Horizons’ strategy in Mesoamerica focuses on strengthening a Learning Network that is fed by collaborative work, joint training and reflection among Horizons and its partners. This leads to the generation of knowledge and the creation of sustainable models of people-centred development. Horizons current programmatic focus incorporates three inter-connected themes of:
1) Alternative socio-economic rural development;
2) Human rights and citizen participation;
3) Health, education and community action.
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Within these themes, a balance is achieved between service provision, knowledge production and advocacy, with gender equity and respect for the environment as crosscutting concerns. Horizons’ Learning Network activities include partner participation in regional workshops on critical documentation of experience, gender equity and advocacy on HIV/ AIDS as well as partner-to-partner exchanges that enrich their practices and understanding of the regional context. Increasingly Horizons also pursues links with Canadian and international organizations working on similar themes to bring a global connection to the Learning Network.
Horizons and partners Learning Network initiatives contribute to the strengthening of civil society. Learning network initiatives are not isolated activities but rather are designed as part of current programming processes and a means of contributing to the expected results and future planning. Local ownership of the programming is key and Horizons’ primary role is as a facilitator.
REGIONAL THEMATIC PROGRAMS — 2009-2014
HIV/AIDS Citizens Observatory
While it receives little international attention, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mesoamerica is serious, complex and spreading at an alarming rate. In addition to Mexico (which, after Brazil, has the second highest number of cases of HIV/AIDS in Latin America) the highest rates are found in the Caribbean and Central American countries.
This thematic area will document and disseminate civil society initiatives in HIV prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support, and promote citizen advocacy to monitor state commitments on public health and HIV/AIDS as outlined in the 2005 San Salvador Declaration.
Femicide and Violence against Women
Violence against women is a stark reality in Central America, and is expressed in diverse forms including harassment, abuse, rape and forced prostitution.
“Femicide”, the most extreme form of violence against women, has drastically increased in the region. In Mexico and Central America, these slayings are often accompanied by torture, mutilations and rape. More than 1,000 women were murdered in 2007 alone in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
This thematic area will strengthen community action to prevent gender-based violence and support victims via training of social promoters and accompaniment of community initiatives. It will also include the production of a qualitative study on femicide, of which the results will be presented to authorities.
Migration
Migration is often presented as providing economic opportunities for Central Americans and contributing to higher macro‐economic indicators throughout the region. From a social point of view, it represents a tragedy of unimaginable dimensions, in which fundamental human rights are constantly violated
This thematic area will explore migration issues and propose more adequate public policies to address migrant rights, security and development.
Food Sovereignty and Rural Development
Genetically modified foods, the use of hybrid seeds and the redirection of traditional food crops to produce bio‐fuels is contributing to a lack of food sovereignty and security; and exacerbating the levels of extreme poverty in Mesoamerica.
This thematic area will strengthen knowledge on environmentally friendly agricultural practices and promote sustainable practices for rural development.
Rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples of Mesoamerica
Indigenous and Afro‐descendant peoples in the Americas share a common experience of exclusion and higher levels of poverty. While there are no official statistics for Central America, it is estimated that there are more than 150 million people of African descent in Latin America; 90% of them live in conditions of poverty and/or extreme poverty.
This thematic area will promote human rights of indigenous peoples and strengthen the capacity of grassroots organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Intercultural Bilingual Education
In the majority of countries of the region, commitments have been made, in principle, to ensure fair access to education for Indigenous peoples and to recognize multiculturalism. However there is a big gap between the commitments on paper and actual practice.
This thematic area will strengthen curriculum development and advocacy of intercultural bilingual education in countries with indigenous populations.
Ancestral Medicinal Systems and Citizen Participation in Health Care
Conventional public health systems do not take into account the customs and cultural patterns of the immense contingent of Indigenous populations of the region. This contributes to low health indicators in the region (in particular high infant mortality and maternal mortality rates).
This thematic area will strengthen efforts to recover traditional knowledge and consolidate community social structures relating to health care to promote complementary approaches to Western health care systems.
Horizons Learning Network Partners
Mercedes Olivera y Bustamente Feminist Collective/Colectivo Feminista Mercedes Olivera y Bustamente
(COFEMO)
COFEMO began to function in 1989 when, subsequent to a women’s march on May 1st of that year, there was a surge of interest to organize to fight sexual violence. As the initial enthusiasm waned, a small group of about a dozen women remained determined to work on this issue within a framework of promoting women’s rights. The organization obtained legal status in 1992, establishing a Board of Directors that also functioned as a largely voluntary staff.
As they underwent training and gained experience, they moved from a humanitarian approach to methods that strove to get to the root causes of the problems faced by women, to “break the circle of violence” and to transform relations with fathers, brothers and spouses.
COFEMO works with women from the rural, semi-urban and urban areas in the State of Chiapas through the Independent Chiapas Women’s Movement (Movimiento Independiente de Mujeres de Chiapas, MIM). Women from the city of San Cristobal de las Casas form the majority of women seeking assistance and training at COFEMO’s centre “La Morada”. Organizational activities are directed at mainly indigenous women living in rural villages in the zones known as the Selva, the North, the Centre, Frailesca, Sierra and the Highlands of Chiapas.
Through “La Morada” Women’s Centre, COFEMO offers psychological, medical, social work and legal services to women victims of violence. COFEMO also provides training for local leaders to become health promoters and legal aid promoters among their peers. COFEMO conducts awareness-raising and advocacy campaigns via radio, television and print media on the issue of violence against women and the services available to victims.
Kabawil Peasant Farmers’ Council/Consejo Campesino Kabawil
(Kabawil)
Kabawil emerged from an informal grouping of farmers’ organizations which worked together on the theme of land reform. After holding its first assembly in August of 1993 and electing its first board of directors, Kabawil began its mission of obtaining land for its member communities. The focus on land issues is seen as central to Kabawil’s broader mandate of rebuilding the Mayan culture and identity, promoting the rights of women, increasing participation in local and national political processes, enhancing community empowerment, improving access to education and training and seeking fair wages and working conditions for the rural population.
Kabawil has undertaken activities in response to the expressed needs of member families of the organization and these include leadership training for both men and women, work on themes which emerged in the peace negotiations, advocacy to ensure that members’ demands are listened to, coordination with other regional and national organizations and management skills to implement community projects. In addition, 395 families (12.6% of the membership) have benefited from the recovery of lands under the peace accords and Kabawil has now incorporated rural development into its work to assist these families in their socio-economic initiatives.
The project currently supported by Horizons benefits approximately 3,140 campesino families (16,360 persons) in rural communities in the departments of Hueheutenango, San Marcos, Queltzaltenango, Totonicapan, Solola, Chimaltenango, Suchitepequez, and Retalhuleu.
Salvadorean Foundation for the Promotion of Social and Economic Development/Fundación Salvadoreña para la Promoción del Desarrollo Social y Económico
(FUNSALPRODESE)
FUNSALPRODESE was founded in 1988 to promote social and economic development in El Salvador. It is an umbrella agency representing 15 Salvadoran sectoral organizations, including professional and labour groups, agricultural associations, a university women’s association and research centres. FUNSALPRODESE supports the local development initiatives of these grassroots and community groups in areas such as agriculture and food production, small enterprise, health, education, housing and infrastructure.
FUNSALPRODESE has historically run rural health programs in the training of local promoters, prevention of disease and in environmental health. Within this framework, it has emphasized the preparation and use of natural medicines. New, components have been added to their work, due to the rapidly increasing incidence of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, and due to trauma caused by the recent earthquakes. Thus, the four components now included are: mental health, prevention of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, alternative medicine and basic environmental health, focusing on clean water.
Approximately 1,500 persons, from 320 households 49% of whom are women, will directly benefit from the project. They are divided among the communities as follows: Samuria – 230; Valle Seco – 260; El Quebracho – 80; Los Conventos – 120; San Felipe – 640; and La Bomba – 170
Centre for Women’s Studies-Honduran Chapter/Centro de Estudios para las Mujeres, Honduras (CEM-H)
CEM-H is a feminist organization that provides health services and promotes women’s rights through political, organizational, research and communication actions. Its program is directed at strengthening women’s participation in civil society with a view to improving their organizational and leadership capacities so that they may be true participants in democratic processes at the local, national and regional levels and have a higher quality of life for themselves and their families. CEM-H has incorporated a gender perspective in all aspects of its work with adolescent and adult women, with regard to domestic, labour and societal issues and in its work to influence public policies and programs. CEM-H is an active member within Honduras and within the Mesoamerican region in the women’s movement and in national, regional and international networks devoted to social justice.
CEM-H promotes and strengthens women’s empowerment to: a) reduce domestic violence; b) obtain due respect concerning decisions about their own bodies; c) have access to pay and resource equity; d) reduce poverty and e) have equal opportunities to move into positions of political influence. CEM-H promotes the formulation of public policies and cultural changes to eliminate discrimination against women and achieve relationships of gender equity.
CEM-H works with approximately 150 young women (between 13 – 22 years old) living in the suburbs of Tegucigalpa.
Association for People’s Development/Asociación para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos
(ADP)
ADP works with rural communities in production and social promotion activities aimed at encouraging the spiritual, cultural, human and economic welfare of Nicaraguans. ADP plans and implements its projects with the participation of locally elected development promoters.
Support and training are provided in organization, health, organic agriculture and alternative technologies within a gender and environmental framework. ADP’s development model endeavours to be economically efficient, technologically appropriate, ecologically balanced, and socially just. A participatory methodology enhances community ownership and enables families to work progressively towards self-sustainability and autonomy.
ADP’s program benefits 173 families (500 persons) directly in the communities of Guinea Vieja, El Guayabo, Los Laureles and Talolinga with a further 477 families benefiting indirectly.
The Feminist Information and Action Centre
(CEFEMINA)
CEFEMINA is a Costa Rican women’s organization that works on issues related to women’s human rights, and is an active member of The Central American Feminist Network against Violence towards Women (The Feminist Network). The Feminist Network was established in 2004 during the “II Central American Encounter on Public Policy regarding Violence towards Women”, held to mark the 10th anniversary of the approval of the Interamerican Convention to Prevent, Sanction and Eradicate Violence towards Women (Belem Do Pará). Infuriated by the dimension and harsh reality of violence towards women in Central America, representatives of participating organizations decided to create The Central American Feminist Network against Violence towards Women (Feminist Network) to further strengthen the work they had been pursuing over the past decades, and provide a space for joint action and coordination. Its headquarters were set up in Guatemala. Women and organizations in the region were invited to join the Feminist Network and to participate in its actions of vigilance, condemnation and advocacy. A request was also presented to the Interamerican Commission on Women to maintain a permanent link with the Feminist Network in order to jointly uphold a careful and on-going monitoring of the fulfillment of the Belem do Pará accord in each of the Central American countries.
Teaching Mothers Organization / Madres Maestras
The organization Teaching Mothers was founded in 1971 to care for children whose families had moved from the rural area of the country to the city outskirts, and were part of the influx of population that settled in the neighbourhood of Samaria, popularly known as “No Man’s Land”. Teaching Mothers organizations build on the demonstrated capacity of poor indigenous and non-indigenous women to provide care and early childhood education to their children despite the social and economic difficulties their families face.
Teaching Mothers has begun to broaden its mandate to include micro-enterprise development for participating families to bring a more integral approach to their work in rural and semi-urban communities. Today there are approximately 4,000 families in seven of Panama’s provinces and programs have been set up in Costa Rica and Honduras. The Teaching Mother’s Organization operates early childhood educational centres in 250 impoverished communities throughout rural and urban Panama.
