A Snapshot of Civil Society in Mexico
July 15, 2020
Between the Countryside and the City: Malinalco 2018
July 15, 2020
Monterrey, Nuevo León, July 15, 2020.— Comunalia and partner community foundations participated in the virtual meeting “Expanding Innovation and Community Resilience,” where they shared their experiences with adaptation with other community foundations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The meeting was convened by the Inter-American Foundation and brought together members of organized civil society from Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Haiti in a space for listening, collaboration, and active learning.
The global health emergency caused by COVID-19 has forced civil society organizations in the region to reinvent themselves and seek new ways to support different sectors of the population on a large scale.
Foundations and civil society organizations agree that this is an intense process of discovering and embracing a broader range of values in order to strengthen their work in our region in the face of the pandemic’s challenges.
The meeting addressed the Theory of Expansiveness, which posits that “when leaders and their teams experience a sense of expansiveness amid the complexity and conflict of our times, they can make decisions that inspire inclusion, innovation, and action plans leading to collectively owned outcomes.”
In line with this principle, the Community Foundations also recognized the work of all social actors, who, from their respective positions, put into practice what they do best and innovate every day to continue contributing to their communities.
In the virtual dialogue space, Comunalia and the alliance’s foundations delved into their experiences to connect and reinvent themselves with an open mindset, and analyzed everything that brings these organizations to life.
Among the experiences shared by the foundations at the meeting were: resilience and flexibility in taking action, timely and participatory assessment, innovation and stronger partnerships, the promotion of networking, and the swift commitment of local and national donors. All of this was aimed at addressing the most pressing needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representing Mexico were Comunalia, Comunidar de Monterrey, the Oaxaca Community Foundation (FCO), the Punta Mita Foundation, and Fondo Acción Solidaria A.C.; from Brazil, the Philanthropy Network for Social Justice, the Grande Florianópolis Community Institute (ICOM), and the Baixada Community Institute; from Haiti, the Haitian Community Foundation-ESPWA; from Costa Rica, the Monteverde Community Fund; from Uruguay, the Colonia Region Fund; and from Nicaragua, the Aldea Foundation.
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