Examination of Power – Partners’ perspectives on Both ENDS

Both ENDS supports movements that are transforming power relations so that people everywhere can influence and share in the benefits of political and economic processes. In order to effectively create a sustainable, fair and inclusive world, we know that it’s crucial to analyse power – to examine who holds what kind of power and how they use it – and to work to recalibrate power as needed. We recognise that power – including its positive forms, such as the ‘power with’ and ‘power to’ bring about social change – is a crucial factor in the world around us, as well as in our own relationships, especially with partners.

Both ENDS is committed to working with partners in relationships based on equality and trust, where we recognise each other’s expertise, actively learn together and cooperate toward shared goals. In line with these principles, we have long advocated for funding mechanisms, like small grants funds, that shift decision-making power to the local groups and communities they aim support. Thankfully, there are signs of progress: the topic of ‘shifting power’ has risen higher on the agenda of the development cooperation and global philanthropy sectors. Appreciation of the need to move away from top-down decision-making, where resources and decision-making power lie in the hands of donors from the Global North, is slowly gaining traction.

Co-designed by partners

Both ENDS has always strived to be an equitable partner, but our discussions about power prompted us to examine our own assumptions, particularly the assumption that channeling an increasing amount of funding to partners does not affect our relationships with them. It is within this context that we embarked on an ‘Examination of Power’ process in 2023. The main purpose of the process was to better understand how Both ENDS holds power and how partners experience equity and power in their relationship with Both ENDS, as well as to learn how we can better share power towards fair and equitable partnerships.

The process was led by a team of independent consultants and a randomly selected, diverse group of six willing partners from the Global South who co-designed the process and participated in multiple meetings to share their perspectives on power as it relates to Both ENDS and their relationship. Additional input came from a detailed anonymous survey, which was made available in 5 languages and completed by 82 partners. The results of the survey were analysed by the consultants and the six partners. The partners were subsequently joined by a team of four Both ENDS staff members to discuss the overall findings and recommendations.

Insights and recommendations

The ‘Examination of Power’ process generated a treasure of useful insights. We learned that a majority of partners see Both ENDS first and foremost as an international mission-aligned advocacy partner, and not only as a funder/donor. Our long-term relationships with partners are valued, with 80% of the partners feeling supported by Both ENDS, with high levels of mutual trust, and direct, clear and open communication. Partners told us that their relationship with Both ENDS increases the impact of their advocacy, access to funding, increasing their international network, alliance building and capacity strengthening. Partners value Both ENDS for showing understanding, flexibility, and trust, and for giving them the space to ask questions and voice their opinions.

Partners also provided recommendations for improvement, including the suggestion for Both ENDS to establish and facilitate more connections by making more and better use of its relationships and access to international advocacy spaces and funding. Partners also asked that we communicate better and more regularly about the work of Both ENDS and other partners, as well as about decision-making, including in relation to donors and in the use of funds. Other suggestions included improvements to the administration of funding, such as sharing power by co-creating rules and principles, and engaging in mutual evaluation.

The next step in the ‘Examination of Power’ process will be to develop a plan of action to address these recommendations, and to communicate back to partners about the whole process. We also intend to share information about the process with external parties, including donors, as inspiration for conducting an examination of their own.

Examination of power is a continual process for Both ENDS, also within the organisation. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion processes, which have included regular workshops on relevant issues, create space for important, and sometimes uncomfortable, conversations and learning. Topics have included unconscious bias, integrity, and addressing undesirable behaviour. Our work is not finished. Both ENDS is committed to continue learning how to hold, share, and transform power.

 

Both ENDS supports movements that are transforming power relations so that people everywhere can influence and share in the benefits of political and economic processes. This image was taken at the first-ever “Encuentro Latinoamericano de Defensoras Ambientales para la Acción Climática”, supported by Both ENDS. Photo by Fundación Plurales

“Co-designed by partners” also accounts for our organisational strategy. Every 5 years we invite a group of partners to our Partner Meeting to give input to our new strategy.

 

Advancing a shared agenda for transformative water governance

Water is an essential element for sustaining all life on earth. It is essential for our bodies, for the food we grow, for the diverse organisms and rich ecosystems that make up our precious planet. But that’s not all. Water also has significant social, cultural, Indigenous, spiritual and natural values: water plays an important role in many spiritual practices, and many religions consider a particular source or body of water to be sacred. Yet in many places around the world, water sources are being irresponsibly exploited and polluted for the financial gain of a few. All too often, power and money determine the flow of water, including who has access to it, how it can be used, when, and how much.

Since its founding, Both ENDS has worked with partners to promote the meaningful and long-term participation of communities in sharing and caring for water. Among other things, Both ENDS contributed to the development and documentation of the ‘Negotiated Approach to Inclusive Water Governance’, a methodology based on the concrete experiences of several partners. The approach emphasises the importance of strengthening local capacities of local communities to engage in meaningful negotiations with policymakers and claim their rightful role in water governance.

Participatory process

Preparations for the 2023 UN Water Conference – the first to be held in nearly 50 years – provided the perfect opportunity for Both ENDS and partners to take this work a step further by developing a comprehensive, shared vision of inclusive water governance. Together with the international water knowledge institute IHE-Delft, Both ENDS convened a diverse group of some 40 environmental justice advocates. The collaboration drew experts from both civil society and academia, with experience in different water ecosystems – from rivers and wetlands to drylands and coastal zones – as well as different social and political contexts. In four online roundtables held over the course of several months, participants discussed the key principles, practices and policies that make up inclusive water governance, as well as the root causes, challenges and barriers that stand in the way of realising it. Participants shared their struggles and their solutions.

The resulting Transformative Water Pact, co-authored by 40 organisations and individuals worldwide, describes ten principles that concern the root causes of the current water crisis, the diverse values of water, and its governance as a commons. The Pact acknowledges that contemporary water crises are shaped by unequal power relations and injustices, which result in an unequal distribution of risks and benefits associated with water, to the detriment of marginalised groups. It underscores water as a human right and as a commons, in which communities play key roles as custodians of knowledge in caring for water, not only for its value in sustaining life and ecosystems, but also for its diverse cultural and spiritual values.

A key component of the Transformative Water Pact is the ‘Framework for Action’, which fleshes out the action needed to turn the principles of Transformative Water Governance into practice. The need for safe civic space, which allows citizens to freely speak out and mobilise, is considered as a precondition for socially just decision-making through responsive public institutions. The Transformative Water Pact also highlights the need to strengthen capacities of community-led water management organisations based on their needs and priorities, as well as the importance to learn from indigenous and traditional knowledge systems and practice that foreground common well-being and the intrinsic value of nature. The Transformative Water Pact was launched with a dedicated website and is available in eight languages.

Dialogue at the UN Water conference

The Transformative Water Pact served as the starting point for a dialogue at an online side-event aspart of the UN Water Conference, co-organised by the government of Colombia with Both ENDS, IHE Delft, the Latin-America based network Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA). Specific attention was given to the ways in which Indigenous, ethnic and bio-cultural approaches can be used to create stronger synergies between communities and formal institutions within the context of water governance. Speakers included staff of Both ENDS, the Director of Water Resource Management of the Ministry of the Environment of Colombia, and representatives from AIDA, the Millennium Community Development Initiative, in Kenya – partners of Both ENDS and co-authors of the Transformative Water Pact. Some 200 people attended the online side-event. The international support for the Transformative Water Pact has made it a valuable tool for advocacy.

Spotlighting partners’ practices of Transformative Water Governance

Transformative Water Governance is not just a vision for the future. There are already inspiring examples of it here and now, which inspired the principles reflected in the Pact. A key aim of Both ENDS is to support, strengthen, make space for and spread the wide range of transformative practices that are being implemented effectively around the world right now. Both ENDS raises awareness about existing practices and advocates for policies and funding to support them.

A policy briefing and the #WeWomenAreWater campaign, co-organised by Both ENDS as part of the GAGGA Alliance around the UN Water Conference, highlighted the leadership and crucial role of women and girls from local and Indigenous communities in the sustainable use and protection of water resources and in ensuring water security for all, as well as the need to support them. The GAGGA Alliance, in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also organised sessions at the UN Water Conference, including the side-event ‘Making finance for gender-just water and climate solutions a reality!’, co-hosted by the Government of Chile, and Women Engage in a Common Future (WECF). The event was designed to influence other stakeholders to commit to support, finance, and promote locally rooted, gender-just climate and water solutions within the Water Action Agenda and featured inspiring examples of solutions presented by Both ENDS partners.

World of Water, a special report published around the Conference, described Both ENDS’ long-standing work for water justice and community-led water management, and featured the work of several partners, among them Millennium Community Development Initiatives (MCDI), in Kenya. MCDI’s work with the Athi River Community Network (ARCN) reflects the principles of Transformative Water Governance. MCDI supports communities in setting up or joining existing Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs). Through the associations, local water users determine together how the water in their sub-basin is to be allocated and used. MCDI plays a facilitating and connecting role – supporting the various WRUAs in the Athi River watershed to govern effectively, and providing practical assistance to communities to stand up for their right to water.

MCDI’s role echoes that of Both ENDS: connecting people for change. Both ENDS has helped to connect MCDI and IHE Delft, through the involvement of both organisations in the Transformative Water Pact process. The result is an exciting new collaboration: MCDI, with technical and financial support from IHE Delft and Both ENDS, has developed an action research project to map distribution of water across the Athi River basin. The research will provide crucial information for the Athi River Community Network to strengthen their efforts to claim their water rights.

 

The Transformative Water Pact describes ten principles that concern the root causes of the current water crisis, the diverse values of water, and its governance as a commons

Community meeting in the Athi River watershed, organised by MCDI. Photo by MCDI


A just and equitable energy transition

Both ENDS has long urged governments to stop supporting fossil fuel projects. In addition to causing climate change, such projects are often linked to severe social and environmental impacts for local communities in the Global South. The success of our efforts – together with climate justice movements worldwide – is finally apparent. Although the pace continues to be too slow, there’s no doubt about it: an energy transition is now underway. At the 2023 UN climate talks, in December, governments heralded the ‘beginning of the end’ of the fossil fuel era. The world is shifting toward an energy system based on renewable sources like wind and solar.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that such a shift will translate to a more just and equitable energy system – a key component of the larger system change we know is needed to ensure that human rights are respected, gender justice is realised, and the environment is nurtured and protected, both now and in the future. In our effort to change the system and realise this vision, Both ENDS focuses particular attention on public financial flows and public institutions, including Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), government-backed agencies that insure domestic businesses against payment risks for projects abroad.

Lithium mining

In 2023, we teamed up with the Latin American network Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN) to explore the case of lithium mining in Argentina and the role of ECAs. Demand for lithium, a key ingredient in batteries, has skyrocketed in recent years, largely due to the increased production of electric vehicles. Argentina, which is home to some 20 per cent of the world’s lithium deposits, plans to ramp up lithium extraction. More than 40 lithium projects are currently in the pipeline.

The negative impacts of such projects, however, are already clear. Lithium extraction, which is taking place in the valuable and sensitive ecosystems of Argentina’s arid high Andes, consumes enormous amounts of water, posing a major threat to the area’s fragile water systems and water quality. The rights of Indigenous communities, in whose territory the projects are located, are being violated, including their right to access information about the mining projects and to self-determination, enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The role of export credit agencies

In the subsequent report, The foreign financiers of Argentina’s lithium rush: Export credit agencies’ support for lithium mining, we made the crucial connection between these issues and public financial support provided through Export Credit Agencies (ECAs). Our research revealed that ECAs from Asia, Europe, and North America are increasingly active in lithium projects in Argentina. Meanwhile, as research for the report was underway, the European Union pushed through in record time a new Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), aimed at promoting EU access to lithium and other ‘transition’ metals and minerals used in renewable technology, such as nickel and cobalt. The role of Export Credit Agencies in supporting critical raw materials supply chains abroad was specifically mentioned in the new law, paving the way for more involvement of ECAs in the future.

Drawing on decades of experience with the shortcomings of ECA policies – based on countless cases of human rights and environmental violations in diverse ECA-supported projects – we signalled the alarm. The report called on governments to avoid making the mistakes of the past and, instead, design a new public financial instrument to advance a just and equitable energy transition that respects the rights of local communities and the limits of nature, and builds an energy system that uses a democratic, decentralised, and participatory approach. Among other recommendations in the report, we highlighted the importance of reducing energy and material consumption, starting in the EU, and to fundamentally rethink mobility patterns.

Wisdom, vision and justice

Outreach activities amplified the report’s message. Some 50 participants joined a webinar organised by Both ENDS, in collaboration with Wetlands International Europe and the EU Raw Materials Coalition, on the issue of raw materials extraction in vulnerable areas. FARN shared the case of lithium extraction in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile – which together form the so-called Lithium Triangle – highlighting the problems of water shortages, land dispossession and displacement of Indigenous communities, and the impacts on their livelihoods and food sovereignty.

We also brought these issues to the attention of members of the ECA Watch coalition, many of whom have focused on the issue of fossil fuel divestment. A presentation of the report helped put the threat of an unjust energy transition on the coalition’s agenda. Similarly, an opinion piece in Dutch newspaper NRC, raised awareness among the broader Dutch public about what electric cars mean for Indigenous communities in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, and made the case for few cars, smaller cars, more shared cars and, above all, more public transport. In response to the article, one NRC reader asked: ‘Why was this alarming message not included in bold letters on the front page? … When the first oil was discovered … and then the car was designed, … people had no idea where it would lead. But now we know better.… I hope for wisdom, vision and… justice.’

 

Lithium mine in Argentina. Demand for lithium, a key ingredient in batteries, has skyrocketed in recent years. Photo by Susi Maresca on Minga

Lithium extraction, which is taking place in the valuable and sensitive ecosystems of Argentina’s arid high Andes, consumes enormous amounts of water, posing a major threat to the area’s fragile water systems and water quality. Photo by Susi Maresca on Minga

 

Building a network of women in action on mining

Both ENDS is dedicated to supporting civil society organisations (CSOs) as they tackle social and environmental injustice and inequality, and bring about a better world. We work to ensure that civil society can safely operate and has the decision-making power, resources and capacities to be effective. By connecting a diversity of actors – from the grassroots to the global level – we aim to maximize the power and effectiveness of collective action. It’s a crucial strategy in the current context of extreme corporate power, inequality and growing repression worldwide, which especially impacts women and girls from Indigenous and other marginalised communities.

As part of the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA), Both ENDS has helped strengthen communities and organisations across Asia that share a common problem: mining. The Women in Action on Mining in Asia (WAMA) network grew out of a meeting in 2016 of GAGGA partners from Asia. WAMA includes both environmental justice organisations and women’s funds, and is coordinated by the Asia-based network Non-Timber Forest Products–Exchange Programme (NTFP–EP), Lilak, an Indigenous women’s rights group (Philippines) and the Mongolian women’s fund MONES. Since its founding, WAMA’s annual skillshare – organised with support from Both ENDS – has become an important event, drawing women from mining-affected communities across the region.

Linking and learning across Asia

In 2023, WAMA convened women from ancestral, rural, pastoral and mountain lands and small islands for a five-day ‘Regional Skillshare on Extractivism, Climate Justice and Women’s Natural Resource Rights’, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Among other things, participants discussed the interconnected impacts of mining on women and Indigenous peoples, forests, livestock pastures and water. The skill-share provided an important space for discussion of emerging issues, including the impacts and threats of ‘green extractivism’ – large-scale renewable energy projects and mining of ‘transition minerals’ used in renewable energy technologies. Participants also exchanged good practices and strategies in relation to gender-just climate solutions, including barefoot ecology, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable and climate adaptive livelihoods that are based on the ancestral knowledge of Indigenous women. The skill-share involved women from eight countries across Asia, and brought in new network members from Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Georgia.

In addition to the annual skill-share, WAMA supports members in their local campaigns and actions through peer-to-peer learning and support on key issues. To that end, a delegation of WAMA members took part in a week-long learning exchange in Mongolia in 2023. At the request of Mongolian member Steppes Without Borders, WAMA members from India and the Philippines conducted field visits in the Gobi region of Mongolia. The delegation visited herder communities affected by coal and spar mining. Among other impacts, the communities described the loss of access to grazing areas, depletion of ground water, a drastic reduction in income, exposure to dust and water pollution, and harassment from security guards. Together, Steppes Without Borders and the WAMA delegation identified actions for follow-up, including further collective support to bring more global attention to the herders’ struggle – a perfect reason for holding WAMA’s skillshare in Mongolia in 2024.

From extractivism to gender-just climate action

WAMA, Both ENDS and hundreds of partners in the worldwide GAGGA network are collectively advocating for an end to extractivism and false solutions to the climate crisis, and to mobilise more support and finance for women-led climate action. In a declaration composed at the 2023 skill-share, WAMA called on the UN, governments, international financial institutions and banks to recognise that women are actively protecting life systems, cultures, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods everywhere around the world, and that they possess the knowledge and wisdom to guide the world in constructive pathways for addressing the global climate crisis.

Under the GAGGA umbrella, Both ENDS, together with Fundo Casa Socioambiental and Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Program (NTFP-EP), a coordinating member of WAMA, took the message directly to policymakers at the 2023 UN climate conference as co-organisers of the official side event, ‘Gender-just Climate Policy & Finance: From Barriers to Actionable Solutions’. Representatives of local CBOs and NGOs shared how they implement gender-just climate solutions, the obstacles they face to access finance and meaningfully engage in decision-making processes, and urged decision-makers to channel more climate finance to women-led community-based organisations. The side-event, which attracted nearly 300 online views and reached some 8,000 people on social media, featured an interactive panel with representatives from the Dutch, Canadian and UK governments.

Through network-building, linking and learning, and coordinated advocacy, Both ENDS and the GAGGA network are succeeding in mobilising support for gender-just climate solutions in general, and those of GAGGA partners specifically: in 2023, GAGGA was pleased to receive new grants from Global Affairs Canada Climate Finance Department, Chanel Foundation and Re.arc Institute, to deepen and expand the GAGGA programme.

 

A delegation of WAMA members took part in a week-long learning exchange in Mongolia. Photo by WAMA

WAMA members from India and the Philippines visited herder communities affected by coal and spar mining. Photo by WAMA

 

Our achievements in 2023

To achieve our vision of a sustainable, fair and inclusive world, Both ENDS works to empower civil society, to change the system so it prioritises people and the planet, and to support transformative practices. The numbers and successes below together show the broad variety of our achievements along each one of the three pathways.

STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY

Both ENDS cooperates with many partner organisations around the world to strengthen civil society, advocate for green and fair policies and support transformative practices. This cooperation entails much more then only financial support; we strategise together and each take our own role in our joint efforts for just and sustainable societies. Our partner network embraces the whole world:

SYSTEMIC CHANGE

In order for systems to prioritise people and the planet, Both ENDS and partners aim to change the system step by step, policy by policy. Where policies are already strong, they need to be implemented, and where they are absent, we advocate for new ones to be enacted, on all levels. Influencing policies often is a matter of patience. It might take years until change finally materialises. This is why Both ENDS and partners are involved in such a large number of policy influencing processes:

TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICES

According to Both ENDS and partners, transformative practices are the future. There are many of these bottom-up, planet-friendly practices. By strengthening and eventually up-scaling transformative practices, Both ENDS and counterparts show tangible examples that can inspire and promote a radically different system that places human and environmental well-being at its core:

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SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT IN 2023

STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY

  • The Women in Action on Mining in Asia (WAMA) network grew out of a meeting in 2016 of GAGGA partners from Asia. WAMA includes both environmental justice organisations and women’s funds. Since its founding, WAMA’s annual skillshare – organised with support from Both ENDS – has become an important event, drawing women from mining-affected communities across the region.
  • Both ENDS supported the second Women’s Climate Assembly (WCA), which took place in Lagos, Nigeria, from 24 to 28 September 2023, as part of the third African People’s Counter COP. Partners, WoMin African Alliance and Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, along with various other women’s movements, grassroots networks, and a few non-governmental organizations, organised this event. The Women’s Climate Assembly converged with community and women’s assemblies across the continent to build and advance a deeply Pan-African perspective on the climate crisis and African climate justice, collecting statements and questions which were subsequently shared during the official COP28 in early December in Dubai by Both ENDS and GAGGA partners.
  • The Joke Waller Hunter Initiative creates opportunities for young environmental leaders in the Global South to fulfil their full potential. By providing small grants to individuals, the initiative, created and powered by Both ENDS, builds the next generation of environmental leaders. In 2023, we proudly presented 18 new grantees, improved our selection procedure via the active involvement of our grantee network, and launched a new website to highlight their work (with support of the Dutch National Postcode Lottery).
  • Civil society is increasingly under pressure worldwide, and grassroots organisations are heavily impacted by shrinking of civic space. Many of our partners face threats and violence as a result of their environmental and human rights activities. The communities they support are also subjected to violence when acting to protect their livelihoods and territories. In 2023, Both ENDS, in collaboration with allies, worked on developing a ‘System of Care’, which involved exploring ways to further support partners to improve security measures, strengthen practices of care, and sustain their work. In Nigeria, Both ENDS collaborated with a Nigerian consultant with extensive expertise on the security and political situation in the Niger delta. He provided rapid responses to emerging threats for our partners in Nigeria, as well as strategic advice for our advocacy in the Niger Delta. Based on advice from this security consultant, Both ENDS was able to invest in key aspects of security for our partners such as stronger office security, safety protocols, home security and digital security.
  • Similarly in Uganda, Both ENDS invested in context specific analyses for partners most at risk, resulting in concrete office, home and digital security measures. Furthermore, during an exchange visit of members of a Nigerian women’s group to Uganda, members of both organisations learned about different techniques applied to continue advocacy in a restricted civic space. During this visit, Both ENDS members visited the Dutch and EU embassy with partners in Kampala to discuss concerns about shrinking civic space, and to connect with possible contact persons in cases of threats.

SYSTEMIC CHANGE

  • Although the pace continues to be too slow, there’s no doubt about it: an energy transition is now underway. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that such a shift will translate to a more just and equitable energy system. In 2023, we teamed up with FARN to explore the case of lithium mining in Argentina and the role of Export Credit Agencies (ECAs).
  • In January, a letter, undersigned by almost 60 organisations from countries facing the direct consequences of fossil fuel projects together with others standing in solidarity, was sent to the Dutch Members of Parliament to vote against any form of fossil export support. Both ENDS has worked to stop governmental support for export credits to fossil fuel projects for a long time. In 2022, the Dutch government committed to stopping public finance for fossil fuel projects but unfortunately, the policy has various ‘loopholes’ that make it possible for the Dutch government to keep supporting large fossil projects for at least another year. These projects often run for years and will have a negative impact on the countries where they take place for decades to come. With this joint letter we once again emphasised the negative impact of fossil fuel projects on people and ecosystems, and urged the Dutch government to stop fossil export support now.
  • In April, we joined a coalition of Dutch organisations to present a joint agricultural manifesto; “The Dutch Agriculture Agreement offers prospects for sustainable farmers and consumers worldwide”. It urges the government’s agricultural policy to reduce the Netherlands’ enormous agrarian footprint beyond our borders, by taking food security and the preservation of biodiversity as its starting points. Within a few weeks, the manifesto had been signed by over 70 civil society organisations, agricultural organisations and companies, environmental organisations, and scientists from around the world. The manifesto itself and the topics were central in a parliamentary debate and a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in The Hague.
  • Both ENDS successfully contributed to amplifying and understanding the crucial link between gender equality, trade, and investments, as part of Dutch ambition to embrace a Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). We organised a panel on trade and gender equality – in collaboration with ActionAid, SOMO, Milieudefensie and partners – as part of the FFP conference organised by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Key feminist trade partners of Both ENDS from the Global South were able to take centre stage. A joint publication on the topic, ‘Reimagining Trade and Investment through a Feminist Lens’ was discussed with relevant policymakers. We call for respect for women’s and human rights, and increase gender equality in Dutch foreign policy, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ+) rights. The proposals are offered in the spirit of constructive collaboration as Dutch policy-makers create the building blocks for a forward-looking FFP on trade, investment, and tax for the Netherlands – a policy that prioritises women’s human rights, care, and the planet above profit.

TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICES

  • Since its founding, Both ENDS has worked with partners to promote the meaningful and long-term participation of communities in sharing and caring for water. Preparations for the 2023 UN Water Conference provided the perfect opportunity for Both ENDS and partners to take this work a step further by developing a comprehensive, shared vision of inclusive water governance. The resulting Transformative Water Pact, co-authored by 40 organisations and individuals worldwide, describes ten principles that concern the root causes of the current water crisis, the diverse values of water, and its governance as a commons.
  • In Brazil, agroecological logbooks strengthened women farmers. The logbooks stimulate women farmers to monitor their food production. This way, they gain more insights on the value of production for the family, including monetary and non-monetary benefits, and the preservation of soil health and biodiversity. This project is supported by the working group Women of ANA (the National Agroecology Network) and the organisation CAATINGA. Both ENDS is working together with CAATINGA and the working group of ANA, supporting them in their fundraising efforts for the Caderneta Agroecológica initiative.
  • The Communities Regreen the Sahel is a programme promoting the upscaling of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) to restore degraded (farm)land in the Sahel region. Together with locally rooted partners in Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal, local farmers have regreened almost 17.000 hectares in 2023, bringing the total hectares of regreened land to 116.197 over the last 6 years of this programme. This has resulted among other things in improved soil fertility, food production, income for women’s cooperatives, and ecological and climate resilience.
  • In 2023 Both ENDS has been closely collaborating with social movements in Bangladesh. Bangladesh suffers from massive floods due to wrongly constructed dikes and a disrupted tidal ecosystem. As a result, monsoon (rain) water became trapped within the polders, leading to severe waterlogging affecting the lives and livelihoods of over 2 million people throughout the southwest coastal zone during the last decades. Massive grassroots resistance movements sprung up to demand change. Local organisation and Both ENDS’ partner Uttaran stepped in to support the people’s quest for ecosystem restoration and social justice. In 2023 we started working on a People’s Plan for Community-based Tidal River Management, together with Uttaran and CEGIS,which promotes the local knowledge, experiences and practices of Tidal River Management. Both ENDS has supported this process and the development of the People’s Plan by visiting local and national Bangladeshi governmental organisations and the Dutch Embassy to gather support for the development of this plan.

A word from our co-directors and board

In the Netherlands and around the world, there is growing awareness that the current economic system is not working. Diverse social movements let their voices be heard in 2023, calling out loud and clear for justice and systemic change. In the Netherlands, Extinction Rebellion activists occupied a highway to bring attention to the urgent need to end fossil fuel subsidies – a policy Both ENDS has long advocated for. In Argentina, Indigenous peoples mobilised in resistance to the lithium rush, which threatens their communities and the fragile ecosystems they have long cared for. In Asia, women environmental human rights defenders have built a regional movement against mining and for democratic governance and corporate accountability. They are demanding recognition of women’s leadership in protecting life systems, cultures, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods. Their efforts give us hope in a world facing multiple crises.

At the same time, the challenges we face are undeniably grave. At the end of the year, a far-right party won the most seats in the Dutch Parliament. There is a serious risk that the Netherlands will renege on its commitment to international cooperation and turn its back on the rest of the world. Globally, more than sixty elections are set to take place in 2024 and the signs are worrisome. Democracy is threatened in many countries and civic space is shrinking across the world.

The future we see

In the face of these challenges, we are convinced thattogether with partners worldwide, we can and must tackle the root causes of social and environmental injustice. This entails both laying bare the problems, as well as showing the world the way forward – helping people see that another world is possible. To that end, in 2023, we were pleased to organise ‘The Future We See’ series. We opened the doors of our historic office in Utrecht to local students and other guests with a live talk show and video podcast focused on inspirational and visionary systems and solutions. In three lively events, we put the spotlight – literally and figuratively – on practitioners who are actively engaged in or creating food systems, economic systems, and decision-making systems based on principles of justice, environmental sustainability and democratic, participatory processes.

Of course, one purpose of the series was to connect what’s happening here in the Netherlands with the crucial work of our partners and allies around the world. In a panel on food systems, Rosinah Mbenya, from Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Association Kenya, shared the stage with three panelists based in the Netherlands, and spoke about the group’s efforts to advance agroecological methods and centre Indigenous knowledge in Kenya. The panelists exchanged their experiences and thoughts on sustainable farming practices and policies. In a session on economic systems, Jane Nalunga, from the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) joined Winne van Woerden from the Amsterdam-based Commons Network in a lively discussion about degrowth and the need to redesign the economy based on indicators of well-being. In a session on inclusive and democratic decision-making, we heard how villagers of Mendha-Lekha, India, are successfully implementing traditional consensus-based forms of self-rule that are based on similar values and agreements being practised in citizen assemblies organised in the Netherlands and worldwide. By supporting and linking these diverse systems and practitioners, we are convinced that a better world is in the making.

From principles to policy

Meanwhile, in our advocacy, we worked to defend and create space for that better world. A manifesto on Dutch agricultural policy, supported by more that 70 civil society and farmer organisations, as well as academics and members of the private sector, placed particular emphasis on the need to support robust local food systems, small-scale producers and preserve food security in countries in the Global South. We called on the Dutch government to examine the Netherlands’ role as a global trader and consumer of food and agricultural products, and to reduce the country’s ecological impact.

In a series of workshops together with the members of the Fair, Green and Global (FGG) Alliance, we articulated our shared vision and principles for a feminist foreign policy on trade and investment, and worked out what this would mean in terms of policy. At a session during the international Feminist Foreign Policy Conference organised by the Dutch government, we urged policymakers to reorient trade, investment and tax policies so they prioritise women’s rights, care and the health of the planet above profit. Our analysis and recommendations, published in Reimagining Trade and Investment through a Feminist Lens, served as input for the development of the new Dutch Feminist Foreign Policy.

Similarly, the Transformative Water Pact, co-developed by some 40 organisations during a series of online roundtable discussions, describes ten principles that concern the root causes of the current water crisis, the diverse values pertaining to water, and the need to govern our waters as a commons. Launched in anticipation of the UN Water Conference 2023, the pact serves as a compass pointing towards the type of decision-making processes, institutions and power relations that are needed to foreground environmental justice, equity and care in relation to water.

Confirmation that we’re on track

We were very pleased to receive confirmation in 2023 that our approaches and strategies are bearing fruit and are highly valued by partners. Mid-term reviews of our two strategic partnerships with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, FGG and the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA), revealed that the themes of the two alliances – trade and value chains, and gender-just climate action – are extremely relevant. Both FGG and GAGGA are contributing to important results, from strengthening women’s leadership, resilience and capacities to advance gender-just climate solutions at the local level, to bringing about major policy shifts – such as divestment from fossil fuels – at the global level. Partners also confirmed that our ways of working enable them to set their own priorities and lead on their work in their local and national contexts. These findings were echoed in positive feedback from partners as part of our ‘Examination of Power’ process. In an anonymous survey, most partners reported feeling supported by Both ENDS, with high levels of mutual trust, and direct, clear and open communication.

Donors also recognise the value of our work. In 2023, together with our GAGGA partners, we succeeded in increasing support for locally-led gender-just climate action. New funding from Global Affairs Canada, the Chanel Foundation and Re:Arc Institute has enabled us to expand and deepen the work of the GAGGA network. And with the generous support of the Dutch Postcode Lottery, we’re piloting a new approach to funding and reporting – ‘Dare to Trust’ – that is entirely unrestricted and flexible.

Changes, challenges and opportunities ahead

The year 2023 marked some major changes at Both ENDS. After 15 years of service, Daniëlle Hirsch, stepped down as Director of Both ENDS to take up her new role as a Member of Dutch Parliament. After eight years as chair of the Both ENDS Board, Paul Engel recently passed the baton to Leida Rijnhout. We wish Daniëlle and Paul the best of luck and are grateful to them for their long-term commitment to Both ENDS. Fortunately, they leave behind a strong and resilient organisation. Both ENDS’ self-organised structure helps to ensure that we have a deep reservoir of talent and leadership.

Amidst these organisational changes is a shifting political landscape. A more restrictive and challenging context worldwide requires us to step up our collective struggle with partners. One of the lessons from the GAGGA mid-term review was that our work to build global solidarity and support collective care is essential in the current context of increased repression and structural violence faced by many partners. In the coming months, we will take this and other lessons forward as we look to the horizon and develop a new five-year strategy. Working hand-in-hand with partners and allies around the world, we know that today’s challenges will be tomorrow’s opportunities. Working with our partners and allies around the world, we are committed to contributing to the urgent systemic changes needed to achieve a healthy, just and bright world for all, now and in the future.

Annelieke Douma and Karin van Boxtel, Interim Directors

Leida Rijnhout, Chair of the Board

 

Annelieke Douma en Karin van Boxtel, Interim Directors

Leida Rijnhout, Chair of the Board