Examination of Power – Partners’ perspectives on Both ENDS
Both ENDS supports movements that are transforming power relations so that people everywhere can influence and share in the benefits of political and economic processes. To effectively create a sustainable, fair and inclusive world, we realise that it’s crucial to analyse power – to examine who holds what kind of power and how they use it – and to work to recalibrate power as needed. We recognise that power – including its positive forms, such as the ‘power with’ and ‘power to’ bring about social change – is a crucial factor in the world around us, as well as in our own relationships, especially with partners.
Both ENDS is committed to working with partners in relationships based on equality and trust, where we recognise each other’s expertise, actively learn together and cooperate toward shared goals. Thankfully, there are signs of progress: the topic of ‘shifting power’ has risen higher on the agenda of the development cooperation and global philanthropy sectors. Appreciation of the need to move away from top-down decision-making, where resources and decision-making power lie in the hands of donors from the Global North, is slowly gaining traction.
Both ENDS has always strived to be an equitable partner, but our discussions about power prompted us to examine our own assumptions, particularly the assumption that channelling an increasing amount of funding to partners does not affect our relationships with them. It is within this context that we embarked on an ‘Examination of Power’ process in 2023. The main purpose of the process was to better understand how Both ENDS holds power and how partners experience equity and power in their relationship with Both ENDS, as well as to learn how we can better share power towards fair and equitable partnerships.
The process was led by a team of independent consultants and a randomly selected, diverse group of six willing partners from the Global South who co-designed the process and participated in multiple meetings to share their perspectives on power as it relates to Both ENDS and their relationship. Additional input came from a detailed anonymous survey, which was made available in 5 languages and completed by 82 partners. The results of the survey were analysed by the consultants and the six partners. The partners were subsequently joined by a team of four Both ENDS staff members to discuss the overall findings and recommendations.
Read the full report below.
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and Kyra Pohlan
Communities throughout the Athi river basin rely on healthy and resilient semi-aquatic ecosystems, such as riparian and wetland areas, for their well-being and livelihoods. These habitats have become ever more important for local communities in adapting to the effects of climate change, in particular the more frequent and more extreme periods of drought and flooding. By conserving and re-establishing riparian lands and wetlands, groups from the Athi River Community Network do not only protect their immediate environment but also contribute to the well-being of downstream areas.
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News / 16 August 2024Statement on the denial of legal protection by the Philippines Court of Appeals towards environmental defenders Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano
Both ENDS expresses its profound concern over the recent decision by the Philippines Court of Appeals to deny legal protection to Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano against unlawful harassment and reprisals from state forces. Castro and Jhed are two young environmental human rights defenders who were violently abducted by Filipino armed forces in September 2023, for almost 17 days, in a case that made international headlines. The two women had been working as community organizers in Northern Manila Bay, where large-scale land reclamation's have wreaked havoc on communities and ecosystems.
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Letter / 22 July 2024
Joint Call to Action: International Civil Society Demands Justice for Berta Cáceres' Murder Victims in Honduras
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News / 17 July 2024EU Exits Energy Charter Treaty (ECT): A Milestone for Climate Action
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News / 9 July 2024‘Dare to Trust’: Both ENDS and the Dutch Postcode Lottery team up to show the power of trust-based partnership
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News / 9 July 2024Help the fight for a world without fossil fuels: sign this initiative
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News / 4 July 2024Karin van Boxtel new director of Both ENDS
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News / 3 July 2024 -
Video / 3 July 2024Jonila Castro of AKAP KA & Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment
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News / 3 July 2024Illegal logging is devastating Suriname's forest: The Saamaka and their fight against deforestation
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Publication / 2 July 2024
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Blog / 21 June 2024International coorperation - especially now!
This blog is written in Dutch
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News / 19 June 2024Recognition for PROBIOMA from the Chamber of Deputies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
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Publication / 18 June 2024
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News / 18 June 2024Impact of oil extraction on women's health in Bayelsa
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News / 18 June 2024Dutch government threatens to put human lives at risk again in infamous TotalEnergies gas project in Mozambique
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Event / 17 June 2024, 15:00 - 16:00Environmental Litigation: An Underestimated risk for Investors
Extreme weather events, environmental degradation and stakeholder activism force companies to reconsider climate change as an aggravating risk with tangible impacts on global supply chains, business performance, brand reputation and ESG ratings. Business strategies that neglect adequate environmental action can lead to consumer boycotts, negative media attention, investor runs and even legal action.
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Dossier /Transformative Talks
At Both ENDS we aim to connect people for change. Together with environmental justice groups from the Global South, we work towards a sustainable, fair and inclusive world.
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Pathway /Promoting people-driven solutions
Our goal is a massive upscaling and mainstreaming of bottom-up, planet-friendly practices, supported by favourable governance systems and availability of financial resources. There are many examples of successful community-led livelihood models based on collective participation, healthy ecosystems, gender justice and a vision of wellbeing beyond individual wealth. Approaches such as Regreening focus on ecosystem restoration led by forest communities or local farmers in the Sahel. These initiatives recognise and respect the interdependence between human prosperity and healthy ecosystems. They help to empower women, youth and other groups that often lack access to decision-making processes and tend to be excluded from land, water and forest management to assert their agency and rights to self-determination.
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Pathway /
Supporting a powerful civil society
Our goal is that civil society can work openly and safely, make their voices heard and influence decision-making on ecosystem challenges and matters of environmental justice and human rights. A strong civil society is indispensable to a healthy society. It checks the power of both state and corporate actors, holds decision-makers accountable, and defends the rights of those marginalised from positions of influence. A strong and independent civil society can advocate for fair and ecologically responsible policies as well as challenge structural inequalities in decision-making. It can also use accountability mechanisms to seek redress for the negative consequences of such inequitable decision-making, and instead promote, implement and upscale transformative practices.
