Month: July 2023

ALCEM

We virtually visited ALCEM – the Association for Multiple Sclerosis Combat, where we had a conversation with Susana Giachello, the founding president of ALCEM, Paula Henestroza, the Coordinator of the Social Department, and Noemí Romero, in charge of Radio ALCEM. They shared with us the organization’s history and its main activities, including workshops, seminars, and events aimed at informing and, above all, breaking myths and prejudices surrounding multiple sclerosis (MS).

During their recent campaign on World MS Day (May 30) under the slogan “Let’s Make the Invisible Visible,” they aimed to raise awareness about the existence of MS in society. ALCEM is dedicated to advocating for the rights of people with multiple sclerosis in the country. From the moment of diagnosis, ALCEM supports patients in coordination with their Medical Advisory Board and Reference Centers throughout the country.

In addition to providing advice and assistance on health issues, they also offer support in employment, social security, and family situations through personalized communication with professionals in the social and legal fields.

The organization promotes fundamental values such as empathy, social inclusion, healthy habits, and quality of life. Their team of professionals possesses profound knowledge of multiple sclerosis and the necessary experience to offer solutions in the health, social, and legal domains.

ALCEM provides a meeting space where they organize annual and free activities for people with multiple sclerosis. These activities are essential for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, decreasing cognitive impairment, and improving the well-being of participants.

Pilares Association

As part of our efforts to strengthen collaboration and support our members, the RACI team visited Pilares Association in Pilar, where we had a conversation with Agustina Magenties, the Executive Director, and Claudia Perna from the Fund Development team. They shared information about their projects and the Educational Support programs.

The organization aims to bridge the educational gap and prepare students to enter secondary school with a strong foundation, ensuring that all children have access to quality education.

Pilares de Aprendizaje is a program developed in collaboration with the School of Education at Universidad Austral. It provides primary school students in vulnerable situations with the opportunity to strengthen their academic paths.

During our visit, we witnessed the transformative impact that Pilares Association has on the community. Through educational programs and comprehensive support, the organization works to develop individuals’ skills and capacities, promoting their autonomy.

Thanks for having us!

With only seven years left until the deadline of the 2030 Agenda, we present this report with data to assess the progress and obstacles in efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) halfway through their implementation.

The Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2023 provides interactive narratives and data visualizations on the 17 SDGs. It highlights trends within each target and introduces concepts on how some of the SDGs are measured.

Some of the stories covered in the 17 SDGs include progress and challenges in eradicating extreme poverty, the impact of COVID-19 on global health, rebuilding educational systems after COVID-19, pressures on freshwater resources, sustainable transportation for a livable future, development assistance as a catalyst for progress, among others.

Regarding the SDG 17 on partnerships to achieve the goals, it calls for revitalizing global partnerships for development, which depend on increased and sustained resource mobilization. From 2019 to 2022, official development assistance experienced a sharp increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. However, excluding these unique events, support to the world’s poorest countries was lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Progress towards the SDGs requires significant investment in programs, policies, human capital, and infrastructure. Official development assistance (ODA) from foreign governments plays a crucial role in supporting the development of less wealthy countries. In this regard, we call for collaboration and partnership to achieve the agenda’s goals. Through bilateral flows, as well as the involvement of non-governmental and multilateral organizations, including the United Nations and the World Bank, this assistance reaches recipient governments, providing them with the necessary support to drive their sustainable development. Together, we can make significant progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Atlas is ground on the World Bank’s World Development Indicators database, as well as a wide range of relevant data sources, including international organizations, scientists, and researchers from around the world.

The Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2023 was produced by the World Bank’s Development Economics Data Group (DECDG) in collaboration with various units within the World Bank. The Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG Fund) and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management provided generous financial support.

We invite you to read the report!

We invite you to register and participate in the second meeting of the Multi-Actor Dialogues Cycle. Perspectives and Narratives: Challenges of Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At RACI, we have been promoting this cycle with the aim of motivating and generating enriching conversations that provide innovative proposals and alternatives to improve and enhance democratic processes in the region.

In February, we held the first meeting, and now we want to invite you to participate in the second dialogue, which will focus on democracies in Latin America and the Caribbean today, exploring aspects such as representativeness, social participation, the role of civil society, freedoms, and freedom of the press.

Please note that the meeting will take place virtually via Zoom on August 3, 2023, at 11:30 AM Argentina time (GMT -3).

During this cycle, distinguished academic experts from civil society, the private sector, and the public sector in Latin America and the Caribbean will share brief presentations, either individually or in panels. After the presentations, we will have a conversation in which participants can engage through dynamics that promote genuine dialogue and open and inclusive communication. We aim to achieve consensus that drives democratic development.

Don’t miss out, as spots are limited! Find the registration link here. Through it, you will receive the access details to join.

Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to your participation.

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) 2023 is an annual call for proposals launched by the Embassy of Canada in Argentina. This program aims to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries that align with the thematic priorities of Global Affairs Canada.

CFLI seeks to strengthen bilateral relations between Canada and recipient countries while supporting local civil societies through the financing of projects primarily conceived and designed by local partners. These projects are selected and approved by the corresponding Canadian Embassy.

The winning projects of CFLI 2023 focus on various thematic areas and present innovative solutions to address local challenges. Here are the winning organizations and their projects:

• Chequeado:

Project: Improving media coverage of environmental issues in the context of Argentina’s presidential elections. The project will focus on identifying misleading narratives, disseminating verified information about key environmental challenges and candidates’ proposals, promoting citizen awareness and informed participation. Additionally, journalists will be trained in fact-checking tools and gender perspective.

• Fundación Niño Sur para los derechos humanos:

Project: Pact of Municipalities and Community Leaders of the Bioceanic Corridor. The goal is to work on the prevention and fight against the sexual exploitation and trafficking of girls, boys, adolescents, and women in the communities affected by the Bioceanic Corridor route in the Chaco Salteño region. Local organizations will be strengthened for the prevention of trafficking and exploitation, promoting inclusive community participation and building support networks.

• Fundación Accion País para la Formación de Liderazgo Social (Fundación Pilares):

Project: “Fortale-Siendo” (Strengthening). This project aims to promote a gender perspective, equity, and positive relationships among mothers, children up to 5 years old, and workers of social organizations working with early childhood. Will be conducted support and reflection groups, workshops, play spaces, and training sessions adapted to different specific groups.

We congratulate the organizations on their innovative and high-impact projects, and we thank all participants for their commitment and effort in the call for proposals. We are excited to see how these projects will contribute to the development and well-being of local communities.

We successfully concluded the sessions of the Innovation Lab for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Southern Cone: New tools created by Civil Society to generate more enabling spaces.

Over the course of three days, participating teams developed their ideas through sessions focused on the Design Thinking methodology, with the support of the University of Rosario.

In this environment of co-creation and exchange, the participating teams had the opportunity to contextualize their ideas and share data and information while developing their prototypes. We would like to thank and highlight the work of our guests, facilitators, and mentors, who provided constant support to each team. Their guidance was instrumental in ensuring that each idea became a prototype that met the necessary requirements for future application to the seed fund.

We would like to give special recognition to Maria Pazo, Consultant on Public Affairs related to the Third Sector (Argentina), Analia Bettoni from ICD (Uruguay), and Oriana Castillo from CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation (Colombia), who served as speakers and judges in this edition of the Lab. Their expertise greatly enriched the event and contributed to the success of our participants.

Subsequently, the teams had an additional five days to refine their prototypes and present them to the jury. The top five prototypes will participate in our ‘Social Innovation Project Incubator,’ where they will receive workshops and sessions with specialists to conduct tests and improvements, preparing them for presentation as viable projects.

Congratulations to the winning teams! Their proposals demonstrated creativity, commitment, and significant social impact.

• América Solidaria Argentina – Future Capacity
• GAMA Ong – Transformative Narratives
• Digital Immigrants – Digital Advocacy
• La Minga Civil Association – Weaving Networks
• FEDEM – Investigation of Citizen Complaints of Corruption in the Municipality of Asunción within the framework of Citizen Oversight.

Charities Aid Foundation – United Kingdom

Since 2021, RACI has been strengthening its partnerships with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), becoming allies with the foundation’s U.S. branch to channel donations to Argentine organizations. In this way, members of our network can receive foreign donations through this channel.

On this occasion, we are expanding our alliance with CAF UK. From June 5th to 8th, Mariana Agnolin, Director of Programs at RACI, participated in the Leadership Conference organized with the aim of introducing new civil society organizations from different regions to the work of the Foundation and joining CAF UK’s network.

During the various sessions, led by CAF UK President Neil Heslop OBE and Derek Ray-Hill, Director of International Strategy, and co-hosted by Jessie Kraft, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at CAF America, plenaries and workshops were conducted, addressing topics of global concern to civil society such as New Localization Strategies, Relief, Resilience, Disaster Recovery, and Advocacy Campaigns.

Additionally, together with CAF UK, a meeting was held with the Argentine ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Cultural Attaché to promote the work of our members among potential donors in the UK.

More information about CAF UK can be found here.

International Republican Institute – Ecuador

RACI was present at the Regional Workshop on Technology and Democracy in Latin America on June 13th and 14th in Quito, Ecuador.

This event was organized by the International Republican Institute (IRI) with the aim of promoting democratic governance through responsible and effective use of technology.

In this context, our Projects Coordinator, Antonella Erben, represented RACI, enriching the discussions and sharing knowledge with numerous institutions from Latin America. The participation included both civil society organizations and specialized government entities in this field.

During the workshop, various topics related to technology and its impact on democracy were addressed, exploring innovative strategies to strengthen citizen participation, transparency, and accountability in the region. Additionally, experiences and best practices were shared, creating a conducive space for the exchange of ideas and the establishment of future collaborations.