The Netherlands

Launch of Dutch Movement for Community-Led Development

The Hunger Project–The Netherlands is happy to inform that we a new movement can be added to the successful global movement for Community Led Development (CLD): the Dutch chapter. The first event in The Netherlands was held on November 30, 2016 and was attended by development professionals and supporters, civil society organizations and academics. Together they concluded that current paradigms of development have to be changed and become more inclusive. There is a need for active participation of people and their communities in the design, implementation and financing of international development policies and programs. The Movement can help to link, learn and scale up successful methods and practices that empower people to end their own hunger and poverty.

John Coonrod, The Hunger Project’s Executive Vice President, presented an analytical framework on CLD and highlighted numerous cases of how investing in communities has led to development at scale for several countries world wide.

In an open space workshop four groups envisioned their ideas and visions on the movement for CLD and made this explicit by building creative and colorful dream castles including goals, challenges, opportunities of such a collaboration.

During the inspiring session participants discussed various ways of how community led development can be achieved, what this movement can and cannot contribute to the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Some of the key outcomes were:

  • The community-led development approach reflects our basic values and components for sustainable and inclusive development and economic growth. A joint effort to create an enabling environment for CLD is needed and can be effectuated after concretization and deeper analyses of the concept.
  • The movement offers space to draft joint objectives, build ‘science and evidence’ for a joint action agenda and advocacy.
  • A mind-set change of people in communities is key, but also changing the minds of donor institutions, private sector and decision makers is necessary.
  • Boosting community led development world wide by linking Dutch community based initiatives to international programs, and by using ‘local heroes’ to tell the story.

The participants agreed that a next step for the movement would be to start sharing practices and methodologies on CLD, develop a joint narrative and seek to include other groups (also non CSOs) to develop a joint agenda and work together to highlight the benefits of community led development, both in the Netherlands as internationally. A next meeting is planned in February 2017. For more information, participation or suggestions, please contact hilke@thehungerprojcet.nl

Participants at the launch of the Dutch Movement for Community Led development were:

  • Aflatoun
  • Care
  • Heifer
  • ICCO
  • Oxfam Novib
  • Red een Kind
  • Save the Children
  • Simavi
  • Tear Foundation
  • Writer & Development professional Sjon van ‘t Hof
  • The Hunger Project