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Trust builds trust. That is what I have learned from how Both ENDS works - within our team, with partners in joint strategies and advocacy, and in our relationships with partners as a funder. Trust is the foundation. It is what allows compassion to grow, what gives rise to hope, and what fuels real solidarity. This is especially powerful in contrast to the prevailing global trend of political and international leaders who prioritize hard measures and self-interest, ignoring relations of trust. It is even more reason for us to share what we have experienced when we put trust first.

Just before summer, on June 27^th we participated in a panel discussion on inclusive conservation in a learning event organized by WWF Netherlands. Several organizations joined in a discussion on inclusive, decolonial, rights-based, and community-led approaches in conservation. We discussed the barriers, gaps and opportunities in how power is shared, inclusion promoted, and accountability practiced in our work. The question raised was: as Dutch-based organizations, are we doing enough to really work inclusive? In 2023 Both ENDS started an Examination of Power process to research how power is experienced in our partnerships. I share a couple of practical tips and insights that I feel might benefit the greater conversation around Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) in our sector.

and Kyra Pohlan

In today’s interconnected world, international forums play a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies that impact communities and the environment worldwide. These gatherings, whether they focus on climate change, water resources, or biodiversity, are critical venues where decisions are made that affect the lives of billions of people and species. However, for these decisions to be truly inclusive and effective, they must be informed by the voices of those most affected by climate change and environmental degradation.

The global funding landscape for civil society movements is changing, and is increasingly faced with policies that restrict funding streams, limit philanthropic work, and silence critical voices. These are not incidental shifts but part of a broader pattern that erodes the support for those international networks and movements under the guise ‘necessary financial cuts’, ‘aid reform’ or ‘efficiency’.