Building Community

Throughout the developing world, community organizing serves as the catalyst for meaningful social change. As communities become more collaborative, they are able to demand the services to which they are entitled from the state and create greater opportunities for their families in education, healthcare and economic development.

The community based organizations (CBOs) with which Global Goods Partners (GGP) works, foster and strengthen community connections in all aspects of their work. By democratically engaging all members of the community, they empower women and help create vibrant and dignified communities.

For some of our CBOs, the workplace provides a venue for mutual support, as women convene to share their stories and experiences with one another. Other CBOs offer educational programs, such as reproductive rights training, specifically designed to bring people together and promote the community voice. For particularly marginalized communities, the income generation opportunities afforded by fair trade allow women to overcome traditional barriers to inclusion and become full-fledged community members. Finally, nearly all of our CBOs operate in a democratic fashion, to allow women a stake in decision making processes and to bringing women artisans together in a joint business venture to make their communities a better place.

The southern region of Sri Lanka was heavily devastated by the 2004 tsunami. Our partner Siyath works with small cooperatives in 31 villages in the region to rebuild a sustainable way of life in the tsunami’s wake. Aside from offering a range of trainings in business skills, human rights and literacy, Siyath serves as forum for community members to openly discuss the challenges they face on a daily basis. The Sri Lankan women talk about issues like alcoholism, domestic violence and lack of basic social services, using their shared experiences to come together, take action and rebuild their community.

Ikamva Labantu is a prominent nonprofit organization in South Africa, that existed informally for 30 years under Apartheid before it was officially recognized. They work to provide health care, education/skills training, food security and poverty alleviation to local marginalized communities. The organization addresses its development mission from a holistic, community approach and determines its success by measuring the community’s collective empowerment.

The cooperative nature of Comunidad Winay in Bolivia makes it a strong vehicle for community building. The 15 women artisans in the group leave their homes to work together in the group’s workshop, where they collectively run a child care center for their children during the day. The cooperative is directed by a democratically elected president and financial decisions reflect the vote of each member. By bringing women together to make a difference in their own lives, Comunidad Winay fosters an empowered community.