Foundations for Peace

The Reconstruction Women’s Fund, Serbia.
11000 Beograd, Srbija.
email: office@rwfund.org

The Reconstruction Women’s Fund is the first local women’s Foundation in Serbia. Its mission is to support women’s emancipatory social and political role.

Programme goals

to follow and facilitate tendencies in women’s initiatives
to support women’s NGO’s developing their programmes from cumulative to public strategising
to empower networking, co-operation and solidarity
to encourage programmes on activists’ and theorists’ communication

Grant-making Programames:
Women’s Initiatives – support to women’s groups working on the scope of women’s human rights Rapid Response Grants – issued within 72 hours small grants for urgent and unanticipated situations
Stipends Zarana Papic – support to individual women activists/academics to improve their access to knowledge and global exchange in the fields related to gender/women’s issues
Special focus – developing program includes several lines: 16 Days Campaign, Roma Women Activism, Critical Issues

AlvarAlice, Colombia
Foundacion AlvarAlice in a non-profit Foundation established in 2003 in Cali, Colombia, by the siblings of the Alvaro Garces Giraldo and Alice Echavarria Olozaga to honour their parents philanthropic spirit and committment to Colombia’s social development.

In addition to continuing their parents legacy and work, the Foundation’s objectives is to develop synergistic partnerships and global alliances that enhance the lives and living conditions of Colombian citizens, particularly of the disadvantaged and underprivileged communities.

Vision
To contribute to an equitable and peaceful Colombian society.

Mission
The Foundation supports innovative projects and programmes that seek to enhance the life and living conditions of Colombian citizens, particularly the underprivileged by advocating strategic global, national and local alliances leveraging effective mobilization of resources, and promoting conflict resolution in inter-related areas of peace building, education, healthcare, civic action, and income generation.

Themba Lesizwe, Pretoria, South Africa
Themba Lesizwe opened its offices in Pretoria in 2001. Initially a Network of trauma service providers, the organisation has blossomed and now boasts an affiliate database of over 270 non-profit organisations working in the field of victim empowerment.

The primary role of Themba lesizwe is to provide support to the victim empowerment sector. This it does by coordinating a variety of Programmes aimed at strengthening organisations and their ability to provide effective interventions for victims and survivors of violence in South Africa.

It enjoys the patronage of respected South African personalities as it tries ti make victim empowerment and the concerns and aspirations of victims and survivors of violence a key human rights and development concern in South Africa.

Manusher Jonno Foundation, Bangladesh
The Manusher Jonno Foundation is an initiative designed to promote human roghts and good governance in Bangladesh. It is committed to:

Promoting the voices of people whose rights are being denied and violated
creating the social environment necessary to build people’s dignity
Channelling isolated, unlinked efforts about human rights and governance into linked and aligned actions
Challenging the vested interests and established hierarchies in the society that perpetuates poverty

MJ works with different sectors of society including non-government organisations, civil society and the private sector and state institutions. It provides financial and technical support to the stakeholders in creating an enabling environment where human rights and good governance are upheld and nurtured by the stakeholders.

TASO Foundation (TF), as the national women’s fund transformed from Women's Program of Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF), started operating in early 2007 for continuation of WP mission. Through the 9 years of operating in the country (1998-2006): intensive collaboration with OSI Network Women’s Program leadership, colleagues/other leaders of women's movements of Eastern European, post-Soviet countries and international agencies, OSGF WP had gained the necessary experience and expertise that allows her to continue her mission as an independent women's fund.

Mission Statement:

Support achievement of gender equality in Georgia;
Protect women’s rights and freedoms;
Ensure participation of women in the processes of peace-building, democratic and economic development;
Combat gender based violence;
Protect children’s rights and combat violence against children;
Support development of social sciences, gender studies and feminist art in Georgia;
Protect nature and cultural heritage.

We have cooperated with different actors of women's NGO community. The expertise and reputation of many of women's NGOs was built through their collaboration with WP/TF. For reaching common goals, TF continues cooperation with reliable partners of previous years. For raising efficiency of her activism, in her steady, result oriented work TF practices different types of activities suitable for concrete circumstances: competition-based grant making; negotiation grants for experienced and trustworthy partners; operational activities; mixed activities. The library and archives of Memory Research Centre at TASO Foundation are open for researchers, students, women's movement activists.

Under her main working directions (programs): Violence Against Women, Gender &Education, Gender & Media, Reproductive Rights & Health, Empowerment of Rural Women, Memory Research Center, TASO Foundation implemented 39 activities. 77 grants had been made, 6 books were published. We are flexible in our activities in response to the situation in the country and women's needs and requirements.

Among our main achievements are: contribution in Georgian women's movement development, initiation and support for the development of purposeful networks as Anti-Violence Network of Georgia and GenderMediaCaucasus, development of Women's Oral History in Georgia, contribution in economic strengthening of rural women and their social activism, support for the development of gender documentary producing, publications including, the “Women's Memory” and “Feminist Library” series.

Among the main challenges that are interwoven at the same time, the following should be noted: lack of applicability of the International Legislation on Women's Rights in Georgia; lack of political will in implementation of gender equality and justice in Georgia; inconsistency in democracy building process on the part of the government; poor participation of women on the decision making level; poverty of the majority of the population.

Taso Foundation is a member of International Gender Policy Network (IGPN: www.igpn.net).

Taso Foundation (women’s fund & memory research center)
15, Rezo Tabukashvili Str.; 0108, Tbilisi, Georgia
E-mail:marina@taso.org.ge
website : www.taso.org.ge