Month: May 2020

With the aim of identifying and contributing to local needs in the context that we are going through as a country, Conciencia launched “Convoluntariado”, a campaign to donate bags of food and cleaning supplies in neighborhoods where they implement programs throughout the year, and that today are greatly affected by the situation generated by COVID-19.

What are they doing? Delivering bags of food and cleaning supplies to the neighborhood leaders so the they deliver them among the families. Currently they have reached the communities of San Martín, Tigre, Avellaneda and Quilmes in Greater Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Venado Tuerto and Tucumán. Along with the delivery of the bags, they added educational booklets for families during this period of compulsory social distancing.

Why do they do it? The community leaders with whom they work in the neighborhoods warned them about the exacerbation of the food emergency, many people who do casual work or have informal jobs were left without income and the number of people who attend the dining rooms doubled.

How do they do it? They have launched a donation campaign, each person can donate $750 Argentine pesos, and with that amount of money they can accompany a family of 6 people with a bag of food and cleaning supplies for a week. They also invite companies that would like to accompany them with monetary or in-kind donations to join this campaign.

Money donations will be turned into bags of food that will be delivered among the neighborhoods where they work throughout the country. This campaign is articulated strategically with different organizations such as Nilus and Construyendo in the Province of Buenos Aires, as well as the Banco de Alimentos in Tucumán and the Banco de Alimentos Manos Solidarias in Mar del Plata.

For more information and to collaborate with Conciencia, please enter:

http://conciencia.org/convoluntariado/

About Asociación Conciencia:

Asociación Conciencia is a non-profit civil society organization, following no political party, that has been working for more than 37 years to form committed citizens who can transform the reality that we live, with the ability to decide and the will to participate.

They implement programs throughout the country seeking to respond to the specific needs of each community. Through their action they reflect the values of their organization: responsibility, commitment, tolerance, honesty, transparency, respect and coherence.

Our membership 2020 remains open until May 31st!

Being a member of RACI means participating and working as a network dedicated to strengthening Civil Society and multisectoral and institutional articulation.

RACI considers that working collectively is the best response to tackle, with a comprehensive approach, the challenges that our country and the whole world is facing. For this reason, the Network works on issues of advocacy, research and capacity development to democratize access to tools, methodologies, information and resources; to produce and disseminate valuable information for civil society and to develop and optimize CSO capacities and skills.

Being a member of RACI means being part of a diverse group of Argentine civil society organizations that work together and towards an independent, solid and sustainable civil society. RACI members actively participate in exchange spaces, where they connect with each other to protect civic space and improve the enabling environment for civil society.

Visit our website (https://raci.org.ar/membresia/) and get to know all the requirements to be part of our Network. We want you to join us and work together towards an independent, solid and sustainable sector!

The current crisis generated by the coronavirus pandemic has revealed large society’s structural inequalities and interdependence, and at the same time, allows to analyze how these those tensions exist within the philanthropic sector.

The crisis produced by the advance of COVID-19 could provide an opportunity to increase the recognition of philanthropy as a key actor and as a complementary partner to governments in facing the crisis. However, this will not be possible if the sector maintains a conservative attitude regarding ways of funding. The philanthropic sector needs to present itself as diverse and trustworthy, as well as to get closer to its beneficiaries and to listen more to their needs, in order to be able to adapt its modes of action around them, as well as provide more flexible grants.

The advance of COVID-19 around the world has forced many governments to implement lock-down and isolation policies. As a consequence, a huge proportion of all human activities have halted, generating a feeling of uncertainty, and putting pressure on the global economy. Among the many challenges that the current context presents to sustainable development, one of great importance is adapting philanthropic actions to current circumstances.

At first, the philanthropic sector had a correct response to the crisis. Many funders have adapted their frames and loosened their grant agreements. They also launched special emergency funds, transformed project grants into core funding, and encouraged other funders to do the same. These are all indicators that the philanthropic sector is open to building new relationships with its beneficiaries, as well as gathering trust among them. However, the crisis also highlighted weak points related to the distrust generated by the current image of the philanthropic sector. This reveals two important questions.

In the first place, there is an urgent need to reduce levels of mistrust in the philanthropic sector as they limit its effectiveness, legitimacy, and sustainability. Building trust requires creating a vision through which relationships and commitments can be built. The current crisis demands more mediation, transparency and mutual accountability. It would also be beneficial if much of the flexibility and openness that the philanthropic sector is showing in response to the crisis is maintained as new norms, even at the end of the crisis. In this way, long-term partnerships could be founded, and participatory grantmaking approaches applied.

On the other hand, it is necessary for the sector to generate and share narratives about the role it plays in society, as well as adopting new norms of greater transparency, accountability and democratization. It is essential that philanthropy can be detached from the myth about its association with high-income groups and can be presented as a field of a diverse nature whose most prominent and significant forms are individual donations and local collaborations. Therefore, this will require thoughtful investment in the donation infrastructure. More collaborations and connections between support networks and organizations representing and supporting both sides of the spectrum will also be needed.

In order for the philanthropic sector to become more efficient in the face of the crisis, and even after it, it is necessary to consider adopting the measures described above. Appearing as an essential driving force in such a major crisis can help the sector make the case for a more favorable environment and supportive policies for civil society and philanthropy in the long term.

For more information please enter: https://philanthropyinfocus.org/2020/03/26/reflections-on-a-crisis-a-call-for-introspection-change-and-transformation-for-the-global-philanthropy-and-giving-community/.

The UNESCO, together with a team from the Global Education Monitoring Report, carried out a successful analysis about the way countries implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4. This particular goal seeks to “ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for everyone”.

The report observes that most of the countries do not distinguish the goal of general political frameworks, since it influences education plans and policies. Rather, this goal is used as an impulse to carry out political reforms and to engage internationally.

As a result, the report proposes a different way to monitor the fulfillment of the goal. In this proposed way, progress is analyzed through quantitative and qualitative indicators, focused on six transformations that countries must adopt as a framework to be taken into account. The transformations include:

• The road to equity and inclusion beyond the averages;
• The path to quality and learning beyond access;
• The path to adequate content for sustainable development beyond the basics;
• The path to lifelong learning beyond schooling;
• The road to intersectoral cooperation beyond education;
• The road to regional and global cooperation beyond countries.

Since 2015, countries have successfully demonstrated how they incorporate different initiatives for equity, quality and educational relevance. However, even though the path has been identified, structural changes and greater mobilization are needed to achieve the ambitious objectives of goal number 4.

The full report can be found at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000369851.

To understand and measure the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Argentine Civil Society Organizations and their work teams, RACI has launched the Perspective on COVID-19 survey. Its purpose is to make a diagnosis about the current state of the sector and thus create relevant and necessary input for future advocacy in this critical context.

The survey aims to analyze variables such as the support capacity, the main needs and concerns of the CSOs in the context of a pandemic, the changes and initiatives implemented to adapt to the situation, among others. Throughout this survey, we will be able to map both the main difficulties and threats to which organizations are exposed, as well as the main tools and strengths that each one has.

People who work or volunteer in the following Argentine social organization may be able to participate: Civil Associations, Foundations, Religious Entities, Mutuals, Cooperatives, Cooperators, Networks, Alliances and Federations, Neighborhood Centers, Retiree Centers, Mutual Aid Associations. Also, Societies, Public Libraries, Universities and other educational establishments. Too, Research Institutes, Neighborhood Clubs or Sports Associations, Think Tanks, Business Foundations, Social Companies, Trade or professional associations. Additionally, Grassroots Organizations, Community Organizations, Organizations linked to a community/nationality/ethnic origin, Organizations dedicated to cultural or artistic development, Charitable/Assistance organizations.

The survey can be answered until June 5^th by more than one person, from the same organization, as it seeks to assemble the perspective of those who comprise them. Your perspective is very valuable, join it!

To have access to the survey press here.

This year, Latin America and the Caribbean will have a broad participation in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development organized by the United Nations to check the progress of the 2030 Agenda. Among the 50 Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) that will be presented, 11 belong to countries in the region and 7 of these reviews are considered “second generation”.

A holistic look at the reporting system of the 2030 Agenda shows that the VNRs are not only “progress reports”, but a tool to pose national challenges on the way to the implementation of the Agenda. The Decade of Action and the achievement of results promoted by the United Nations requires that the second VNRs presented by the reporting countries can be considered “second generation”, that is, that they work from a dynamic perspective and report cycles and processes, showing the continuity and evolution of progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level, taking the first Review as a reference.

Recovering the commitments and challenges of the first VNR and integrating them into a presentation of processes aimed at achieving the SDGs will give reporting countries the possibility of carrying out a consolidated exercise of accountability to international society and their own citizens.

In view of the fulfillment of the first third of the 2030 Agenda and analyzing, when the second VNR is presented, the monitoring of the commitments assumed by Argentina in the 2017 National Voluntary Review, we believe it necessary to remember them. In the first instance, there are steps in adapting the 2030 Agenda in the provinces: prioritizing the SDGs according to the lines of government and the national proposal, selecting the most appropriate goals for them and the pertinent and feasible indicators for their follow-up. ; make a diagnosis of the selected indicators; carry out a survey of the Non-Governmental Organizations that act locally in relation to the SDGs and the actions they carry out, among others. The latter shows that the SDGs are not only a State commitment, but also cross different sectors such as, for example, the social sector, which not only contributes with its actions to the fulfillment of the SDGs, but also with monitoring. RACI, in order to facilitate data collection and provide a reliable source of information, created the SDG Platform space. This tool allows any Civil Society Organization in the country to upload the projects they are working on – and therefore make visible –  and classify them according to the SDG to which they contribute, their geographical location, the type of organization that is executing them, and the population to which they are directed.

Secondly, the stages of municipalization of the 2030 Agenda were: the dissemination of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at the local level; appointment of political leaders for the process of locating the SDGs; preparation of a report that describes the current situation of the municipality, determining the main problems and prioritizing the SDGs to be addressed in that territory; incorporation in the analysis of cross-cutting issues and openness to the participation of civil society; determination of the area responsible for the monitoring process. And the main challenges: consolidation of monitoring and effective and transparent follow-up; reduction of inequities and undesirable gaps; mobilization of the means of implementation; Articulation of work with other powers, with provincial and municipal governments, with the business sector, civil society and the academic sector. The Executive Power created spaces and mechanisms for participation to foster and facilitate alliances and promote better policies in order to generate greater results for development, but the challenge of generating more areas of participation persists.

We hope that this year, once the first third of the 2030 Agenda has been completed, Argentina can present its second VNR, taking up past commitments and reflecting the continuity and evolution of progress in the implementation of the Agenda.

Since 2003, Fundación León has been working to combat chronic poverty in the province of Tucumán, using the home-based accompaniment methodology, and taking into account the situation and context of each family group and the dynamics among its members. In this way, it contributes to sustainable development through two work lines: through the eradication of poverty in communities with violated rights, applying education, work and entrepreneurship programs; and through the social inclusion of people with disabilities, Alzheimer’s and other dementias through accompaniment programs and social services. Fundación León’s mission is to promote volunteering and social responsibility to achieve a fair and equitable world.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and obligatory social isolation, Fundación León found itself in the need to look for new ways of working, leading it to decide to open up to the community through digital means such as giving informative talks on Facebook Live or Via Zoom, carrying out their mission and discussing different topics.

In addition, because of the impediment of reaching out to vulnerable families, as a result of social distancing, allowed the organization to adapt and turn to virtual accompanying for families in vulnerable situations. In this way, Fundación León could sustain the relationship with their addressees (boys, girls, adolescents, women, adults and older adults) using tools and media such as WhatsApp and YouTube.

Fundación León articulated its work with AMIA, another organization member of our Network, carrying out the educational program “Learning at Home – HIPPY”, sharing videos with stories and prevention tips aimed at children. They also shared prevention videos and educational support for teenagers from the “Future Graduates” scholarship program, and cognitive stimulation workshops for adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, as well as support and containment activities for their families and caregivers.

Together with the aforementioned activities, Fundación León has opened an exclusive WhatsApp line, so that the community can continue to manage wheelchairs and other orthopedic items online, action that is carried out together with the CILSA organization.

Adapting to the new social reality, Fundación León found a way to replace their annual fundraising dinner by creating a “virtual event” on its social networks on May 14^th.  The virtual dinner reached its fundraising goal, which allows them to support 1050 households in extreme poverty.

Fundación León adapted its face-to-face organization dynamic and direct contact work with families and their recipients towards a virtual work. This decision was reflected in the impulse that characterizes the foundation, to sustain the bond, the social tie, while highlighting that being isolated does not mean being disconnected.

For further information about the work carried out by Fundación León, enter to: https://www.fundacionleon.org.ar/.

In the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, developing countries find themselves vulnerable, needing help to prioritize people’s health and face the expected economic crisis as a result of confinement measures to contain contagion.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and donor countries are working together to make this year’s donations favorable, since according to official data, collected from official development agencies, it totaled to USD 152.8 billion in 2019, an increase of 1.4% in real terms since 2018.

Quoting OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, he notes that: “This increase in the global development effort is an important first step, especially now since we have an additional duty to increase support to the countries that are facing the most severe impacts of the coronavirus crisis.”

The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), on April 9th, issued a joint statement that recognized Official Development Assistance (ODA) and its significant support of developing countries impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, thus establishing a commitment on the part of the members to protect ODA budgets.

The OECD Secretary-General, together with the Administrator of the UN Development Programme, called on both the International Community and CAD members to act urgently to quickly help those that are most vulnerable. In this way, they are able to focus on health systems, the most vulnerable, and enforce efficient coordination to ensure the necessary humanitarian aid.

On April 15th, there was a virtual meeting of the G20 and central banks, where Secretary Gurría urged world leaders to act immediately, formulating the “Global Marshall Plan” to counter the effects of the Pandemic and highlighting the effects the confinement has had on the economies.

The OECD is working on the development of a platform of the states of fragility, where the spread of COVID-19 is tracked in specific places that require humanitarian aid.  In addition, it is being analyzed to alleviate debt and other financial mechanisms for developing countries, such  as supporting donors who support the women who serve as most health workers and care workers, as well as research into new medicines or vaccines, among others.

The OECD has taken important policy steps for data collection to address the emerging health, economic, and social crisis. This includes covering priority issues, such as health, education and taxes, providing guidance, and focusing specifically on vulnerable sectors of society and the economy. The objective of these analysis measures is to provide long-term data, to provide responses, and the means for countries to coordinate them.

For more information on OECD’s work, visit their new policy centre: http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/es/

For more information, visit the following website: http://www.oecd.org/development/oecd-and-donor-countries-working-to-focus-development-efforts-on-covid-19-crisis-building-on-a-rise-in-official-aid-in-2019.htm?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Read%20more&utm_campaign=OECD%20Development%20News%20%20-%20April%202020&utm_term=demo

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) presented its Human Development Report, where unequal human development conditions and possibilities are studied.

The report ensures that there has been progress around the world in terms of the person’s capabilities of overcoming extreme deprivations of basic capabilities, such as access to basic services of education, health and technology. However, inequalities persist in the increased capabilities area (quality education at all levels, high-quality Internet access and health), which shows that those who are better positioned today will be even more so in the future, perpetuating the inequality.

Data shows that children from countries with low human development will have less prospects for life and growth than children from countries with high human development. About 17% of children from low-development countries will have died before the age of 20, while in high development countries this digit comes down to 1%. At the same time, only 3% of children born in the year 2000 in low-development countries complete higher education, while in the case of high-human-development countries this digit rises to 55%.

As a positive aspect, the progress in the variable of life expectancy at birth is remarkable, although there is still a gap of 19 years between high and low-development countries. There are also differences in the level of education of adults: 3.2% of adults in countries with low development have Higher Education, against 28.6% in developed countries.

In terms of digital technology access, the subscription rate for mobile telephony in high-development countries represents the 131.6%, twice of what it represents in low-development countries, which is 67%. Additionally, only 0.8% of the inhabitants of low-development countries have broadband.

These numbers reflect a rising inequality of access to increased capabilities between high and low-development countries, capabilities that are increasingly necessary due to the contemporary digital and changing era and the anticipated future. In addition, situations such as the current pandemic highlight the need for the acquisition of new technologies and the gaps they can generate between the different sectors.

These inequalities in human development represent a crucial obstacle to make the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a fact. They are not only disparities in terms of income and wealth, they also will determine the expectations and living conditions of those who will live until the XXII century.

Based on the new and documented inequalities, five key messages for the treatment are proposed:

• Wide disparities in human development continue to exist, despite progress made on reducing extreme deprivation.
• A new generation of inequalities is emerging; divergences in increased capacities can be seen despite the convergence in basic capacities.
• Inequalities accumulate throughout life, often reflecting deep power imbalances.
• Assessing and responding to inequalities in human development requires a revolution in its measurement.
• We can correct inequalities by acting now, before imbalances in economic power move to the political arena.

To access the full report, visit http://report.hdr.undp.org/.

Since the beginning of 2020, more than $4.6 billion dolars has been pledged to the fight against COVID-19 by governments, bilateral and philanthropic donors, multilateral institutions, NGOs, and the private sector. The Devex platform, with the goal of providing recruiting and business development services for global development, has generated an interactive map to present information about the various projects that are financing the fight against coronavirus around the world. According to this map, there were a total of 245 financing activities, grants, and business opportunities specifically targeting the virus as of March 24th, 2020.

Concerning the origin of the funding, different governments are supporting initiatives worth at least $2.9 trillion, mainly focusing on the response to COVID-19 or its economic impacts. Meanwhile, multilateral institutions are supporting 65 initiatives worth $1.1 trillion, which has so far been evenly divided between country-specific and multi-region initiatives.  Bilateral donors have announced investments or partnerships in investments worth $594 billion, geographically focused on Asia and Africa. NGOS and civil society organizations are supporting initiatives at least worth $165 million with a focus on Africa. Philanthropic donors have announced 36 initiatives with a known value of $1.3 billion, their focus being on global response programs. Lastly, the private sector has financed a total of 47 initiatives with a total value of $2.3 billion.

As for investment areas, so far the focus of investment has been on the response to the coronavirus, with the support of health systems being the second priority. Investment in countries’ economies is also increasingly important as a result of the impact generated by mandatory quarantines and the economic paralysis. The research is being funded by 19 initiatives and is focused on prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, and the clinical response. The search for a vaccine and other treatments are also being supported by 13 initiatives. Finally, at least $195 million in equipment supplies is being invested through 12 initiatives.

With regards to the geographical focus, due to the large investment of governments in support of the national response, two-thirds of the initiatives are country-specific. The country with the most initiatives is China, followed by the United States, Philippines, and Pakistan. There are also regional initiatives in East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, and Western Europe. In addition, there are at least 61 global initiatives worth $488 billion.

On the other hand, as the crisis progresses and many civil society organizations struggle to respond to this healthy emergency, they are also confronted by the reality of financial instability, which has been a serious effect of the current situation. This instability occurs in large part because financial policies provide insufficient coverage of indirect costs, such as expenses that are not directly linked to a single project but shared across multiple projects. In fact, even before the crisis, the indirect costs of these organizations constituted a much higher percentage of total costs than the typical 15% fixed repayment rate used by many funders. Due to this, the best solution to this problem seems to be the flexibilization of funding, so that organizations have a sufficient framework of action to be able to cover indirect costs. In order to meet the emergency needs caused by the COVID-19 crisis, more than 40 major international foundations announced in mid-March their commitment to more flexible funding. This commitment, led by the Ford Foundation, is a call on philanthropist groups around the world to address the unforeseen effects of this global crisis so that beneficiaries can move quickly to help the most affected communities. The financiers have signed an exhaustive list of commitments to support organizations during this critical time. These commitments include loosening or eliminating restrictions on current subsidiaries, as well as making new subsidiaries as unrestricted as possible so that organizations have greater flexibility to respond to the crisis; contribute to emergency response funds; and, to collaborate with beneficiary partners to generate thoughtful and immediate responses.

In conclusion, since the beginning of 2020, large sources of funding have been generated in response to the coronavirus. Governments, donors, institutions, and organizations have collaborated monetarily in the fight against COVID-19 and its effects through 245 initiatives all around the world.  However, this financing is focused on certain regions and has not reached Latin America and the Caribbean: this region has only received 109 financing initiatives, 3 of which are for Argentina. Furthermore, as the impact of COVID-19 grows and the crisis worsens, it is necessary that investment also do so to respond to this pandemic in different parts of the world.

For more information, visit the following links: https://www.devex.com/news/interactive-who-s-funding-the-covid-19-response-and-what-are-the-priorities-96833, https://www.fordfoundation.org/the-latest/news/top-foundations-pledge-flexible-funding-to-grantees-in-wake-of-covid-19-crisis/, https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/covid-19-an-opportunity-for-transformative-grant-making/, https://www.philanthropy.com/paid-article/five-foundations-address-the/293.