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From Dialogue to Partnership

We can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, justice and peace through the forging of North-South alliances that reflect our interdependence. But geographic distance, cultural and language differences, power disparities, and the time and effort required all pose significant challenges.

One of the ways ForAL seeks to address these challenges and to build relationships based on trust and respect is by fostering inter-American dialogue between grantseekers and grantmakers. The exchange of experience can lead to better understanding, mutual empowerment, and enhanced collaboration in the pursuit of complementary goals.

To that end, ForAL, along with Grantmakers Without Borders and several Latin American organizations, convened a dialogue between funders and social movement networks in May 2005. About fifty people from across the Americas gathered in Mexico City for two days to reflect together on "A New Relationship for More Congruent Collaboration". The summary document in English and Spanish describes the vision and content of that meeting and the future projection of the process.

Antecedents to the Mexico City meeting include a dialogue and a public seminar convened by ForAL on "The Challenges of Progressive Philanthropy in the Americas" at the 2003 World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The summary document in English and Spanish describes these events.

ForAL convened a similar dialogue and public seminar at the 2004 Americas Social Forum in Quito, Ecuador. See the summary documents for the seminar (in Spanish) and the dialogue.

As an additional support for this dialogue process, we offer a reflection piece by Miguel Alvarez Gándara, member of the Steering Committee of ForAL.

We invite all who are interested to become partners in this process so that these reflections can continue to contribute to the creation of a better future in the Americas. Please sign up for the ForAL listserv to add your voice and to be informed of future events and of periodic postings of key documents to the website.

Other Key Documents

In 2002, social movements gathered at the World Social Forum to discuss "Una Cooperación Alternativa para Otro Mundo Posible." ("Alternative Philanthropy for Another Possible World"). The Spanish version of the document describes this dialogue.

For a U.S. analysis of barriers to and opportunities for international funding, see "International grantmaking - 'a matter of will'" by Rachel Humphrey Published in Alliance Extra, June 2003.