Month: August 2023

During our recent visit to the Aikén Foundation, we had the opportunity to learn about their work in the field of psychological support during the grieving process. Aikén provides a safe and understanding space for children, adolescents, young adults, and adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one, such as a parent, sibling, or other close relatives.

Psychological support is offered both individually and in group settings, led by specialized professionals. These age-specific groups allow participants to address their emotions, feelings, and thoughts related to the death of a family member in a caring, respectful, and open environment.

Aikén also recognizes the importance of simultaneously working with the responsible adults, aiming to help them process their own grief and learn healthy ways to support children and young adults in this situation. Additionally, they offer in-person, telephone, and virtual guidance to families both within and outside Buenos Aires, providing support in times of crisis.

Aikén’s approach is based on the understanding that grief affects the entire family, observing interactions among members to provide comprehensive support.

Moreover, the organization offers training and workshops for various populations facing crisis situations related to death and grief. These sessions are designed for schools, companies, clinics, hospitals, funeral homes, cemeteries, healthcare professionals, and the general community.

During our visit, we were received by Gabriela Real, Executive Director, who shared with us how the team is responsible for providing training to other populations and institutions that address grief comprehensively. She also explained how the foundation has grown and evolved in supporting different types of grief.

Thank you very much for having us!

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is having significant impacts on Official Development Assistance (ODA). This conflict has resulted in both direct and indirect changes in the composition and pressures shaping ODA at a global level.

According to the latest OECD report, there have been significant increases in support to Ukraine, as well as in spending on hosting refugees in OECD countries, leading to ODA reaching its highest recorded level. These funds are being used to assist Ukraine in its reconstruction efforts and to provide humanitarian aid to refugees.

However, this surge in ODA directed towards Ukraine and refugees has created additional pressures elsewhere, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The demand for resources was already on the rise due to the COVID-19 crisis, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in changes in the type and level of support required by these countries.

The report emphasizes the importance of an effective response from the international development cooperation community to this unprecedented demand. Additionally, some trends expected to impact ODA in the years 2023 and 2024 are highlighted.

In summary, the war between Russia and Ukraine is generating significant impacts on Official Development Assistance. The OECD underscores the need to address this growing demand and adapt development strategies to ensure that every ODA dollar has the maximum impact in the affected countries.

Read the full report here.

Recently, part of our team has been involved in a planning meeting for the pilot of the renowned Kettering Foundation’s new fellowship. This gathering brought together inspiring leaders from various parts of the world in a collaborative effort to design and implement this project.

The fellowship will span six months and RACI has been invited to play an active role in this initiative, working closely with other international organizations.

The Kettering Foundation, globally recognized for its work in promoting dialogue and active citizenship, has provided us with this opportunity to contribute our expertise and knowledge to strengthen democracy in Latin America.

The experience gained through this fellowship will further enhance our work in the region and enable us to continue making a positive impact.

Stay tuned for our upcoming updates.

We present a new joint proposal aimed at promoting inclusion, raising awareness among people, and encouraging reflection on accessibility.

In collaboration with various organizations within RACI, “Señas En Acción” (SEA) has proposed an innovative campaign with the objective of bringing visibility to our work and that of our members, promoting inclusion and awareness throughout society. We believe that achieving a significant impact on the community requires active participation.

Our proposal aims to involve all participating organizations, allowing them to contribute ideas and action plans, making them feel like active and co-creators in the process.

In addition to focusing on accessibility, we recognize the importance of addressing other diversity-related issues, such as the intersection of gender and disability. By broadening our perspective, we seek to generate a deeper and more meaningful impact.

Throughout the campaign’s development, we will be sharing guides and practical tips that our members wish to disseminate. We want these tools to be accessible and useful for all individuals and organizations.

Your organization can also be a part of it! We extend the invitation to all interested NGOs to join this initiative.

Stay tuned to our social media channels, where we will be sharing all the information.

We welcomed our members to AMIA, where we reviewed all our activities, shared updates, and discussed new projects. During the assembly, we continued to explore strategies to address the challenges in the sector and took the opportunity to introduce new organizations that are eager to be part of our network.

The participation of our volunteers is essential, and they are always invited to attend such events and engage with the team. We asked one of our volunteers, Magdalena Kalbermatten, to share her perspective on this experience.

As a current volunteer at RACI, I had the opportunity to participate in the July 2023 Assembly of Members held at AMIA. There, I personally met the RACI team and several civil society organizations that are members of the network. My role at the assembly was to record the attendance of representatives from different NGOs who attended the meeting. It was my first time attending such a gathering, and I found it to be a great experience that allowed me to get to know a new facet of Argentine society: the world of the third sector and civil society organizations.

During the Assembly of Members, I could appreciate the remarkable transparency that characterizes RACI. From my perspective, the meeting served as an accountability session for RACI’s actions during the semester. It was a pleasure to witness the open dialogue between RACI members and the team, how they shared their concerns about the challenges facing the third sector, and how they aimed to improve NGOs in general. Moreover, I believe it is essential to highlight how much RACI members care about the network’s well-being and continuously seek ways to innovate, improve, and provide the best opportunities to its members. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that RACI has been conducting in-person and virtual visits to its member NGOs to further strengthen and deepen their relationships.

In a nutshell, I consider the Assembly of Members as a space where RACI demonstrated its commitment to and connection with the participating NGOs, as well as its determination to continue working together and cooperating to achieve its objectives.

Thank you very much, RACI, for this opportunity. I hope to continue collaborating with the team.

At RACI, we are committed to strengthening democracy in our region, and that’s why we invite you to join the second meeting of our dialogue series.

In this new dialogue, we will explore fundamental topics such as representation, social participation, the role of civil society, freedoms, and freedom of the press.

The event will take place virtually via the Zoom platform on August 3, 2023, at 11:30 am Argentina time (GMT -3).

We are pleased to announce the participation of distinguished specialists:

• Carmen Olaechea, with 33 years of experience in civil society, supporting organizations in strategic development and promoting art as a tool for social transformation. She is the President of the Cambio Democrático Foundation in Argentina and a member of various international advisory boards.
• Ana Cabria Mellace, a lawyer and mediator from Tucumán, with over 20 years of work in dialogue, participation, and conflict transformation. She is the Director of the Cambio Democrático Foundation and a consultant for the United Nations Development Programme, where she has coordinated peacebuilding programs and participated in dialogue processes and network strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Jose del Tronco Paganelli, Doctor in Political Science, with Honorable Mention from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, is a professor-researcher at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) in Mexico. He has specialized in the study of democracy and public policies from a citizen participation perspective and has developed multi-stakeholder dialogue methodologies in various fields.
• Paula Moreno, President of FOPEA (Argentine Forum of Journalism). Journalist-Director of EQSnotas.com. Producer and Host of FM SOL.

During the event, we will hold a roundtable discussion to foster a genuine, open, and inclusive dialogue to achieve constructive consensus that promotes democratic development in our region.

Spaces for the event are limited, so don’t miss out! Register now via the registration link.

Once your registration is completed, you will receive access details to join the virtual event.