Region category: Global

Radical changes to the global food system needed to halt environmental destruction and prevent ecosystem collapse

opinion

By Nout van der Vaart, Advocacy Officer Sustainable Food One million. One million plant and animal species are potentially under threat of extinction because of human activities, especially thanks to our ever-expanding hunger for food and energy. This development is part of a wider trend. Since the 1900s, some 75 percent of plant genetic diversity […]

May 10, 2019
Hivos timeline highlights unsung women heroes in Lebanese history

News

In 1943, Lebanese nationalists took to the streets to demand the release of the first post-independence Lebanese president and other political figures who had been imprisoned under the French Mandate. Among the protestors were many women. They were fighting for Lebanon’s independence even though the union they belonged to, which was pushing to acknowledge women […]

May 9, 2019
Celebrating 15 Years Stop Child Labour

News

63,000 children out of work and into school! The Stop Child Labour coalition (coordinated by Hivos) and its 25 partner organizations are celebrating a milestone: 15 years of the coalition’s successful work. Fifteen years ago, the Stop Child Labour campaign launched with this credo: “school is the best place to work.” Basically, no child should […]

May 7, 2019
The Waorani People’s historic victory to protect their ancestral lands from oil drilling

News

Update, September 2020: We are very proud that our All Eyes on the Amazon partner and Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo from Ecuador, who led her people’s historic victory against oil drilling on the Waorani territory, is on TIME Magazine’s 2020 list of the 100 most influential people in the world. On April 26, the Waorani […]

April 30, 2019
Working on inclusion in five African cities

News

Hivos leads new LGBT+ consortium in Africa In more than 32 countries in Africa, same sex conduct is punishable by law, and in some countries such as Nigeria, family members and friends can sometimes face criminal charges if they are found guilty of “aiding or abetting” same-sex relationships. These laws foster a culture of discrimination […]

April 23, 2019
Indigenous environmental monitor Cristian Javá died in Peru after attack by invaders

News

Hivos and Greenpeace are deeply saddened by the death of the environmental monitor Cristian Javá (22) from the indigenous community of La Petrolera, who died after an attack by illegal invaders that entered the indigenous territory. Javá was part of the PUINAMUDT, one of the local partners that receives support from the All Eyes on […]

April 20, 2019
Hivos and the Bolivian Ministry of Health promote respect for diversity

News

In Bolivia, fear and stigmatization cause many people to ostracize and disrespect people because of their HIV-status, their (actual or perceived) sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. Members of the LGBTI community are often discriminated against, and live without expressions of affection – even from their own families. They experience unequal treatment in the workplace […]

April 10, 2019
Seed Savers Network makes it easier to access seeds

blog

How an Open Source Seed System in Kenya helps local farmers to register, produce and trade crops By Nout van der Vaart, Advocacy Officer Sustainable Food Last week, I visited the Seed Savers Network in Kenya. The organization helps small-scale farmers to identify, store and scale up the seeds of traditional crop varieties. This is […]

April 9, 2019
Why a brave Kenyan filmmaker was awarded by Hivos for her banned film

News

In Kenya, there is still a long way to go when it comes to gay acceptance and equal rights. Filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu made a special film about two girls who fall in love with each other: Rafiki. The film, which is banned in the country, won the Hivos Free to be me Award last week. […]

March 27, 2019
Effective climate action requires coherence between adaptation and mitigation

opinion

Basically everyone agrees that climate change is the biggest challenge of the coming decades. It is also widely recognized that vulnerable people in low- and middle-income countries will be hit hardest by its impact. The consequences have already affected their lives severely. Urgent action is therefore required. As I already laid out in this interview, […]

March 26, 2019
How an Activist Alert protects human rights defenders

News

Hivos has launched its first-ever international crowdfunding campaign. We are raising money for a tool to protect courageous human rights defenders in Guatemala – it’s an alert system called: The Activist Alert. In neighboring Honduras, the warning system has already proven effective. Our goal is to make it available to Guatemala as soon as possible, […]

March 24, 2019
Protecting brave human rights defenders in Guatemala

News

Every day, human rights defenders in Guatemala come under serious threat. These courageous people deserve our support and must be protected. That is why we have designed an effective tool to help: the Activist Alert. We want to make this system available to Guatemala as soon as possible. But we need funding for that. That’s why […]

March 24, 2019