What's new

In the global fight for women’s rights, grassroots organisations are at the forefront of driving positive change within their communities. Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres (FCAM), a partner of Both ENDS, has been pioneering a participatory grantmaking approach to fund feminist and women’s movements across Central America. Going beyond traditional donor-driven grant delivery, FCAM shifts decision-making power about how funds are distributed and used to the organisations themselves.  The approach is based on the conviction that self-led women, non-binary and trans people organised to respond to the problems they face, are best suited to determine their needs and propose solutions for lasting change. What does this mean in practice? How to go about it? Programme Coordinator María Estelí González highlights the key elements of FCAM’s approach and reflects on the organisation’s contributions towards a more just and equitable funding landscape.

The climate crisis continues to escalate, and the urgency for meaningful solutions has never been more palpable. As world leaders gather for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28), it's crucial that grassroots voices  are not just heard but leading on the solutions we craft. We must recognise the climate leadership of the self-led groups of women, girls, trans and intersex within the Indigenous, Afrodescendant and rural communities that have been structurally excluded and silenced as the world grapples with climate change.

We are concerned about the results of the Dutch Parliamentary elections on November 22, 2023. The Netherlands is in danger of turning its back on the rest of the world and hiding itself behind its own dikes. Meanwhile, within our national borders, people are being excluded and their place in society is being questioned.

Disposable fashion items continue to flood into the country, the nitrogen crisis has brought construction to a standstill and energy poverty is on the rise, but Dutch politicians are contemplating their navels. These are problems that we can never solve on our own. The clothes we wear, the food on our plates, and the electricity that comes out of our wall sockets – they are all produced in global trade and production chains. With far-reaching consequences, both in our own country and far, very far beyond our borders. It would be naive to think that we can solve all these problems through domestic policies alone. And vice versa: we would be evading our responsibilities if we continued to believe that the Netherlands only plays a humble role on the  global stage. Latest figures show that the Netherlands is the fourth largest exporter and the seventh largest importer of products worldwide. With the elections on the way, it is time to look beyond our own small country. Because it is also important to vote with a worldwide impact.

This article was written in the run-up to the event 'The Future We See' on November 23, about different forms of inclusive, democratic decision-making. Click here to reserve free tickets.

For generations, the people of Bangladesh’ flood-prone deltas have shaped their natural environment to support agricultural production. They used temporary embankments to keep tidal waters out of the floodplains for most of the year and let the rivers flow freely during monsoon season, allowing the sediment to settle on the floodplains as part of the delta formation process.