What we do

The development, human and sustainable, is a right of the people. Development requires the existence of democratic institutions, freely chosen by their people and sovereign capacity to perform its legal, political, economic and social roulement.

Development cooperation with countries of the south is an obligation of states with the highest level of economic and technical development, but it should not replace governments in its responsibilities to ensure a decent life for its citizens.

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS, ACTORS OF CHANGE

The nineties was a time of transcendental changes in the world. The fall of the Berlin Wall precipitated the spread of neo-liberal hegemony throughout the globe, thus a globalization based on the dominance of the economy over politics and society, privatization and commodification of all goods and social relations.

The confusion and disorientation of the social movements facing these changes began to evolve in mid-decade, in the form of resistance and protest against the specific consequences of these policies and the institutions that represent them more directly. Thus, the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas erupted on the day of entry into force of NAFTA. In November 1999, Seattle symbolized the birth of the "anti-globalization movement." Among its various expressions, the main international reference is the World Social Forum, which symbolizes the alternative to the Economic Forum in Davos, emblem of neoliberal globalization. Certainly in the next few years will be opportunities for the slogan "Another world is possible" to be a reality. To do so, they are necessary transformations and social policies, but the key is to strengthen the organizations and social movements, their capacity for action, resistance and proposal in the interest of the majority. ACSUR we consider ourselves part of this process.

WHAT ACSUR-LAS SEGOVIAS DOES?

We have over 100 ongoing cooperation for development projects and more than 50 in the field of education for solidarity and alternative communication. We work in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Palestine, Panama , Peru, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Dominican Republic and in our country. We carry out regional programs in the Mediterranean and Central America.

We work primarily through integrated projects, in order to generate synergies between the various social sectors, instruments and actions, and to avoid imbalances in the allocation of resources in the area in which the development projects are implemented. However, we do Humanitarian Aid when there is an emergency situation, either by natural disasters, armed conflicts, and so on.

Our priority sectors are in line with social needs and to the strengthening of grassroots organizations: food sovereignty, solidarity economy, environmental protection, sustainable habitat, sanitation, community development, support to indigenous peoples; migration; participatory democracy; human rights, training for young people, promoting the rights of women and their empowerment in communities and generally in the economy and politics; tourism, education, awareness campaigns, communication and so on.

Demonstration against the war in Lebanon. Madrid, summer 2006 We carry out advocacy and education for development activities in both Spain and the European Union, in collaboration with other NGOs, with the aim of promoting awareness and mobilization of solidarity to exert political pressure that it is imperative to change the unjust relations North-South.

We believe that the pressure and political lobby seeks primarily to express the deepest demands of the peoples of the South and denounce the unjust international order that impedes the exercise of their rights and ensuring their welfare.

We consider a cross-cutting axe of our actions the defence and promotion the rights and the political, economic and social capacities of women. In addition, women in ACSUR we have a specific organization: ACSURAS from which we promote values and initiatives of feminists throughout the whole organisation. And also the young people we organize in-ACSUR Youth.

Our communication policy helps to strengthen our work and is based on respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, the right to fight injustice and in the understanding of solidarity as a relationship between people and organizations that recognizes each other in equal rights and work together. ACSUR publishes books, the magazine “Towards the South” along with the Spanish edition of Worldwatch, brochures, and a newsletter that reports monthly with partners and members of the activities and actions developed together.

Our objectives are reflected in a strategic plan and our results are published in our memories of activities.

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