NED Grant No. 2014-1255 Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy, Inc. Page 1
ATTACHMENT A PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
I.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
II.
To strengthen the institutional capacity of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy as a platform for the defense of democracy in the Americas To improve the operational capacity of human rights and democracy activists in the region To increase civil society presence in regional forums and multilateral spaces, and its ability to defend democratic institutions throughout the hemisphere, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights PROJECT ACTIVITIES:
Developing the Network’s Institutional Capacity The LACND has rapidly become an inclusive and diverse network of democracy activists, academics, and practitioners. The LACND has established a data base of 16,000 contacts that receive their alerts on specific issues affecting democracy in the region. In order for the LACND to continue on its growth path it is important to increase the LACND’s outreach capacity. Last year, the LACND used Endowment support to hire a community manager to improve their social media presence. This year, the LACND will strengthen their Alert System. The Alert System has become an instrumental tool for democrats at risk who wish to highlight an issue or crisis occurring in their countries or the region. The LACND will improve their strategies to protect and defend human rights defenders in the most adverse conditions, especially those working in Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. Similarly, the LACND expects to develop their institutional capacity by designing a new multimedia production unit which will constantly design content for civil society in countries where it’s becoming more difficult to access independently generated information. Last, the LACND will promote at least six meetings of local chapters or country coordinators in order to strengthen their capacity to coordinate responses to democratic threats. Defending the Rights of Marginalized Groups Last year, the LACND coordinated a series of workshops for women and youth democracy activists. These workshops – which drew on the use of web 2.0 applications and social media networks – provided Latin American and Caribbean women and youth activists with tools to help elevate the profile of their work, raise awareness about the challenges they face, and, in turn, stem intimidation and aggression from actors whose threats routinely go unchecked. This year the workshops will target 120 civil society organizations from the region through the use of online training methods. The workshops will cover issues from basic use of web 2.0 tools to methods for interacting with traditional media outlets via social media networks to strategies for effective advocacy campaigns. These virtual workshops will complement the manual that the LACND developed under its FY2011 NED grant, which focuses on designing effective advocacy campaigns that utilize innovative websites and social media strategies. The LACND will continue to circulate this manual among all of its members. Another salient topic which has been identified as a priority for the LACND is LGBTI rights. The LACND will offer a training course on advocacy and innovation for LGBTI organizations in the region. The LACND will also draft a strategy to strengthen the capacity of LGBTI organizations in Honduras and Guatemala, countries where activists are at greater risk. This year the LACND will strengthen coordination among indigenous organizations that are part of the Network. Members of indigenous organizations will meet at least five times, organize a
NED Grant No. 2014-1255 Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy, Inc. Page 2
workshop on an issue that affects indigenous populations, and increase their knowledge on access to justice and due process for indigenous peoples in Latin America. This year the City of Cali will host an important gathering of Afro-descendants in the Americas. The LACND will support members of the Network’s Afro-Latino organizations to attend the meeting so that the LACND can enlist a greater number of Afro-Latino organizations. The LACND’s Afro-Latino groups will work on an agenda related to issues affecting the Afro population in the region. This agenda will be disseminated in the 2015 Cumbre de las Americas which will take place in Panama. Defending Democratic Institutions in the Region In recent years, the LACND has increasingly been recognized as an important platform for the expression of the interests and concerns of civil society in multilateral forums, such as the Organization for American States and in meetings of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Under this program, the LACND will remain an active voice and participant in the meetings and events coordinated by the OAS. Throughout the program, the LACND’s senior leadership will carry out at least ten trips to Washington to visit OAS representatives, including appointed officials, ambassadors and members of their missions, as well as the commissioners and special rapporteurs from the IACHR. The LACND will use these meetings to promote greater attention to the defense of democratic institutions and rights in the Americas, including efforts to strengthen the effective implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. To complement these activities, LACND leadership will also publish op-eds, blog posts, and written analysis on the state of democracy in the hemisphere and the role that multilateral institutions can play in its defense. Throughout the duration of the program, the LACND will carry out periodic actions to push for greater respect for democratic institutions and values inside the OAS. Members of the LACND will take part in the regular sessions of the IACHR in October 2014 and March 2015. The LACND will take advantage of the IACHR sessions by coordinating meetings between leading civil society activists and key policy makers and diplomats in Washington, DC. The defense of the InterAmerican System has been a cornerstone of the LACND’s work. However, another area of growing interest for the LACND is electoral observation. This year, the LACND will actively participate in electoral observation missions in two countries. The selection of the countries will depend on the LACND’s capacity to leverage funding and whether or not the context is conducive to effective electoral observation. III.
EVALUATION PLAN:
Objective #1: To strengthen the institutional capacity of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy as a platform for the defense of democracy in the Americas
The LACND maintains a presence in a wide range of social media networks. The LACND’s democracy alerts receive greater support and media coverage as a result of its use of web 2.0 applications. Members of the LACND participate more actively in internal discussions and deliberations. The LACND increases its membership by 15 percent.
Objective #2: To improve the operational capacity of human rights and democracy activists in the region
The LACND organizes at least two virtual workshops for rural activists in the Americas and at least 200 individuals participate. The LACND successfully organizes a joint strategy for indigenous population and Afro-Latinos. The LACND develops a strategy to strengthen LGBTI organizations in Guatemala and Honduras.
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Objective #3: To increase civil society presence in regional forums and multilateral spaces, and its ability to defend democratic institutions throughout the hemisphere, including the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights
IV.
The LACND, in cooperation with other civil society networks, prepares a series of recommendations on mechanisms to strengthen the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Democratic Charter. The OAS and diplomatic missions draw upon recommendations from the LACND when evaluating potential reforms to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. LACND coordinators secure meetings with senior government officials at the OAS General Assembly. Government officials incorporate the LACND’s talking points and proposals for resolutions on democratic rights into the official meetings of the OAS. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:
Following on the heels of several failed attempts to establish a comprehensive and inclusive initiative for defending democracy in the Americas, a group of activists met in Panama City in February 2008 to officially launch the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Democracy (LACND). A platform for the exchange of strategies, ideas and action, the LACND is a network of more than 300 civil society organizations and individuals – spanning all ideological tendencies – dedicated to promoting democratic values, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in the hemisphere. In its April 2011 assembly in Rosario, Argentina, the LACND reaffirmed its commitment to key democratic principles and outlined a new action plan for continued activity in the coming year. In addition to supporting grassroots democratic activists in the region, the LACND also places great emphasis on advocating for greater civil society participation in multilateral forums such as the Organization of American States, the InterAmerican Human Rights System, the UN, and the Community of Democracies. The LACND is registered as a non-profit organization in the US and maintains its General Secretariat in Costa Rica. It is an affiliated partner of the World Movement for Democracy and is a registered civil society entity with the Organization of American States. The LACND has received support from the Government of Canada and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, among others. The General Coordinator of the LACND is Carlos Ponce (Venezuela). Gina Romero (Colombia), Paula Rodríguez (Guatemala), Sergio Balladares (Nicaragua), Diego Sueiras (Argentina), and Rosa Quintana (Uruguay) currently serve as Deputy Coordinators of the LACND. Their website is www.redlad.org.