Connecting Civil Society, Governance and Development
People need many things to live a quality life and achieve their potential. While poverty is most often measured by income, income levels alone are not the issue. Poverty and economic, social and political rights are inextricably connected. Poor health can lead to impoverishment while living in poverty has a myriad of health implications. People living in poverty often have limited access to educational opportunities and a lack of education limits a person’s ability to escape from poverty. Armed conflicts force people from their homes and into dire living conditions while poverty creates ideal conditions for inflaming political strife that leads to armed conflict. In a world where money is power and people living in poverty are denied access to participation, marginalization and powerlessness are perhaps the greatest barriers facing impoverished communities.

For decades, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been working to remove the barriers faced by people living in poverty through projects that meet basic needs such as health care, water and sanitation, education, housing and income generation. What has become clear, however, is that these programs only have a deep impact in the long-term when they are connected to wider initiatives and strategies. Development agents are increasingly challenged not only to build linkages between the critical issues faced by people living in poverty, but also to find ways to connect their work to economic and social policy at the national and international levels.

Capacity building is a potentially powerful means through which to build and strengthen these connections. FIT’s approach has evolved from designing projects aimed at supporting the development of partner organisations, to a focus on building and strengthening institutional frameworks that can foster connection and participation, and encouraging networking and sharing experience across social sectors. While our work continues to address the programming, management and strategic capacity needs of individual organisations and institutions, together with our partners we have created opportunities to share new knowledge and skills to promote broader connections—connections with local communities, civil society, governmental institutions, the private sector and the international community.

Our approach to capacity building starts with the existing experience, knowledge and skills of our partners. By emphasizing their strengths, our partners are empowered to grow and learn, and develop their capacities to build solid connections for change within their societies. This year’s Annual Report highlights how our capacity building programs have built critical connections across issues and sectors.

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