Priorities for supporting projects

The experiences, competence and direct contacts of the working group′s members are concentrated in Central America, due to our involvement in the solidarity movements of the 1980s. We nevertheless welcome applications for all regions of the continent.

Most of the projects we have supported so far are socio-political initiatives. Our first priority has been to support awareness raising campaigns (in the form of books, newspapers, exhibitions, etc.), whose goal it is to document human rights violations and propose political alternatives to the autocratic or dictatorial regimes of the continent. In addition to ongoing work in this field, we also support current political manifestations on the ground such as strikes and land occupations.

The processes of neo-liberalization and globalization have led to the collapse of existing infrastructure in most of the countries of Latin America. This has brought about a significant increase in the number of applications we receive for projects in the socio-political sector. We tend to be cautious in this regard, and only provide funding for projects striving to establish alternative models for social change. One example is a project for street children that strives to take on the problem on a broader scale by including neighborhood outreach and lobbying in its activities.

We are especially interested in supporting health initiatives, particularly those with an emphasis on women. We also fund educational projects, e.g. in the context of youth and neighborhood work. Supporting emancipatory media projects such as grassroots newspapers and radio programs in various countries of Latin America is also an important part of our funding activity.