Netzkraft Movement

IRED

3, rue Varembé, P.O. Box 116
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland

Contact person: Fernand Vincent

+41 22 734 17 16
+41 22 740 00 11
info@ired.org
http://www.ired.org

Topics

  • Aid for developing countries
  • Ecological research/futurology

About us

Founded in 1981, IRED is comprised of an international network of local partners in Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific: peasant associations, fishermen, cattlemen, artisans, animation centers, NGOs supporting training and technology as well as institutes devoted to study, research and training.

IRED is:

- an international association of individuals who believe in a global development project, who live by the same values and who are committed, both individually and collectively, towards bringing about change;

- an international network of over 1000 partners, local networks, peasant and urban groups, associations of handicraftsmen, women, cooperatives, NGOs and other fellow organisations, who are eager to collaborate in order to break out of their state of isolation and, by joining forces, constitute an organised force to bring about change;

- an international service, organised at the national, regional and world levels, to provide its members and partners, and indeed all of the organisations with which it collaborates, with information, exchanges of experiences and support for local and global development.

Objectives:

The first role is to strengthen local associations - people’s federations, unions, networks and movements, both rural and urban. This strengthening process must result in their being able to attain the means to support their own development as well as to have a say in decisions pertaining to their future.

This also involves strengthening the leaders of these organizations, in other words the men and women on whom these changes in attitude, mentality and structure depend. This institutional strengthening and training process encompasses four dimensions:

1. A look at culture. It is in fact at the very root of their culture that the characters of these men and women are formed, and with this the basis for the develop­ment of these organizations. Social recognition. These men and women must be listened to, in their capacity as representatives of the rural and urban popula­tion.

2. Financial autonomy and promotion of economic activities. One of the essential ingredients for these organisations’ financial autonomy lies in management, and therefore much emphasis is placed on training in this domain.

3. The political dimension. Any change necessitates political decisions and action.

Fernand Vincent (Switzerland), Treasurer, is the Former General Secretary of the Panafrican Institut for Development, IRED's World Network founder and the Former Director of the RAFAD Foundation.

For other net participants we can offer expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, deliver a lecture, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.