México

TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNICATION FOR THE LIFE AND TERRITORY CARE FROM MEXICO TO CENTRAL AMERICA - PHASES I AND II.

These projects represent the continuity of the process supported by the Basque Agency for Development Cooperation (AVCD) in 2013 and 2015. At the end of 2019, the first phase of the project was completed and the second phase, which began in December, was approved.

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This is a development process launched by Ojo de Agua Comunicación Indígena from Oaxaca (Mexico) and KCD NGDO, a process in which both associations have been working on together for almost a decade. It is a counter-hegemonic community communication strategy that focuses its efforts on building a culture of peace and defending the rights of women and indigenous communities. The accumulated experience and good practices are being extended to other Central American countries through collaborating organisations.

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Given the climate of violence that Oaxaca is experiencing, including violence against social communicators, the project emphasises the focus on the defence and protection of the security of the subject population and indigenous communicators, given the serious risk they run in exercising their right to freedom of expression. There have been 544 documented attacks on journalists in 2018 in Mexico, with 99% impunity, including 11 murders.

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An important part of the intervention is aimed at strengthening community radio stations, as they are instruments of great potential to inform, educate and mobilise the community, from their own ways of doing things, in relation to problems that the hegemonic media do not make visible: impacts of energy mega-projects on the life and territory of indigenous communities, male violence, and violation of invisible groups rights.

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With these goals, the project proposes:

- Strengthening the technical and strategic capacities of 9 community radio stations.
- Articulating community media from Oaxaca, Mexico and other Central American countries to build tools for self-care and protection.
- Mainstreaming the gender focus in the management and production of the radio stations, which act innovatively as observatories of violence against women and contribute to the empowerment of women.

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Phase I, which ended in December 2019, was supported by the Basque Agency for Development Cooperation AVCD, which contributed €597,833.36 of the total €768,926.87. For Phase II, which began at the end of 2019, the AVCD contributed €599,922 of the total of €753,465. This is the fourth project in a process sustained since 2013 with the support of this funder.

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Colombia

ORGANISATIONS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, WOMEN AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE BUILDING PEACE IN COLOMBIA - PHASE II

In 2019, 250 social leaders were murdered in Colombia.

The Colectivo de Abogacía José Alvear Restrepo – CCAJAR is a human rights organisation working in Colombia. Its work focuses on the fight against impunity, defence of the territory and peacebuilding with social justice in Colombia. KCD NGDO has supported CCAJAR’s work since 2015.

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In the first half of 2019, Phase II of the project on Organisations for Human Rights, Women and Indigenous People building peace in Colombia was developed. This work was set within a context of increasing crimes against leaders who defend human rights, the environment and territory, indigenous mobilisations or the Colombian government’s obstacles to the implementation of the transitional justice system.

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Although the evolution of justice, truth and reparation in Colombia is very slow, thanks to the work of CCAJAR, in some cases the project has led to increased access to justice, protection and comprehensive reparation for victims, leaders and defenders of human rights. This has been carried out in constant adaptation to the changing Colombian context through its four fundamental
strategies:
- Strengthening its capacities for effective participation in the implementation of peace agreements, particularly in the mechanisms of the Integrated System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition (SIVJRNR) This has been developed through the Mixed Memory Schools in 6 regions, as well as those designed with suitable methodology for indigenous people and
women, which bring the mechanisms of the Truth Commission (CEV), Special Justice for Peace (JEP) and the Missing Persons Search Unit closer to the victims.

- Comprehensive legal aid before national and international bodies courts/instances.
- International policy advocacy for integrated reparation and protection.
- Raising visibility of human rights violations and advances through the media and cultural events.

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In this way CCAJAR supports victims organised in the Movement for Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE), defenders of human rights at serious risk and women victims of sexual violence in the context of war. Also to the organisations of the Wiwa, Wayuú, Awá and Kankuamo indigenous communities who have initiated legal proceedings against extractive and energy companies that violate their collective rights. This includes a novel process of accompanying the self-development of a strategy of justice and reparation for women of the Kankuamo indigenous community for the crimes they have suffered.

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This project is supported by the Basque Agency for Development Cooperation (AVCD), which has contributed €546,086.93 out of a total of € 695,823.40, and is the second phase of an ongoing process with the lawyers’ association CCAJAR for the protection of defenders of human rights and reparation for victims.

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Cuba

YOUNG PEOPLE BUILDING FAIR AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CULTURE IN OLD HAVANA

The Reference Centre for Young People a+ is part of the project: Integrated and Participatory Social Development of Young People in Old Havana. This centre promotes socialisation and enjoyment in an instructive way. Through work-shops, aimed at crafts, music, visual arts, dance and science, as well as communication and new technologies, adolescents are able to express themselves and interact with heritage, taking into account their needs.

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Throughout 2019 the project carried out between the Historian’s Office of the City of Havana (OHCH) and KCD NGDO has given a great boost to the centre for young people. To ensure the audience, OHCH has agreements with schools in Old Havana and carries out information campaigns for the population.

This year, a TV studio was opened with two recording areas and a control area. The recording area contains the following, among other things: lighting system, professional studio video cameras, etc. In this space the young people receive their first lessons on script, production, direction, etc. and the first short films have been made.

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On the other hand, RIDIA has consolidated itself as a network of professionals from different disciplines who provide constant advice according to the young people’s needs. The Network will guarantee the adequate treatment of this population’s specific problems, accompanying the training processes by providing them with the completeness they require. The project was scheduled for completion in December 2019. However, the savings generated during its implementation have allowed us to reinvest new resources in the Centre. Thus, the project will end in June 2020.

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This project has had a total budget of €677,634.10, of which €541,452.99 was financed by the AVCD.​

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Cuba

HAVANA 500: CREATIVE SPACES PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATION AND INTEGRAL CULTURE IN THE HISTORIC CENTRE OF OLD HAVANA

The project aims at contributing to the urban and socio-economic development of Havana’s Historic Quarter and the country, through the creative economy and by strengthening the capacities of cultural agents operating in the City of Havana. In the first year of the project’s implementation, work has continued on the building’s refurbishment and conditioning, and it is practically finished. In fact, the progress has allowed the inauguration of the ground floor, where exhibitions, dance workshops and other cultural activities have been held.

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Tenders, purchases and shipment of furniture and equipment for the three floors of the building have also been carried out. In this way, everything is ready for Habana Espacios Creativos to become a factory of artistic creation, offering workshops to young artists in the city.

To achieve this goal, the first selection of scholarship holders has already been made, and they will be part of the creative and training processes.

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Moreover, a colonial building has been restored in which the Tomás Gutiérrez Alea Research Centre was set up in December 2019; and the fitting out will be completed in 2020.

The project is being implemented thanks to funding from the Basque Agency for Development Cooperation AVCD, which contributes €599,699.52 out of a total budget of €757,121.11.

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Senegal

COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE SUNU XARIT AMINATA CULTURAL CENTRE IN GANDIOL. 2ND AND 3RD PHASE.

In 2019, the Senegalese NGDO Hahatay Son Risas de Gandiol and the Basque NGDOs KCD and Aminata para la Educación y la Cultura managed to complete the second phase of the project, which lasted a year, and started the third phase, which will last for three years.

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Phase II has strengthened the Sunu Xarit Cultural Centre and its community radio as spaces that integrate the ethnic and social diversity of Gandiol municipality. For this purpose, a commitment was made to strengthen the capacities of women and young people to produce radio and cultural content, to consolidate the monthly cultural agenda, to promote learning exchanges with Basque initiatives and to create a space for women, which has contributed to their personal and collective empowerment through the joint preparation of a recipe book rescuing traditional recipes made from local ingredients.

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Phase III will expand the cultural center with the construction of The House of Women, thus increasing the gender focus of Gandiol’s processes for community communication for social change led by women and young people. To this end, we are committed to building in a participative way and setting up the The House of Women with the focus on local women, strengthening the team’s capacities for cultural and communicative creation, establishing networks/partnerships with benchmark social cultural entities at national and international level, as well as facilitating spaces for expression from and about the women of Gandiol through audio-visual media and community radio.

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Both phases of the project have been fully financed by Bilbao City Council, which provided €70,000 for phase II and €210,000 for phase III (3 years).

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Senegal

THE HEALTH OF THE WOMEN OF GANDIOL, OUR COMMON GOOD. 1ST AND 2ND PHASE.

In 2019, the Senegalese NGDO Hahatay Son Risas de Gandiol and KCD NGDO completed phase I of the project, which aimed at improving care at the main health clinic in the Ndiebene Gandiol commune, in terms of sexual and reproductive health, as well as to support decentralised care in 9 rural communities in the municipality, covering 75% of its population for one year.

This involved the provision of basic equipment, gynaecological support and knowledge update of the institution’s staff and the promotion of good practices by forming the organisation of sexual and reproductive community health promoters and contributing to their training. This also involved raising social awareness on the subject by broadcasting information on the community radio of the Sunu Xarit Aminata Cultural Centre managed by the local entity in Gandiol.

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The second phase objective is to improve the sexual and reproductive health of the women of Gandiol by refurbishing and improving health facilities (the Ndiebene Gandiol health clinic), strengthening staff and equipment, providing decentralised care in 5 communities of the municipality (61% of its population) and promoting good practices through community media and cultural actions, as well as creating synergies and supporting the grassroots community network of health relief. All this is articulated through the Aminata Cultural Centre and its network of community communicators and laying the foundations for the future The House of Women in Gandiol, supported by Bilbao City Council.

Both phases of the project have been fully financed by Gipuzkoa Provincial Council, which has provided €20,000 for Phase I and €120,000 for Phase II.

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​Senegal

COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION TO FORGE A CITIZENSHIP COMMITTED TO THE ENDOGENOUS, EQUAL AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF GANDIOL

Approved at the end of 2019, this project seeks to improve women and young people’s right to endogenous, equitable and sustainable development through a community communication strategy with an empowering, decolonial, feminist and transformative approach. This will make possible to multiply an incipient community development model and identify the shortcomings and needs of the population for its continuous improvement, based on:​

- The construction and start-up of the Community Communication Centre (CCC).
- The strengthening of theoretical and practical capacities of the organisations involved in the different work sectors, which will multiply the desired development approach.
- The implementation of communication campaigns on social issues (human, women’s and environmental rights) in 10 rural villages.
- The development of their own cultural activities (Taaru Gandiol festival) and with strategic allies in the Aminata Cultural Centre (CCA), with a commitment to reinforce a networking model that enriches the model and highlights the transforming capacity of culture​

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This project is supported by the Basque Agency for Development Cooperation (AVCD), which has contributed €427,705 out of a total amount of €534,980.

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Egypt, Mexico, Senegal, Lebanon and Basque Country

TO STRENGTHEN THE WORK OF WOMEN FILMMAKERS AND COMMUNICATORS FOR EQUALITY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND INTERCULTURALITY FROM EGYPT TO THE WORLD

Since 2013 KCD NGDO together with Klaketa Árabe, a partner organization in Egypt, maintains its commitment to accompany social communication processes as a way to promote equity and interculturality both in Arab countries and in other parts of the world.

The project implemented throughout 2019 has had different interconnected activities:​

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In April 2019 the Women’s Film Caravan “Among Filmmakers” was held in Lebanon, 9 feature films and 7 short films were screened in 18 screenings in Beirut and Saida. In this last city, Ein el Helwe was also screened at a Palestinian refugee camp. Training workshops and movie forums were also held with the guest filmmakers.

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In Egypt, Klaketa Árabe is developing a process of accompanying new women filmmakers from the Arab world. Thanks to this process, the First Cut Made by Arab Women workshop and the Creative Documentary workshop were held. In the first case, they selected six films made by women from five Arab countries who, through an international consultancy of professional filmmakers,
were advised on how to complete their film projects. In the case of the creative documentary workshop, 12 women received training in documentary filmmaking. As a result, the women produced a short film to be broadcast on social networks.

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On another hand, with the idea of intertwining the world in Gandiol (Senegal), the conference “Journalism and Africa. For the construction of a new narrative from both sides” took place to discuss and deliberate about the coverage given in the media about West Africa, as well as to exchange experiences and learnings from professionals in the communication world.

Finally, the Women’s Film Caravan “Among Filmmakers” from Bilbao and Oaxaca (Mexico) were held, coming to the 8th and 7th in each place.

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This is a coordination exercise between Klaketa Árabe, Ojo de Agua, an indigenous communication organisation from Oaxaca (Mexico) and KCD NGDO, to configure a travelling caravan of films made by women that brings together different realities from the perspective of diverse women.

The project, which has already been completed, received a grant from the Biscay Provincial Council (DFB) of €119,946.99, representing 76% of the total budget.

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Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Basque Country

STRENGTHENING NETWORKS AMONG WOMEN FILMMAKERS AND COMMUNICATORS FOR EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS THROUGH COMMUNICATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. FROM EGYPT TO THE WORLD.

With the continuity of this phase of the project we are going to take a deeper look at a double strategy. On the one hand, the project is consolidated as a regional process, since in addition to Egypt, the work in Lebanon and Tunisia will be strengthened, always hand in hand with film and communication tools. In addition, the training proposal has been strengthened, as a transforming and transversal element to the whole initiative. For this reason, training spaces have been designed with women in Egypt as well as in Lebanon and Tunisia.

 

This phase began on 1 October 2019 and the 1st Women’s Film Caravan “Among Filmmakers” was held in Tunisia, accompanied by guest directors and training courses with communication students.

The project has a budget of €150,226.63, of which €119,729.58 is contributed by the Biscay Provincial Council.

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El Salvador

PROMOTING COMMUNCATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION

During 2019, through the consortium between the Salvadoran associations Equipo Maíz and Asociación Comunitaria Unida por el Agua y la Agricultura ACUA and the Basque NGOs Paz y Solidaridad Euskadi and KCD NGDO, two audio-visual production companies have been set up with the idea of contributing to the generation of greater diversity in the media while counteracting the hegemony of the mass media in El Salvador.

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In the case of ACUA, the production company Bálsamo TV is generating audio-visual products for distribution on different channels and networks, from which they address different conflicts, such as water, defence of the territory, etc. In addition, a technical team has been set up to train community communicators, who will be responsible for generating information from the territories.

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As for Equipo Maíz, they have advanced at a slower pace and ended the year with the production facilities ready for production work. To strengthen this process, an International Communication Meeting was organised in November 2019, in which different Central American organisations participated, and in which the Russian channel RT also participated.

The project has financial support from the Basque Agency for Cooperation and Development AVCD of €599,999.21, out of the €750,234.51 representing the action’s total budget.

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Guatemala

WOMEN SURVIVING GENDER VIOLENCE

In 2019, the project led by the Guatemalan NGO Las Poderosas Teatro was completed. This project has contributed to the prevention of gender violence in Guatemala by raising social awareness through the use of theatrical techniques that heal and empower women.

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Throughout the project, a group of Guatemalan women from the Association of Urban Transport Widows (AVITRANSP) created a theatrical play that makes their reality and feelings visible, with the expert accompaniment of Las Poderosas Teatro.

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The process resulted in the formation of the women’s theatre group “Violetas resilientes” who created and performed the play “Preguntas purpúreas, discursos violetas”. The play was shared at the Spanish Cultural Centre in Guatemala City and will continue to travel to other places to open up more spaces to talk about violence and its special impact on women.

Likewise, the process has been documented in a systematisation video that was shared with the teaching staff and students of IES Ballonti in Portugalete and is available to the general public on the KCD NGDO website.

This project has been supported by Gernika Town Council, which contributed €1,100, and Portugalete Town Council, which contributed €9,000, making a total of €10,100.

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Nicaragua

IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPACITY OF GROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADOLESCENTS TO DEFEND THE RIGHT TO A LIFE FREE FROM VIOLENCE, ESPECIALLY AGAINST WOMEN, IN TWO DEPARTMENTS OF NICARAGUA

Project carried out between Fundación Luciérnaga (NGDO promoting communication as the main axis to motivate social change) and KCD NGDO.

Through audio-visual and other communication materials, the objective is to influence the transformation of paradigms that keep Nicaragua submerged in poverty, violence and social injustice. Nicaragua is experiencing a situation of violence and insecurity that has paralysed many activities. As far as the project is concerned, in the most complicated times, it was decided to continue with the phase for documentation preparation and planning.

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This way, once the situation was relatively stable, the project could be restarted. During the first half of the year, the training and replication processes on violence against women and human trafficking in communities of Ometepe and Chinandega were completed. As a result, it has been possible to strengthen youth groups so that they can become valid speakers in establishing
strategies to prevent and combat these problems.

Therefore, the project, which had the support of Getxo City Council, was completed in June and the required closure reports have been submitted.

 

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Continuity of the work of KCD NGOD in 2020

For KCD NGDO the work strategy in the area of Development Cooperation is closely linked to the conception of Education and Communication as tools for Social Change. In this way, the cooperation projects identified and supported by KCD NGDO for the year 2020 will keep these concepts as their focus, incorporating communication as a factor of analysis and change of the different realities faced by the populations of the countries where they are developed.

To achieve this, KCD NGDO will promote processes that contribute to the creation of political subjects, thus contributing to the enforceability of human rights and equality between women and men.

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