Latin America pod
Pangea’s three geographic pods direct the grantmaking in their region and organize region-specific educational discussions.
Focus
Pangea has made grants in Latin America and Haiti since 2003. Initially, the grants supported water access and quality and economic development. During the last 3 years the focus has shifted to strengthening of civil society and development of community based leadership. We accept proposals that address a need identified by the community and, in addition, strengthen the community they support so the community can undertake further initiatives.
Key Learnings
- Countries in Latin America and Haiti have a recent history of political instability, internal wars and natural disasters.
- Civil society organizations play an important role in stabilizing communities when disaster strikes and also providing programs to improve lives and reduce future risks. For example, a primary school on the southern coast of Haiti provides a health clinic, clean water and a nutrition program. When hurricanes hit their community in recent years, the risk of disease and illness was significantly reduced because of their their immunization and health programs.
- In Guatemala and Southern Mexico, the most vulnerable and marginalized people are indigenous. Legal rights to land and water are being disputed. Large dams and mining operations are compromising the environment.
- Social movements play an important role in protecting rights and strengthening communities. For example, in the eastern highlands of Guatemala, a community-based organization trains youth on indigenous rights and the political process. In 2008 they sent several youth to a national conference on preparing for natural disasters. In addition to creating a space for youth they are developing future leaders.
Future Directions
In Latin American culture, a woman's role is in the home. Girl children are often taken out of school after the 6th grade because parents do not see value in continuing their education. We would like to see more emphasis on gender equity and women's empowerment in the programs we support, and will be seeking out new partners who promote these values in their work. At the same time, we will continue to focus on strengthening civil society in rural communities by supporting community-based organizations and leadership development.
The Latin America pod will meet in February to discuss learning opportunities. There are no plans for formal site visits in 2010.