- Details
- Category: About EM
- Details
- Category: About EM
¿What is EntreMundos?
EntreMundos is a Guatemalan nonprofit organization, founded in 2001 to support organizations and groups that are committed to the fight against poverty and the defense and promotion of human rights for the country’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations.
Born in Quetzaltenango (capital of the eponymous department), EntreMundos offers a range of services to strengthen the abilities and competencies of community organizations, promote networking, cooperation, and synergy between them, and raise awareness about their work and the difficulties that they face every day.
We promote and stimulate citizen participation by Guatemalan civil society so that the population, local agents, and grassroots organizations can acquire the knowledge they need to effectively advance the social, civil, cultural, economic, and political progress of their people; and so that they actively participate in direction and decision-making to improve their conditions of living.
EntreMundos firmly believes that it is possible to achieve positive change in Guatemala – principally in the most disadvantaged and vulnerable areas – through programs with a “bottom-up” focus on rural development, based on the needs, expectations, ideas, and initiatives of local populations, so that the communities themselves can fight to defend their civil, social, cultural, political, and economic rights and have a positive impact both at a local level (rural development) and at a national level (political advocacy).
Mission
We aim to encourage and strengthen the abilities and competencies of local Guatemalan development organizations – respecting their values, ethics, principles, policies, strategies, and work methodologies – with the objective of transforming them into multiplying agents and key actors for the sustainable development of their areas of operation. We support civil society and community and locally-based organizations through five principal axes of work:
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the Capacity Building Program (through certification programs on different subjects and courses in information technology);
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the Best Practices in Community Tourism Program;
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the Small Grants Program;
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the national and international Volunteer Service;
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and our bimonthly and bilingual Magazine (in Spanish and English).
Vision
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To work toward the construction of a Guatemalan community development sector that is well organized and connected, highly qualified, and supplied with local resources, that is capable of offering successful and effective projects, as well as programs that can respond effectively to the problems of poverty, social exclusion, discrimination, and injustice that devastate the country.
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To empower our beneficiaries on topics and sectors that concretely contribute to the sustainable and equitable development in Guatemala, transforming them into multiplying agents and key actors who are capable of representing the interests of their communities and raising their voices for a more effective protection of their rights.
- Details
- Category: About EM
It meets once a year and additionally when the Board of Directors considers it appropriate, and it is principally responsible for reviewing and approving reports on completed activities, the accounting and financial situation of the organization, strategic plans, work, and budgets; as well as for making necessary and appropriate decisions for the appropriate development of EntreMundos activities, the resolution of problems, and the operation of the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors 2016-2018 is as follows:
- President and Legal Representative: Glenda Gabriela López Ximin
Vice President: Pilar Cajas Argueta
Treasurer: Thomas Anthony Lingenfelter
Secretary: Emmanuel Yac
The members of the Technical Team (updated in August 2017) are the following:
FABIO CARBONE - Director
Fabio has a specialization in “Local Management and Development” from the Unión Iberoamericana de Municipalistas of Granada (Spain) and has more than 12 years of experience in International Cooperation: he worked with CARITAS in Ecuador in 2004/2005, as a representative of the Italian NGO CISV in West Africa from 2006 to 2008, and in Guatemala from 2008 to 2013, where he coordinated various projects financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Piemonte Region of Italy, and the Episcopal Conference.
YESSICA PASTOR - Capacity Building, Computer Skills and Small Grants Programs Coordinator
Yessica has a degree in Local Environmental Management, from San Carlos University of Guatemala and has completed Regional Development studies at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO).
She has experience working on tourism field in Tikal and Flores, Petén and has worked for several years as a Spanish teacher in different schools in Quetzaltenango. Since 2014, she has collaborated with different NGOs, supporting them with research, reports, monitoring and processes evaluation.
She is currently studying Business Administration at Rafael Landívar University located in Quetzaltenango.
She joined as a member of EntreMundos technical team in 2016, carrying out a supervised practice.
Since 2017 she has been collaborating internally with the institution as an assistant to all community strengthening initiatives.
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SIMONA ROVELLI - Webinars, on-line platforms and virtual workshops Expert
Simona has a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Turín, Italy (2002), a specialization in micro-finances from Boulder Institute of Microfinance, USA (2005), and postgraduate studies in Sustainable Development from the SOAS University of London, G.B. (2012).
She worked in Ecuador with a micro-finance institution and later in Burkina Faso (West Africa) as the Coordinator of Rural Development projects and micro-finance for the Italian NGO CISV, until 2008.
She subsequently moved to Quetzaltenango, where she worked as a consultant for local NGOs and since 2011 as a professor in the Political Science and International Relations department of Rafael Landívar University. In January 2015 she joined the EntreMundos team as the Coordinator of its Community Capacity Building initiatives and currently she collaborates with the institution as a consultant, expert in training cycles through virtual platforms.
PATRICIA RABINALES - Community Tourism Program Coordinator
She worked with the management and development program of the Municipal Women’s Office of Quetzaltenango and has offered capacity building services on topics such as local economic development, community tourism, gender, environment, and youth.
Today she's the Regional Delegate of the Product Development Division of INGUAT - Guatemalan Tourism Institute -. She joined EntreMundos as a workshop facilitator in 2012 and became a part-time member of the team in 2013.
LILA ICKS - Volunteer Program Coordinator
Lila holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Political Science. She graduated from the University Rafael Landívar and in her own words she describes: “Our globalized world needs people and countries committed to prosperity, where solidarity between nations gives life to International Relations”.
Lila is passionate about topics that promote social awareness: she has done extensive research on International Cooperation, sustainable development and citizen participation.
She believes in generating change and positive impact from the bottom up, which supports the thinking of Christie (1996): “Think global, act locally; the locality is the real environment of most people”.
FRANCISCO COJULUN - Guide for Volunteer Groups
Francisco was born and raised in Quetzaltenango. He joined EntreMundos in March, 2013 as the Coordinator and Guide for the community service program of the University of Alberta, Canada.
Since then he has worked with the James Madison, Bridgewater, and Drexel Universities (USA) and the Universities of Alberta and Ottawa (Canada) on a large number of projects that range from reforestation and school projects to the improvement of infrastructure and the management of cultural activities.
He also works at a local Spanish school, where he coordinates online classes and many of the extracurricular activities that take place across the western highlands of Guatemala.
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DIANA PASTOR - Magazine Editor
Diana has a bachelor’s degree in Rural social work from San Carlos University of Guatemala; she also studied Communication, social work and community leadership at California State University of Monterey Bay, United States. In addition, she also has a diploma as a Spanish Professor and is fluent in English.
She has worked with many organizations on projects with children, women and indigenous peoples in different areas of Guatemala. For several years, Diana worked for a local magazine as a photographer and writer. She has been a contributor for the Social Work Research Department of the San Carlos University in Quetzaltenango, and has obtained prizes from local and international literary competitions.
RICHARD BROWN - On-line Magazine Editor
Richard has worked with EntreMundos since October, 2013.
He gathers stories and articles from grassroots groups, academic experts, and public figures to cover issues like climate change, food security, and labor relations in Guatemala and internationally. He recruits and supports Guatemalan and foreign writers to publish original journalism and promote intercultural dialogue and equitable and sustainable development.
PATRICIA MACÍAS - Editor and Journalist
Patricia began working with the EntreMundos Magazine in October, 2013.
She has a degree in Journalism from Universidad Complutense in Madrid and has worked in international cooperation and communication in Spain, England, and Guatemala.
With the EntreMundos Magazine, Patricia writes, translates, edits photography and video and manages social media.
FERNANDO LÓPEZ - Accounting Administrator
Fernando holds a Diploma in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language and has been working for 6 years at El Quetzal Spanish School. At the same time he has been working in the tourism sector in Quetzaltenango, by leading guided tours of the city and nearby tourist attractions.
Recently he has attended several Marketing and Advertising courses and seminars such as "Service Best". He is currently studying Architecture at San Carlos University of Guatemala.
He has been working within the Financial and Administration Team at Entre Mundos since 2016.