Caribbean Central American Research Council

SCIENTIFIC AND SCHOLARLY RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND CHARITABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

IN 2021 CCARC ADVANCED SUBSTANTIALLY IN ITS MAIN PROJECT, " RECOGINIZING OUR PRACTICES AND KNOWLEDGE FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AREAS OF INTEREST AND WAYS OF LEARNING", IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FORD BUILD PROGRAM. THE PROJECT BROUGHT TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM 29 INDIGENOUS, AFRO-DECSENDANT AND TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF ASIA, AFRICA, AND LATIN AMERICA. OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, WE RETURNED TO IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS/EXCHANGES BETWEEN THESE ORGANIZATIONS. THE FIRST WAS IN GUATEMALA AND DISCUSSED CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES TO COVID-19 AND STRUGGLES OVER LAND AND LIVELIHOODS IN MESOAMERICA. THE SECOND WAS IN COLOMBIA AND BROUGHT TOGETHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM AFRDESCENDANT ORGANIZATIONS TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THEY FACE COMBATTING RACISM, AND THE THIRD WAS IN PANAMA AND BROUGHT TOGETHER WOMEN FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO DISCUSS WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ROLES AND CAPACITY BUILDING. THIS WAS FOLLOWED UP BY VIRTUAL MEETINGS THAT SIMILARLY ENGAGED THE PHILANTHROPIC WORLD ON THESE ISSUES. WE PRODUCED A MAJOR REPORT WITH CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PHILANTHROPIC WORLD FOR ACCOMPANYING INDIGENOUS, AFRO-DESCENDANT AND TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, DRAWN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE SAME ORGANIZATIONS. FINALLY, WE RESEARCHED AND PREPARED THREE MAJOR GLOBAL STUDIES ON THE STATUS OF INDIGENOUS, AFRO-DESCENDANT AND TRADITIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN EACH OF THE REGIONS (ASIA, AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA). THESE STUDIES ARE SET FOR LAUNCH AND PUBLICATION IN 2022. THE BOARD IN THEIR ANNUAL MEETING DISCUSSED LONGER-TERM GOALS AND STRATEGIES AND POTENTIAL FUTURE PROJECTS.