FacebookXYouTubeLinkedIn
communication@well-grounded.org

admin

About admin

This is a test of user profile update, using lea's picture and this text instead of an actual biography. Here is a new paragraph

Organisation development: a cornerstone for the sustainable management of natural resources

2022-03-11T13:45:00+00:00January 15th, 2016|

By Alphonse Muhindo Valivambene From 27th to 30th July 2015, Well Grounded and Maliasili Initiatives organised a day of exchange between Kenyan, Tanzanian and Congolese (DRC) civil society organisations in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The aim of this event was to share the diverse experiences and points of view regarding the development of a strategy, a business plan and more sustainable, innovative funding models. This event was linked to a wider conference that brought together roughly 100 people and aimed to strengthen the capacities of numerous stakeholders with a view to better conserve ecosystems. In view of the above, I was struck [...]

Revitalizing civil society support in the face of crisis and opportunity

2022-03-11T13:45:00+00:00December 14th, 2015|

By Cath Long Civil society organisations are under assault around the world. As recently described in The Guardian and by networks such as CIVICUS, the past several years have witnessed a surge in government efforts to restrict local organizations’ ability to operate or access external funds. At the same time, development aid often exacerbates constraints placed on civil society organizations by favouring short-term, restricted funding, curtailing investment in salaries and overheads, and imposing onerous reporting requirements. The 2015 CIVCUS annual report on the state of global civil society rightly observes that, “It is not surprising that domestic civil society does not [...]

Why do local people often end up losing their community lands and forests, and see little of the profit that companies make from exploiting natural resources?

2022-03-11T13:45:00+00:00December 11th, 2015|

Many conflicts around community rights in natural resource management are caused by competition between companies and communities over access to and control of natural resources. Commercial exploitation of natural resources deprives communities of access to the spaces and resources on which they depend for their livelihoods and well-being, and local people usually see little if any of the revenues generated by these resources. In April this year I participated in an international conference on Natural Resource Management and Community Rights in Cameroon in Yaoundé organised by the Centre for Environment and Development (CED). This was the first time I’d attended a [...]

The need to rethink collaboration between Cameroonian CSOs in order to increase their impacts on human and environmental wellbeing

2022-03-11T13:45:00+00:00November 19th, 2015|

Most of the civil society organisations (CSOs) that are involved in nature conservation and development activities in Cameroon are associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). They often try to work in synergy and to complement one another in their implementation of projects, but often fall short of their own expectations or those of donors and beneficiary communities. Collaboration is often seen as being the cause of setbacks and bad experiences, but it is worth noting that many agencies collaborate with each other in order to access funding, comply with donor-led action strategies or respond to security conditions, etc. It is important to [...]

Building Potential to put Social and Environmental Justice at the Centre of Development

2022-03-11T13:44:59+00:00October 7th, 2015|

I am Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy and I work for Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW), a non-profit organisation based in Oku, Cameroon. CAMGEW works to sustain the environment to ensure that people are free from poverty and gender inequality. CAMGEW works on forest conservation, environmental education, apiculture, agroforestry and eco-businesses like women’s microcredit schemes and vocational training. This work is done with rural communities with little employment opportunities and with a high poverty rate. Women have fewer opportunities. I have been working on environmental issues for 15 years in Cameroon. From September 23-25 I participated in a reflection workshop organised by [...]

Strengthening Organizations – what do African CSOs need and want?

2022-03-11T13:44:59+00:00August 17th, 2015|

“We tend to talk a lot about the work on the ground, but focus much less on organizational development, even when the sustainability of actions on the ground depend on the strength of an organization…Organizational development is not like planting a bean seed where you will actually see the growth in two months, but instead it’s a process.” -Representative from an African civil society organization (CSO) On July 26th we had a unique opportunity to bring together some of Maliasili Initiatives’ and Well Grounded’s partner and client organizations to discuss issues related to funding and financial sustainability, partnerships, human resources and [...]

The value of conversations in organizations

2022-03-11T13:44:59+00:00July 8th, 2015|

While we may sometimes think of an organization as a structure, something more or less permanent, organizations are, of course, never static things. They are always in process - their visions change, as do their missions, structures, activities, donors, and staff. One of my biggest learnings has been that to truly appreciate the nature of process and change in organizations, I have had to work at seeing the world very differently. A big part of this has been learning to see that everything is in relationship, and that understanding and working with relationships is key to organizational development. The relationships may [...]

Eureka moment for an organisation development practitioner

2022-03-11T13:44:58+00:00June 8th, 2015|

Have you ever had a Eureka moment when a song describes exactly how you feel?  Yep, that OMG moment! I know the feeling. Now imagine what is being described in the song is not only how you feel, but also your perception of the world, your ideas of how to make a difference, your personal vision, your values. I know, what are the odds? Small, you'd say? Wait until you read my story. I come from Africa, specifically the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). From a continent and a country that have and continue to struggle with poverty, disease, conflict and [...]

What makes a strong organisation? Six insights from African CSOs

2022-03-11T13:44:58+00:00May 19th, 2015|

“One thing I’ve learned from our discussion, is that for an African organisation to survive, they need to either cope with having nothing or with having too much.” – Representative from an African CSO Over the last year Maliasili Initiatives and Well Grounded have worked together in trying to better understand key issues, challenges, and opportunities related to strengthening African civil society organisations working to improve natural resource governance. As part of this we carried out research, which included interviewing 75 leading African CSOs, international organisations, funders and organisational experts (more on this research very soon). But for the first time [...]

Values and ‘deep culture:’ the roots of change

2022-03-11T13:44:58+00:00May 12th, 2015|

I was recently facilitating a session with civil society representatives in the Republic of Congo, and I asked them to reflect on their personal values, and how these values relate to their professional life. It was inspiring and enriching to hear their responses, and it made me think about how I would answer the question if someone were to ask me. For me, values are an intricate part of who we are as individuals: they shape the way that we see ourselves, and the way that we relate to others and the world around us. In this way, when thinking about [...]

Go to Top