Championing Community-led Development: A Donor Gathering

HDI believes that a new Haiti will be comprised of strong local communities, especially in rural areas which are the heart and soul of the country, and therefore that supporting community-led development is one of the most effective strategies for development assistance. The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) has been a longstanding champion of community-led development, and has made grants to over 200 local organizations in Haiti.

So we were delighted to co-organize with IAF a one-day convening of 40 funders, donors, grant intermediaries and capacity builders to do a deep dive into how to both increase the amount of funding directed to community-led development and ensure we are providing the most effective forms of support.

A panel of Haitian experts on community-led development shared updates on what local communities are facing during the current situation and highlighted the opportunities presented. The crisis in Port-au-Prince has caused tens of thousands of residents to move or return to rural communities. There is broad recognition that the country’s future lies in decentralization. There is strong solidarity in rural communities and young people eager to engage in local development, particularly in improving the profitability of agriculture.

Participants discussed the best ways to support the development of leadership and institutions crucial to advancing community development and then made commitments on specific actions they will take to help bring more resources to community led development.

See the Haiti Development Forum website for more information.