Southern Comfort

A new approach to cooperation is getting results by using South-South cooperation to exchanging expertise and experiences between communities. Benin, Bhutan and Costa Rica entered into a partnership through the South-South Cooperation Programme for Sustainable Development, with the financial support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They currently have 32 projects in the three nations. From 1995 to 2008, over 250 projects have been financed and provided technical assistance for more than 250 projects, with a total investment of more than $16.5 Million. More than 20,000 small and medium producers, both men and women, have been the main direct beneficiaries, but the indirect reach of the projects goes much further.
Supporters argue that local NGO’s, with community roots are more accountable to the stakeholders than outside bodies and, have lower costs because of the use of local staff, instead of well paid international experts.
Marianella Feoli, General Manager of Costa Rica’s Fundecooperacion was in Brussels for the Dev Days and spoke with New Europe. (NewEurope.eu).

Click here to read the full article written by Andy Carling from New Europe.