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2008 was a year that reminded us
of the critical moment in history that our generation occupies.
The global financial crisis, as well as the energy and food
crises, made painfully clear not only our interdependence
but also the fragility of the global systems we rely on for
trade and distribution of goods and services. Growing population
and consumption have given us all a lesson in the economics
of scarcity. And scarcity increases tension among competing
interests. Most now agree that the international protocols
and infrastructure of the twentieth century that still govern
our global transactions will have to be reconfigured to better
protect the planet and benefit its people. It is quite a challenge
this generation faces, and Latin America is at the center
of that challenge.
Latin America is blessed with formidable natural, economic
and cultural wealth, which will make it a key player in emerging
global realignments. In economic terms, few democratic countries
have free-market economies of the size and diversity of Brazil
and Mexico. With respect to public policy, a significant number
of governments are testing new formulas that have the stated
aim of increasing social benefits for long-excluded populations.
The next round of post-Kyoto international talks will likely
focus on adaptation in countries like Peru, where the effects
of water scarcity due to climate change are already a reality,
as well as avoided extraction and deforestation, especially
in the nine South American countries of the Amazon basin.
From Mesoamerica to Patagonia, world economic instability
has given new relevance to the role of civil society in bringing
out the best and buffering the worst of business and government.
Society is pressuring government to reinvent itself as an
efficient and transparent instrument better able to represent
collective interests. At the same time, business is challenged
to build the economy of tomorrow on a foundation of ethics
and innovation. The move toward greater corporate accountability
and social responsibility over the past decade has matured
into innovative capitalism that uses market tools to solve
social problems, and inclusive business approaches that generate
wealth for the underserved majority.
These are market opportunities that need to be pursued in
a time of growing scarcity and instability. The question AVINA
asks itself and its partners each day is how we can best use
our human, financial and network resources to help tip the
balance in favor of sustainability across the continent. That
is why in the Paraguayan elections this April, AVINA, along
with our partners and other institutions, contributed to creating
the conditions for the fairest, freest and most transparent
elections in Paraguay’s recent history. Similarly, as the
threat of violence grew in Bolivia between a centralist government
and separatist elements, AVINA and its diverse partner base
mobilized en masse to promote dialog, respect and peaceful
settlement of differences. In Ecuador, AVINA and its partners
took advantage of the drafting of a new constitution to contribute
concrete proposals developed in a participatory process, 80%
of which were incorporated into the ratified document. In
the Amazon basin, AVINA supported efforts of dozens of the
region’s institutions to form alliances and common cause across
sectors and international borders, even as deforestation rates
spiked upward in Brazil and extractive industry tried to remove
environmental safeguards in Peru. Meanwhile, AVINA collaborated
with hundreds of waste picker cooperatives in eight countries
of South and Central America in hosting an international recycling
conference in Bogotá aimed at transforming the recycling industry,
in Latin America and worldwide, into a more efficient instrument
for the creation of environmental, economic and social benefits.
As AVINA enters its 15th year, the lessons learned are a source
of renewed insights. We know now that AVINA, as one of the
few independent Latin American institutions dedicated to the
sustainable development of the continent, has a special responsibility
to help identify the priorities facing the region, and to
bring focus to the responses to key challenges.
Our original vision that placed leadership in a central role
for change to occur has shown us over time how change that
tips the balance can be developed. We have seen local leaders
and institutions drive social transformation, especially when
united by a common cause and operating across sectors and
peer networks in an ethical way that builds trust and reciprocity
– what some call social capital. Social capital –
that mesh of relationships, trust and organizational platforms
– allows people to reach agreement and work together
more easily. It is a multiplier. AVINA has found that targeted
investment in social capital is the most efficient investment
we can make to manage continental challenges that demand scale,
such as climate change, transparent government, and inclusive
markets. In such discoveries, we are not alone.
In 2008 AVINA joined forces with other institutions in multi-year
co-investments to promote several continental scale opportunities
for change. The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and AVINA are supporting
the alliance of Latin American recycling cooperatives as they
create thousands of jobs and improve conditions for workers
and the families of waste pickers in six countries of South
America. This agenda for joint action was designed directly
by leaders from the recycling movement.
The
Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN), the Social
Development Ministry of Brazil, the Dutch
cooperation agency ICCO, and partners from the private
sector have come together with the Movimento Nacional de Catadores
and AVINA to expand the competitiveness and community outreach
of recycling cooperatives in five Brazilian urban centers.
At the same time, the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) and AVINA are collaborating to
launch the Latin American Donor Index, an innovative new database
designed to promote and track the growth of philanthropy in
Latin America. These and other institutional alliances demonstrate
a conviction that to contribute to impact at a continental
scale, donors must work together to coordinate support for
shared agendas designed by leaders in the region.
AVINA would like to thank all those who provided feedback
on last year’s Annual Report. As this was generally positive,
we have maintained the same format this year, providing an
account of our achievements and brief descriptions of important
results, offering an explanation of strategies for change
within the continent, transparent feedback measures for our
stakeholders, and videos on the work of our partners. Embracing
the digital age, we are presenting this year’s report solely
online. Through Internet publication we can reach a wider
audience, offer multimedia content, and contribute to sustainability
by, among other things, conserving trees and reducing carbon
dioxide emissions during paper production.
AVINA is aware that the contributions we are able to make
are possible due to three key assets: the leadership of a
community of key partners and allied institutions, the dedication
of the members of the AVINA team, and the financial commitment
of the VIVA
Trust to our mission. We want to thank all of these key
stakeholders for helping us reach our impact and performance
goals for 2008!
Early in 2008, AVINA held its first ever Plenary Meeting in
the Brazilian city of Curitiba. Our entire team attended and
actively participated, and also benefited from the presence
of the AVINA Board, the presidents of VIVA Trust and GrupoNueva,
and the virtual participation of our visionary Founder Stephan
Schmidheiny. On this occasion we focused on establishing
a set of ambitious but achievable five -year institutional
objectives, the first being a measurable contribution to at
least 10 relevant changes of continental scale by the end
of 2012. The very real challenges that our partners and their
communities face every day demand no less, and the initial
progress over the course of the year has been promising. The
future will require that we keep raising the bar. We have
tried to capture some of that progress and promise in AVINA’s
2008 Annual Report, and are pleased to share it with all those
who, like AVINA and its partners, are committed to a sustainable
vision for Latin America.
Brizio Biondi-Morra
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