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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico

This was an overly ambitious project (26 outputs planned) that failed to detail from the outset how the strategy would be implemented and the linkage between its many components. The narrative reports, moreover, were more descriptive than analytical, making it hard to accurately determine the project’s actual successes and achievements.
Project Partner
Servicios del Pueblo Mixe
Project Description
The project sought to empower indigenous people from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through jurisdictional resolutions or agreements, the project worked to reduce the number of conflicts between the indigenous legal system, on the one hand, and the state legal system, on the other, seeking to establish precedents for harmonizing the two systems. The project’s intervention was very timely and highly relevant, given the recent changes in the legal framework, especially the passage of subsidiary legislation and a new energy policy. It provided legal assistance and representation before jurisdictional, judicial, and administrative bodies in the State of Oaxaca. Politically, the project made it possible to include the indigenous peoples’ perspective and expectations in the Constitutional Reform proposal for Oaxaca. The project’s support for empowering indigenous women’s groups had a major impact on the lives of the beneficiaries as well as the development and improvement of institutional and democratic life in the State of Oaxaca.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Youth Action for Democracy (YAD) - Strengthening Democracy by Empowering Youth in Pakistan

The website that was reportedly created for the project was no longer accessible due to the expiration of the domain.  There was a record of some project activities on the grantee’s Facebook page, but those posts are very dated and not easy to find.
Project Partner
Youth Parliament of Pakistan
Project Description
The objective of the project was to increase the participation of youth in the democratic processes in Pakistan. The project was relevant as it started two years before the national election, which was expected to be the first time that a civilian government would hand over power to another civilian government through the ballot box. The project was also relevant to the need to strengthen the democratic awareness and understanding of the youth in Pakistan: youth form the majority of the population and in surveys less than a third thought that democracy was the best form of government. The project strategy was to form Youth Democracy Teams which would then organize meetings with other youth in the districts, and extending project reach through the use of theatre, print, broadcast, and social media. However the project was not properly documented and activities and outputs were not recorded so it is impossible to assess if the project had any impact.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowerment of Women in India through Innovative Vocational Education and Training

Over 80% of the project’s enrolled trainees in India completed the course. Many former trainees praised the courses for delivering skills and providing them with employment opportunities, and acknowledged that the life enrichment courses and subsequent gatherings provided them with a much needed space, in which they could discuss how to resolve their social and economic issues.

Project Partner
Amrita University (Amritapuri Campus)
Project Description
The project aimed to provide socially and economically impoverished women in India with the ability to participate in the democratic process and to strengthen their capacity to make decisions at individual, family and community levels. In addition to Computerized Vocational and Educational Training (CVET), which qualified beneficiaries for a wider range of employment opportunities and thus widen for them the scope of possibilities to achieve financial independence, Life Enrichment Education (LEE) activities, which comprised of video lectures and animated group discussions, complemented the women trainee’s entrepreneurial skills with democratic values and civic awareness, in order to transform them post-graduation into empowered participants of their local communities.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico

The project capitalized on the presence of individuals currently in Oaxaca’s Executive branch who at one time had worked for the grantees. These alliances with individuals in both the government and the Oaxaca Congress have the potential to facilitate collaboration and/or extend to other strategic public figures, build relationships, and create institutional agendas capable of lasting beyond the current administration.
Project Partner
Servicios del Pueblo Mixe
Project Description
The project sought to empower indigenous people from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through jurisdictional resolutions or agreements, the project worked to reduce the number of conflicts between the indigenous legal system, on the one hand, and the state legal system, on the other, seeking to establish precedents for harmonizing the two systems. The project’s intervention was very timely and highly relevant, given the recent changes in the legal framework, especially the passage of subsidiary legislation and a new energy policy. It provided legal assistance and representation before jurisdictional, judicial, and administrative bodies in the State of Oaxaca. Politically, the project made it possible to include the indigenous peoples’ perspective and expectations in the Constitutional Reform proposal for Oaxaca. The project’s support for empowering indigenous women’s groups had a major impact on the lives of the beneficiaries as well as the development and improvement of institutional and democratic life in the State of Oaxaca.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico

Legal establishment of the association of Mixe authorities and the association of Zapotec authorities could not be carried out. While this had its roots in the electoral process and was beyond the control of grantee, these were specific outcomes directly related to the project’s objective. To anticipate this situation, the NGO would probably have had to fine-tune its risk analysis of certain foreseeable events during the project formulation phase.
Project Partner
Servicios del Pueblo Mixe
Project Description
The project sought to empower indigenous people from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through jurisdictional resolutions or agreements, the project worked to reduce the number of conflicts between the indigenous legal system, on the one hand, and the state legal system, on the other, seeking to establish precedents for harmonizing the two systems. The project’s intervention was very timely and highly relevant, given the recent changes in the legal framework, especially the passage of subsidiary legislation and a new energy policy. It provided legal assistance and representation before jurisdictional, judicial, and administrative bodies in the State of Oaxaca. Politically, the project made it possible to include the indigenous peoples’ perspective and expectations in the Constitutional Reform proposal for Oaxaca. The project’s support for empowering indigenous women’s groups had a major impact on the lives of the beneficiaries as well as the development and improvement of institutional and democratic life in the State of Oaxaca.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico

The comparative diagnostic study on Federal and State legislation laid the foundations for holding forums for consultation and the promotion of Constitutional Reform, and for drafting an internal document for the grantee. The Constitutional Reform proposal had the backing of indigenous and Afro-Mexican groups, and hence, legitimacy – an unprecedented achievement in the State of Oaxaca. These organizations have specific demands and agendas that while different, are complementary in terms of their level and content. Recognizing the need to consolidate these processes, they wish to continue receiving legal assistance and training to improve their advocacy and forge closer ties other government and civil society stakeholders.
Project Partner
Servicios del Pueblo Mixe
Project Description
The project sought to empower indigenous people from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through jurisdictional resolutions or agreements, the project worked to reduce the number of conflicts between the indigenous legal system, on the one hand, and the state legal system, on the other, seeking to establish precedents for harmonizing the two systems. The project’s intervention was very timely and highly relevant, given the recent changes in the legal framework, especially the passage of subsidiary legislation and a new energy policy. It provided legal assistance and representation before jurisdictional, judicial, and administrative bodies in the State of Oaxaca. Politically, the project made it possible to include the indigenous peoples’ perspective and expectations in the Constitutional Reform proposal for Oaxaca. The project’s support for empowering indigenous women’s groups had a major impact on the lives of the beneficiaries as well as the development and improvement of institutional and democratic life in the State of Oaxaca.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico

Another activity that did not materialize out was participation in international events. Although the grantee considered it important to get to know and share experiences with other stakeholders committed to promoting indigenous rights, it received no invitation to participate in international events and thus made no effort to attend any – probably due to the turnover in its Board of Directors and the team’s excessive workload during the project execution period.
Project Partner
Servicios del Pueblo Mixe
Project Description
The project sought to empower indigenous people from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through jurisdictional resolutions or agreements, the project worked to reduce the number of conflicts between the indigenous legal system, on the one hand, and the state legal system, on the other, seeking to establish precedents for harmonizing the two systems. The project’s intervention was very timely and highly relevant, given the recent changes in the legal framework, especially the passage of subsidiary legislation and a new energy policy. It provided legal assistance and representation before jurisdictional, judicial, and administrative bodies in the State of Oaxaca. Politically, the project made it possible to include the indigenous peoples’ perspective and expectations in the Constitutional Reform proposal for Oaxaca. The project’s support for empowering indigenous women’s groups had a major impact on the lives of the beneficiaries as well as the development and improvement of institutional and democratic life in the State of Oaxaca.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowerment of Women in India through Innovative Vocational Education and Training

The project generated 35 self-help groups which involved 451 former trainees in joint community and / or entrepreneurial activity in India. Graduates organised numerous initiatives to address community problems (e.g. alcoholism, domestic violence, poverty, social exclusion, traffic accidents).
Project Partner
Amrita University (Amritapuri Campus)
Project Description
The project aimed to provide socially and economically impoverished women in India with the ability to participate in the democratic process and to strengthen their capacity to make decisions at individual, family and community levels. In addition to Computerized Vocational and Educational Training (CVET), which qualified beneficiaries for a wider range of employment opportunities and thus widen for them the scope of possibilities to achieve financial independence, Life Enrichment Education (LEE) activities, which comprised of video lectures and animated group discussions, complemented the women trainee’s entrepreneurial skills with democratic values and civic awareness, in order to transform them post-graduation into empowered participants of their local communities.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico

The project was part of the grantee’ wider development strategy; thus, the project was built on processes already under way, capitalizing on their strong points. The technical personnel involved in the different activities all shared the same vision, objectives, and analysis criteria. The majority of them had been working as a team for years, which enabled them to develop good relations with beneficiaries and State entities and gain their trust.
Project Partner
Servicios del Pueblo Mixe
Project Description
The project sought to empower indigenous people from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through jurisdictional resolutions or agreements, the project worked to reduce the number of conflicts between the indigenous legal system, on the one hand, and the state legal system, on the other, seeking to establish precedents for harmonizing the two systems. The project’s intervention was very timely and highly relevant, given the recent changes in the legal framework, especially the passage of subsidiary legislation and a new energy policy. It provided legal assistance and representation before jurisdictional, judicial, and administrative bodies in the State of Oaxaca. Politically, the project made it possible to include the indigenous peoples’ perspective and expectations in the Constitutional Reform proposal for Oaxaca. The project’s support for empowering indigenous women’s groups had a major impact on the lives of the beneficiaries as well as the development and improvement of institutional and democratic life in the State of Oaxaca.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Strengthening Democratic Participation Among Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico

Given the recent changes in the legal framework, the grantee should have prioritized its institutional strategy in order to capitalize on its success in strengthening capacities and empowering organizations. Identifying lessons should be the starting point for determining the challenges and strategies to implement going forward. This process should be accompanied by training to strengthen capacities in political advocacy, civic organization, and strategic analysis and litigation.
Project Partner
Servicios del Pueblo Mixe
Project Description
The project sought to empower indigenous people from the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. Through jurisdictional resolutions or agreements, the project worked to reduce the number of conflicts between the indigenous legal system, on the one hand, and the state legal system, on the other, seeking to establish precedents for harmonizing the two systems. The project’s intervention was very timely and highly relevant, given the recent changes in the legal framework, especially the passage of subsidiary legislation and a new energy policy. It provided legal assistance and representation before jurisdictional, judicial, and administrative bodies in the State of Oaxaca. Politically, the project made it possible to include the indigenous peoples’ perspective and expectations in the Constitutional Reform proposal for Oaxaca. The project’s support for empowering indigenous women’s groups had a major impact on the lives of the beneficiaries as well as the development and improvement of institutional and democratic life in the State of Oaxaca.
Evaluation Date
May 2014
Country