- ActionAid
- Focus areas of our work
- How we work
- Countries we work in
- Examples and results
- The organisation
Central America
In Central America, MS ActionAid Denmark supports strengthening local democracy, promoting trade justice and increasing benefits derived from migration. We support local organisations in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Strengthening local democracy
“What we have achieved, we have achieved together. We have learned that we ourselves have to make sure that things are changed the way we want them to be changed.”
María Amparo Centeno López, in a comment to an experience in Northern Nicaragua where citizens convinced local authorities to invest in clean water instead of a community house.
Formally, democracy is now well established in all Central American countries. Reality is however different, and citizens often lack the necessary insight and skills to influence public politics and performance, both at national and local level. This limits the possibilities for formal democracy to evolve into real democracy.
Though our support to local organisations in the Central American region we increase citizens’ ability to actively participate in the formulation, management and subsequent audit of local public policies and investments.
We support
- The development of community agendas, developed for and by the people.- The preparation of participatory budgets, where citizens decide how to best spend public finances.
- Social audits of the actions carried out by local governments.
We also support
- Training for youth, women, and new leaders.- Networking and internal democracy among local organisations.
- Income diversification for campesino economy.
- Improved access to fair trade markets for local farmers.
- Proactive participation and advocacy in relation to trade policies and agreements.
Learn more
Read more about our work in Central AmericaDocuments
Tropical storm Stan 2005
Read articles about the tropical storm Stan in Central America October 2005!
Honduras elections 2005
Read articles and news about the elections in Honduras 2005!
Trade
Please find articles on trade from MS Central America.
Gender
Articles from MS Central America on women and gender issues.
Focus on hiv/aids
Articles from MS Central America with focus on hiv/aids.
Nicaragua crisis and corruption
Articles on Nicaragua's problems with constitutional reform, election fraud, corruption and more.
Challenges to democracy in Guatemala
Articles about the challenges to democracy in Guatemala, including the closure of a series by former MS cooperant Lone Hvass.
Failede to execute the script. The following was returned by the error object (runtime)
| Number: | -2147467259 |
| Source: | Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server |
| Description: | [DBNETLIB][ConnectionOpen (Connect()).]SQL Server does not exist or access denied. |
| line: | 13 |
| Column: | 2 |
| Text: |
Most Significant Changes
Building Local Democracy
“I developed my capacities - now I am capable” (Nicaragua, FUMDEC)
“I’m happy with my life” (Honduras, UTC La Paz)
“Women need to be there, making demands” (Nicaragua, FUMDEC)
“I had to change first” (Nicaragua, CafeNica)
“I can decide what I want for myself” (Nicaragua, CafeNica)
“Citizen participation is more than just voting for somebody” (Nicaragua, FUMDEC)
“Here nobody is worth more than anyone else” (Guatemala, CUC)
“I felt less worthy than them” (Nicaragua, UNAG Matagalpa/Desafíos)
“You have to know what you’re going to ask for” (Nicaragua, UCA San Ramón)
“One swallow does not make a summer” (Nicaragua, Fundemuni)
“Little tiny projects don’t help us at all” (Guatemala, Mamá Maquín)
“We’re turning the tortilla over” (Honduras, COPREDEDPYI)
“This all seems like a dream come true” (Nicaragua, IPADE Siuna)
“Community based organizations are important actors” (Honduras, UTC La Paz)
“Women now have confidence” (Nicaragua, UCA San Ramón)
“The majority of young women are in the same situation” (Nicaragua, FUMDEC)
“They considered us important” (Nicaragua, FUMDEC)
“We must remain organized” (Nicaragua, UNAG Matagalpa/Desafíos)
Trade Justice
“What am I going to do with this money?” (Nicaragua, UNAG Siuna)
“As a family we have caused change to come about” (Nicaragua, UNAG Siuna)
“We now know where to sell” (Guatemala, ADAM)
Migration
“We want to produce more” (Honduras, ADROH)
Global Contact
“I have changed in many ways” (Nicaragua/Denmark, UCA San Ramón)
Get closer to MS Central America's work - and to that of our partner organizations - through pictures and sound.
 |
:: Inspirators leave a mark The Inspirator program is showing excellent results in Honduras and Nicaragua. |
 |
:: “I developed my capacities - now I am capable” Most Significant Change story, as told by Angélica Luna (FUMDEC, Nicaragua). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “I’m happy with my life” Most Significant Change story, as told by Etelvina Calix (UTC La Paz, Honduras). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “What am I going to do with this money?” Most Significant Change story, as told by Salvadora Guardado Lagos (UNAG Siuna, Nicaragua). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “Women need to be there, making demands” Most Significant Change story, as told by Mayela Roque (FUMDEC, Nicaragua). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “I had to change first” Most Significant Change story, as told by Isabel Flores (CafeNica, Nicaragua). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “We want to produce more” Most Significant Change story, as told by María Santos Cruz (ADROH, Honduras). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “I can decide what I want for myself” Most Significant Change story, as told by Esmeralda Martínez (CafeNica, Nicaragua). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “As a family we have caused change to come about” Most Significant Change story, as told by Juana Morales Gómez (UNAG Siuna, Nicaragua). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: “Citizen participation is more than just voting for somebody” Most Significant Change story, as told by Dominga Velázquez (FUMDEC, Nicaragua). In Spanish and with English subtitles. |
 |
:: "I have changed in many ways" Amalia Montano Dahl (Global Volunteer, Denmark/Nicaragua) gives her testimony on Most Significant Change. |
 |
:: Activista: Coming to America! ActionAid International's youth network Activista is expanding to Latin America. A group of dedicated activists have created the basis for new, continental cooperation. |
 |
:: Honduras: “We are here because of the democracy” The demonstrations against the coup d’état continue in Honduras. Images and opinions from day 37. |
 |
:: Honduras: Farmers take over agricultural institute Following the coup d’état in Honduras, eight farmers’ organizations are trying to protect the conquests made by farmers over the past years. |
 |
:: Time for change In a small community in the Northern part of Nicaragua, the mayor wanted to build a community house. But the citizens preferred clean water - and made the mayor change his plans. Download as Flash swf (7.5 mb) |
MS Central America – ActionAid Denmark
Regional office and country office Nicaragua
Asociacion Danesa para la Cooperacion Internacional
Bolonia, Optica Nicaraguense, 1c. arriba, 1 1/2c. sur, Managua, Nicaragua.
Mail: Apdo. 3979, Managua, Nicaragua.
Phone: (+505) 22544740
Fax: (+505) 22680149
Email: ms@cam.org.ni
Web: www.ms.dk/ca
Country office Honduras
Colonia América, Segunda Etapa, 11 Avenida, Calle 5, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Tel. (+504) 2344632
Email: carlosms.honduras@gmail.com
Country office El Salvador
Residencial Zanzibar, Calle Motocross, Pasaje a Oriente, No. 24, San Salvador, El Salvador
Tel. (+503) 22574871
Email: cynthia.msca@navegante.com.sv
ActionAid Guatemala
25 av. 1-94, Zona 7 Colonia Altamira 1, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala
Tel. (+502) 24728283
Fax: (+502) 24741180
Email: guatemala@actionaid.org
Web: www.actionaidguatemala.org
Press: Christian Korsgaard
Communications Advisor Central America
Tel: +505 22544740, ext. 121
Mobil: +505 86264812
Mail: korsgaard.c@gmail.com
