussion session on civil society trends, new actors and unusual suspects - co-hosted by the Hivos/ISS Civil Society Building knowledge programme and the Hivos/UvA 'Civil Society in West Asia' programme.

Knowledge & Change Spotlight: Unusual Suspects

The 'spotlight' session series provides a daily preview of key events of our upcoming Knowledge Dialogue. Today, we highlight a discussion session on civil society trends, new actors and unusual suspects - co-hosted by the Hivos/ISS Civil Society Building knowledge programme and the Hivos/UvA 'Civil Society in West Asia' programme.

"Marriage or Death!"

By Marten van den Berge.The time has come: Argentina is the first country in Latin America where at national level, marriage is permitted to non-heterosexual couples. They also have the opportunity to adopt children or to use artificial insemination. On July 15, following a 15 hour debating marathon of the Argentine Senate, the law was adopted by 33 votes to 27 votes against and 3 abstentions. There was a tense mood between the conservatives in alliance with the Catholic church and the progre...

Behind the Veil of Discourse

A few weeks into their field assignments, the ISS researchers have started to unpack their questions and issues, venturing into complexity beyond the veil of discourse.

Southern Perspectives on Civil Society Building

Civil Society Building continues to figure prominently in the development policy realm and so too does its northern bias, especially with regard to processes in Africa. Through the MA-research facility, the Hivos/ISS Civil Society Knowledge programme enables researchers and civil society organizations from the South to develop and share their views on key issues in the Civil Society Debate.

How Does Trade Policy Impacts Upon Citizens' Relationship with the State?

Together with Peter Newell and Marcelo Saguier, dr. Rosalba Icaza (ISS) explores how trade policy impacts upon citizens' relationship with the state, and the state's ability to realize particular rights.

Latin America Roundtable Report

A Knowledge Programme and a global learning network has been established by Hivos, Mainumby and IIED, to map, elicit and integrate knowledge on the dilemmas confronting small-scale producers in the context of globalising markets. A series of regional roundtable meetings were held in Latin America, Africa and Asia to: Present the concept of the knowledge programme and its associated learning network, which will drive knowledge generation; Have an open and frank discussion to validate the cont...

Knowledge Programme Participates at Conference in Peru

LIMA, Peru – From 26 May until 28 May 2010 the ‘Encuentro de Saberes y Movimientos: Entre las Crisis y los Otros Mundos Posibles’ (ed.: “Meeting of Knowledges and Movements: between crisis and other possible worlds”) takes place in Lima, Peru. On these days national and international representatives of social movements, researchers, artists and development practitioners will take part in a critical dialogue over what role knowledge and social movements play in creating new opportunities for s...

Video Changing perspectives in Latin America

Today, more than ever, after the food crisis of 2007 - 2008, governments and private sector are showing greater interest in agriculture and food supply for a fast growing and more urban world population. Today small scale farmers are facing great challenges. This video is a contribution for the debate by: IIED, Hivos and Mainumby.

Struggle over "killer law" by the Women’s Movement in Nicaragua

In February 2010 Nicaragua made the international news headlines for refusing cancer-treatment to 27-year old pregnant “Amalia”. For Amalia, who is also mother of a 10-year old, the treatment would be potentially life-saving but the current Nicaraguan law is placing doctors at risk of prosecution in providing cancer treatment to Amalia as it may harm the fetus.

Nicaragua in the Picture

On May 15th 2010 the Utrecht-Leon City Association has organised a Nicaraguan movie night. The event is screening seven short movies about Nicaragua, made by Nicaraguans. One of the movies is produced by our Knowledge Programme partners Cinco and Movimiento Autonomo de Mujeres in Nicaragua: "The Struggle of the Women's Rights Movement in Nicaragua 1998-2008". The 20-minute movie shows the history of the Nicaraguan women's movement, its strategies, a few of its successes and their co...

Sweet like Sugercane, Strong as Rum

The Peruvian government puts little effort to change the situation of gays, lesbians and transsexuals. Fortunately this group increasingly knows how to organize itself, and not only in Peru’s capital Lima. As far as the jungle and the Andes, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people (also known as LGBTs) organize themselves to fight for their rights. Below you can read notes drawn up by Marten van den Berge, a Dutch researcher who’s currently conducting research for Hivos and ISS in the C...

Avatar meets the Amazon: how to support indigenous movements?

Movies can prove to be a powerful tool to raise awareness for a certain cause. Recently the buzz around blockbuster Avatar is being used by environmental, indigenous and human rights organizations to create global media attention for their struggle. In Avatar the indigenous Na’vi people fight to save their land and traditional way of living on planet Pandora from human beings who want to destroy it to extract minerals for energy supply on planet Earth. The story in Avatar is based on fiction,...

The Rule of the Jungle: Forest Management in Latin America

Titel : The rule of the jungle: forest management in Bolivia, Nicaragua and HondurasVenue: Centre for Latin American Research and Documentation (CEDLA)Date: 9 April, 15.30h Presenter: Lorenzo Pellegrini, Institute of Social Studies (ISS)Discussant: Heleen van den Hombergh (IUCN)