FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAS TO BUILD DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCES

 
The Foundation of the Americas is a new multilateral initiative dedicated to building national development alliances among governments, private businesses and civil society organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its aim is to accelerate progress toward national social and economic goals and enhance democratic practice. The foundation's board of directors-drawn from many countries in the hemisphere and beyond-has generated approximately $2 million to support the planning, launching and developmental stages of the effort. Since 1997, this endeavor has been coordinated by the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, D.C. and chaired by former Bolivian President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada.

Working with governments, businesses and civil society organizations, the Foundation of the Americas will seek to catalyze and support projects that include joint efforts to improve the delivery of public services, such as education and health; initiatives to establish independent national foundations and strengthen their work; efforts to develop legal and regulatory frameworks that facilitate the organization of development alliances among business, government and civil society; programs to train board members and staff of independent, non-profit organizations in administrative and financial skills; private and independent programs to certify the professional capacity of civil society groups and the quality of services they offer; and exchanges of experiences among participants in development alliances within and among countries.

The foundation's principal funding sources are anticipated to be multilateral organizations, including but not limited to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); governments inside and outside the region; foundations in North America, Europe and Asia; and individual donors. The IDB, the Ford Foundation, the government of Denmark, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Kellogg Foundation have already committed their support. A fund-raising target of $100 million has been established for the organization's first three years. The money raised will be in the form of an endowment, whose interest will partially finance the foundation's activities. Annual project grants will also be sought.

Further information on this new source for funding NGO and civil society projects should be forthcoming after the Organization of American States meeting in Windsor, Canada this week.