The Central American leadership program, Centroamérica Adelante, will coordinate trainings, meetings and pilot projects for leaders working on the key drivers of forced migration in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
MEXICO CITY, March 13, 2019 – Centroamérica Adelante (CAA), a successful Seattle International Foundation (SIF) program, has relaunched and is initiating its second iteration. As of 2019, CAA will focus its efforts on strengthening and uniting leaders that work to support migrants from the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA).
Implemented by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and Cristosal, Centroamérica Adelante is a training, learning and collaborative space for civil society leaders working on the drivers of forced migration in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Over the course of one year, the intensive, highly participatory program focuses on personal growth, skills development and social capital building and offers a dynamic and interactive experience to its participants.
The objective of CAA is to support civil society leaders working on the drivers of forced migration – political, social, economic, geographical and environmental factors and generalized violence – to reduce the number of people affected.
CAA began in 2015 with the motto, “Leadership for social change.” With its implementing partner, IIE, the program trained and connected 176 graduates. Over the course of three years, it has contributed to the development of leaders in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua and has amplified their impact and the impact of their organizations.
In light of the program’s successes and the needs of the region, SIF decided to focus the efforts of CAA on strengthening the leadership that contributes to reducing forced migration from the NTCA, one of the most important and least addressed social phenomena in the region.
Arturo Aguilar, Executive Director of SIF, explained that the lack of specialized public policies to address push factors of migration, the growing reports of human rights violations of migrants and the poor engagement of local governments with Washington, D.C. stakeholders moved the Foundation to reframe the program. Including the input of local partners that know the region, SIF decided to invest in strengthening the valuable and valiant leaders working in this space.
In its new iteration, CAA maintains IIE as its implementing partner, an international organization specializing in education and with a presence on four continents, and welcomes Cristosal as an additional implementing partner, an organization with offices in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras specialized in the defense of human rights and forced internal displacement due to violence.
“We are delighted to continue working with SIF with the new approach of CAA to address the dynamics of forced migration. We are excited to work with Cristosal to fulfill our shared commitment to building economies, promoting access to opportunity, and advancing scholarship,” said Philippa Nuttall, Director of IIE Latin America and the Caribbean.
Noah Bullock, Director of Cristosal, noted that they are proud “to join SIF and IIE in partnering with local leadership in the Northern Triangle to develop dialogue, capacity and innovation to transform the root causes of forced migration in the region.”
Information on how and when to apply to the CAA program is published on our websites: www.seaif.org and www.iie.org/Programs/Centroamerica-Adelante-English.
More information: Olga Vnodchenko, Grants and Program Officer for Seattle International Foundation, olga@seaif.org
About the Seattle International Foundation:
Founded in 2008, Seattle International Foundation (SIF) promotes good governance and equity in Central America through the rule of law and the strengthening of civil society. Over the past ten 10 years, SIF has granted over $24 million to 243 organizations in 81 countries. In addition to its grants portfolio, SIF implements key initiatives in the region, including the Central America Donors Forum (CADF), the Central American and Mexico Youth Fund (CAMY Fund) and Centroamérica Adelante (CAA). www.seaif.org
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a world leader in international education, creating more peaceful and equitable societies by advancing scholarship, building economies, and promoting access to opportunity. As a not-for-profit organization with 18 offices and affiliates worldwide, IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government, and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training, and leadership development programs.
About Cristosal
Cristosal is an organization recognized locally and internationally for its human rights based approach. It provides accompaniment to victims, research and learning, community development and strategic litigation, and monitors internal displacement in the Northern Triangle caused by violence. Cristosal is headquartered in San Salvador, El Salvador and has offices in Guatemala City, Guatemala and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. http://centroamerica.cristosal.org/
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