Development Cooperation Experience on the Ground

Following the Conference Global Crossroads, TRIALOG invited 26 representatives from the new European member states for field trips to see development cooperation projects of HORIZONT3000 and the URACCAN University on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua.

Starting in Managua the group was welcomed in the HORIZONT3000 office by director Doris Kroll who gave an overview of the organisation’s work in Nicaragua. Next stops were the office of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the EU delegation for Central America, as well as the visit of the coordination office of KEPA, the umbrella organisation for Finnish civil society development organisations.

The next 5 days the participants travelled - divided into four thematic groups - to the Atlantic region, where they got to know many local organizations working with indigenous communities in the field of health and food security as well as education, cultural and agricultural projects, and visited the URACCAN campuses. Each visit included presentations and discussions with the local partner organisation, which opened a space of exchange and allowed to build up personal relations with the Nicaraguan counterparts. One of the participants, Ondrej Kopecny (Glopolis, Czech Republic) commented that the fieldtrips were “a unique opportunity to see development work in practice, especially the style of work of local organizations which was very much going in line with a human rights based approach.” Daniel Pluta (One World Association, Poland) shares following impression: “I understood what real ownership means and what does it mean that the project is run by the community.” Mirela Oprea from World Vision Romania reflected on the experience of her country and similarities with Latin America:”I discovered Romania and Nicaragua, or perhaps Eastern Europe and Latin America, have much more in common than one may expect. I am convinced that had there been more opportunities for exchange, both regions would gain more than we can even envisage.”

For many participants it was the first time in a country of the Global South, outside of Europe, many committed to apply the gained experiences at least in their development education work and contribute to the further “trialogue” between East, West and South.

For more pictures visit the TRIALOG photogallery.

See also other articles on the conference: CSOs demand holistic view of development: TRIALOG Conference in Nicaragua and Conference Documentation Global Crossroads

Information provided by Elisa Romero, TRIALOG