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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

The project had important sustainability components. The grantee’s track record and competence in fighting for respect for the rights of indigenous peoples, especially in urban environments, have given it credibility in the eyes of its public and private stakeholders.
Project Name
Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Report
UDF-BOL-10-403-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Bolivia
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

The attendees commented that it was symbolic that the university had participated in the process, since it normally did not get involved in this type of initiative. The professors were completely open and accessible, opening their classrooms on Sundays and assigning the instructors and researchers.
Project Name
Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Report
UDF-BOL-10-403-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Bolivia
LESSON

Lesson Learned: JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique

The project lacked a media strategy to raise awareness about governance issues. Although references were made in the project document to addressing journalists at local level, there were no specific plans to develop an advocacy or media strategy. This could have involved, for example, the systematic use of local community radios to spread the project’s messages about governance.
Project Name
JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique
Project Partner
JOINT, Mozambican NGOs league
Project Description
The project aimed to increase the knowledge and capacities of local organizations and marginalized groups; enhance dialogue among civil society and marginalized groups, private sectors and the government; and ensure participation of marginalized groups in the democratic processes and achievement of advocacy for civil rights protection and promotion. The project was implemented in seven districts of Manica province, in central Mozambique. While the project correctly identified issues of political participation and NGO capacity building that were of genuine concern in Manica province, there were weaknesses in project design - the project did not directly address the structural and operational weaknesses of NGOs. And while the project’s expected outcomes were weaker than planned, the fact that the activities that were planned in a remote province, in locations that were sometimes difficult to to access because of weather conditions and occasional political violence, was in itself a significant achievement
Report
UDF-MOZ-10-360-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Mozambique
LESSON

Lesson Learned: JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique

The main partner NGOs in Manica and the grantee designed the project collaboratively. The NGOs in Manica were concerned that their capacity would be stretched by the ambitious expected project outcomes. Their concerns were not reflected in the design, and the final proposal to UNDEF maintained the three-pronged approach of NGO capacity building, government dialogue and legal aid. The capacity building provided to NGOs was essentially on specific rights awareness and governance skills, but was not designed to address NGOs' structural/operational weaknesses.
Project Name
JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique
Project Partner
JOINT, Mozambican NGOs league
Project Description
The project aimed to increase the knowledge and capacities of local organizations and marginalized groups; enhance dialogue among civil society and marginalized groups, private sectors and the government; and ensure participation of marginalized groups in the democratic processes and achievement of advocacy for civil rights protection and promotion. The project was implemented in seven districts of Manica province, in central Mozambique. While the project correctly identified issues of political participation and NGO capacity building that were of genuine concern in Manica province, there were weaknesses in project design - the project did not directly address the structural and operational weaknesses of NGOs. And while the project’s expected outcomes were weaker than planned, the fact that the activities that were planned in a remote province, in locations that were sometimes difficult to to access because of weather conditions and occasional political violence, was in itself a significant achievement
Report
UDF-MOZ-10-360-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Mozambique
LESSON

Lesson Learned: JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique

The government dialogue element relied on a degree of goodwill on the part of provincial executives. This was not always forthcoming The project design had made little contingency provision to address a lack of political will to cooperate with the project.
Project Name
JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique
Project Partner
JOINT, Mozambican NGOs league
Project Description
The project aimed to increase the knowledge and capacities of local organizations and marginalized groups; enhance dialogue among civil society and marginalized groups, private sectors and the government; and ensure participation of marginalized groups in the democratic processes and achievement of advocacy for civil rights protection and promotion. The project was implemented in seven districts of Manica province, in central Mozambique. While the project correctly identified issues of political participation and NGO capacity building that were of genuine concern in Manica province, there were weaknesses in project design - the project did not directly address the structural and operational weaknesses of NGOs. And while the project’s expected outcomes were weaker than planned, the fact that the activities that were planned in a remote province, in locations that were sometimes difficult to to access because of weather conditions and occasional political violence, was in itself a significant achievement
Report
UDF-MOZ-10-360-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Mozambique
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Well-established indigenous organizations displayed some resistance to the founding of the grantee’s network, which was to serve as an umbrella group for all urban indigenous organizations.
Project Name
Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Report
UDF-BOL-10-403-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Bolivia
LESSON

Lesson Learned: JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique

Some of the local NGOS involved gained a degree of recognition from the local authorities which was important. Most local NGOs operate without official registration, or with registration only at provincial level. Some interviewees suggested that the project helped them achieve a degree of credibility and legitimacy with local authorities, which might be conducive to them developing a better working relationship with government.
Project Name
JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique
Project Partner
JOINT, Mozambican NGOs league
Project Description
The project aimed to increase the knowledge and capacities of local organizations and marginalized groups; enhance dialogue among civil society and marginalized groups, private sectors and the government; and ensure participation of marginalized groups in the democratic processes and achievement of advocacy for civil rights protection and promotion. The project was implemented in seven districts of Manica province, in central Mozambique. While the project correctly identified issues of political participation and NGO capacity building that were of genuine concern in Manica province, there were weaknesses in project design - the project did not directly address the structural and operational weaknesses of NGOs. And while the project’s expected outcomes were weaker than planned, the fact that the activities that were planned in a remote province, in locations that were sometimes difficult to to access because of weather conditions and occasional political violence, was in itself a significant achievement
Report
UDF-MOZ-10-360-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Mozambique
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Especially effective was the traveling photo exhibition, “Being Indigenous in the City,” displayed in 19 cultural centers, public and private, and visited by more than 10,000 people. One thousand copies of the exhibition brochure were distributed, and the initiative was followed by the media. A second showing of the exhibition traveled to six municipalities in Chiquitianía.

Project Name
Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Report
UDF-BOL-10-403-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Bolivia
LESSON

Lesson Learned: JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique

Staff and lawyers from NGOs working in remote districts were very pro-active in engaging with vulnerable groups. This had a marked impact on local community members who were clearly interested in legal assistance. Their awareness of the legal framework – even in the absence of actual lawsuits – may be considered a form of impact. Similarly, the involvement of staff and lawyers in local dialogue forums has contributed, according to some participants, to local officials’ enhanced awareness of the legal framework concerning accountability on such issues as disclosure of budgets and expenses.
Project Name
JOINT Contribution to Strengthen and Expand Democracy in Mozambique
Project Partner
JOINT, Mozambican NGOs league
Project Description
The project aimed to increase the knowledge and capacities of local organizations and marginalized groups; enhance dialogue among civil society and marginalized groups, private sectors and the government; and ensure participation of marginalized groups in the democratic processes and achievement of advocacy for civil rights protection and promotion. The project was implemented in seven districts of Manica province, in central Mozambique. While the project correctly identified issues of political participation and NGO capacity building that were of genuine concern in Manica province, there were weaknesses in project design - the project did not directly address the structural and operational weaknesses of NGOs. And while the project’s expected outcomes were weaker than planned, the fact that the activities that were planned in a remote province, in locations that were sometimes difficult to to access because of weather conditions and occasional political violence, was in itself a significant achievement
Report
UDF-MOZ-10-360-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Mozambique
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

The project did not treat these situations - conflicts and differences of opinion - as an educational exercise in acceptance, tolerance, and negotiation as well as it could have; had it done so, it might have fostered synergies and prevented the pointless weakening of indigenous populations committed to fighting for the defense and recognition of their rights.
Project Name
Representation and political participation of five urban indigenous populations in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Project Partner
Apoyo Para el Campesino - indígena del Oriente Boliviano
Report
UDF-BOL-10-403-ER-1.pdf
Evaluation Date
June 2014
Theme
Community activism
Country
Bolivia