Institute

Afrique Verte France has its origin in a mobilisation campaign conducted by Peuples Solidaires – ActionAid France and Terre des Hommes in the early 1980s. In 1985, more than 20,000 signatures were collected during another campaign called Pour une Afrique Verte (for a green Africa). These signatures were handed to then Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Jacques Pelletier on the occasion of a forum. As a result of this action, the Department spoke up for using 10 percent of the food aid budget in order to provide financial assistance to grain growers’ associations in Sub-Saharan Africa, helping to establish a more independent regional economy. In 1990, Afrique Verte was founded by five internationally recognised organisations: Terre des Hommes, Frères des Hommes (brothers of people), Peuples Solidaires – ActionAid France, Association Française des Volontaires du Progrès (French association of volunteers for progress) and Comité Catholique contre la Faim pour le Développement (Catholic committee against hunger and for development). Today, Afrique Verte pursues the following two goals: 1. Improving food security in the Sahel region In the Sahel region, Afrique Verte supports more than 1,000 farmers’ associations in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali by providing information and education to local farmers, giving them the opportunity to: - deepen their knowledge, particularly in the areas of marketing and the processing of local grain - improve their organisational skills, particularly with the aim of enabling farmers to conduct mobilisation campaigns in order to draw attention to their views on agricultural and political issues. 2. Development education work and mobilisation campaigns in industrialised countries In France, Afrique Verte raises public awareness of the situation in the Sahel region and of food security issues by means of art exhibitions, didactic exhibitions, videos and with the support of entertainers. Afrique Verte keeps attending events organised by our partners and participates in mobilisation campaigns and forums in order to initiate political change.

Hegoa is an organisation not oriented to profit. It was founded in 1987 as a union in the Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea. Moreover, since 1999 it presents itself as an institute of university. In Hegoa we work in the support of the lasting human development of the people and try to provide the debate on development and international cooperation for the whole society. The areas in which we structure our work are: documentation, education, sensitization and education for development as well as consultation and research.

Main goals of the principal are to contribute to change values in our society which promote a critical, united and global understanding of problems of our earth. We go out from a vision which stands alternatively to the prevailing developing draught which is directed at the person as a center and protagonist of the development and is based on the values of the equality and solidarity. All activities must be measured for this basic principle in the paradigm of a lasting human development. In addition we try to combine the technical professionalism and experience of the members with the continual position of the research and reflection by the achievements and areas of work in our work.

To achieve these aims, we are directed at the civil society as whole, to public institutions, social organizations and educational institutions, as well as to the people who deal by their engagement or in the professional life with cooperation and development.

The Euro-Mediterranean Youth Platform aims at facilitating networking between all those involved in the youth sector in the Mediterranean and Europe. It brings young people from the region together in an environment of tolerance and mutual understanding, facilitating networking between them, assisting in the capacity building of youth organisations, increasing youth participation, sharing of relevant information, and exchanging good practice. Some 4500 organisations from all European and Mediterranean countries have joined the Platform to date.

We assist in the search for partners, publish a magazine in 3 languages, organise meetings, provide an on-line FORUM for discussion, and assist in financing youth initiatives.

Our objectives are the nurturing of democracy and its established instruments, and fostering mutual understanding as well as improvement in the issues of racism, gender equality and minority rights.

The Platform researches the situation of young people in each country. The uniqueness of this study is that it is not a treaty by academics, but the situation of young people as seen by young people themselves. This is a good reference tool for those working with a country for the first time.

We also facilitate the creation of Euro-Mediterranean youth networks. These include one for young people involved in trade unions, a Euro-Mediterranean Student Forum, a network for youth involved in political parties, one for officers responsible for youth in local governments, one for those working with sexual minorities, another for those working on youth trafficking, and one for those working on gender-related matters.

The Platform received the 2005 Newropeans Grand Prix Award for its contribution to democracy.