CHRONICLE TECHO 1

Un Techo para mi País (TECHO) is a non‐profit organization lead by college students and young professionals which aims to eradicate the extreme poverty that affects one third of the Latin American population. We work together with Latin America’s most marginalized populations in the construction of transitional houses and the implementation of social inclusion programs empowering them with tools to improve their quality of life. TECHO was created in Chile in 1997 by a group of college students. After only 14 years of existence, TECHO is already present in 19 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, it has mobilized over 420.000 volunteers, and has built over 82.000 transitional houses. Why has grown so fast? What have been the distinctive leadership traits of this institution? What experience can the European youth that are also involved with issues of poverty and social inequality incorporate?

CHRONICLE TECHO

ONE In 1997, Chile was recognized as “The Latin American jaguar,” it was one of the richest countries of the region. However, unacceptable social inequalities still persisted, pushing more than 135,000 families to live in slums (settlements), the most obvious symbol of exclusion in Latin America. At this point in time, a group of young academics, lead by Felipe Berríos SJ, realized that the country was not sustainable if it continued to leave the impoverished to the side, and educate the college students as elitist that were far away from the realities of their countries. Without major theories, nor exact truths, they set a goal to build 300 transitional houses destined for families that were living in extreme poverty in Curanilahue, South of Chile. This group of college students never imagined that this would be the beginning of a project, and of a dream, that would still hold strong today, multiplying itself in every corner of Latin America under the name of Un Techo para mi País (TECHO).

TWO The second chapter in the history of TECHO begins in 2001, with the earthquakes that hit Peru and El Salvador. College students in these countries, that had heard on the news what their Chilean peers were doing with the most impoverished families of their country, set out to cover the post earthquake emergency through the construction of transitional houses for the people who became homeless. For the first CHRONICLE TECHO 2 time in years, college students in El Salvador and Peru worked side by side as equals with the most excluded people of their countries.

THREE In 2005, thanks to the support of the Inter‐American Development Bank and companies such as LAN Airlines and Santander, TECHO begins its international expansion phase, and a three phase intervention model begins to take shape: 1) Large‐Scale Construction of Transitional Houses, 2) Implementation of Social Inclusion Programs, and 3) Development of Sustainable Communities. Since 2005, TECHO began to solidify itself as a Latin American project, created and lead by college students and families that live in the slums. This meant a shift in the paradigm of solidarity: TECHO was working with the families, not for them. The idea was to empower the families so that they could take ownership of their own development processes.

FOUR In 2010, after the earthquakes that hit Chile and Haiti, TECHO meets the goal of being present in 19 countries, historically involving 400,000 college students, and building 80,000 transitional houses. We became an organization that had the capacity to involve all sectors of society which included college students, the private sector, and media outlets. TECHO became known for their innovation in our programs directly influenced by our work with the communities.

Why was TECHO successful? There are four unique aspects within the leadership of TECHO. First of all, the dialogue between thought and taking action. There are no perfect models, and between the issues reach and quality there will always be one that will reign over the other. Within TECHO there is a culture of “doing and making do,” that is typical of youth. While we are still searching for the “green,” the environmentally sustainable, the resistant to all types of natural disasters house, Haitian families are still living in tents and shacks. This is a real “ethics scandal.” Due to the urgency of the situation we are dealing with, we cannot wait to see where every little piece of the puzzle will fit; we must dive in and begin executing.

Secondly, within TECHO there is a dream: to build a Latin America without poverty. This is a shared dream. The young generation needs and wants to have huge challenges set for us, that will make us exceed our own expectations. Only at the point when we feel a part of something, CHRONICLE TECHO 3 and when we feel challenged, is when we become willing to give our lives to fulfill the dream of a Latin America without poverty.

Thirdly, within TECHO young people are constantly invited to take risks. We are an institution where every idea is welcome, and where every mistake, and every solution adds value to this project. In this sense, it is very important to find the balance between thought and taking action, and that this balance be marked by the urgency that exists in the slums.

Fourth, the sense of institution. It is important to be plural but not ambiguous. TECHO has had an interesting ability to unite young people from different political parties and religious affiliations because it has managed to find a consensus on the key issues, and given free rein to the diversity of the sub topics. We are all in this together for one main point: to help build a Latin America without poverty. This is what motivates us, what unites us as one, regardless of our personal beliefs.

Why is TECHO important for the European youth? Europe is slowly awakening. The media enthusiastically cover movements such as the outraged in Madrid and London, where thousands of young people go out on the streets to express their discontentment with the current situation in their countries. It is a necessary awakening in a world that is faced with a scandalous inequality. However, it is not enough. It is not enough to sit in a park as a form of protest, being against everything while proposing nothing. The young generation needs to take the discussion further, and truly commit ourselves to the world that we must live in. This is what freedom is: freedom is committing to something or someone. From this perspective, it is necessary to stop seeing politics as something negative, and start seeing the role of public service as central in transforming our society. The rebelliousness of the youth should propel us to take charge of the issues that our countries face. We should not let others continue to ignore us and make decisions that are not aligned under the concepts of justice and equality. It is necessary to put a stop to this issue, but to do so with a concrete proposal in mind.

The diagnosis is clear: we must make structural changes. But those changes will not be made if we continue to sit in the parks protesting. Those changes can be made by involving ourselves with the system; and for this we must find a balance between thought and taking action. We must be capable of building institutions that resist the volatility of the impulses of passion. CHRONICLE TECHO 4 Otherwise, winter snows will come and that enthusiasm will fade away. Europe and the world is in need of a generous youth, that understands that at the end of the day, leadership means defining reality and giving hope to build a society that we all want to live in together.

Ignacio González CEO Un Techo para mi País – USA

Clinton Global Initiative 2010

United Nations Habitat Award Secretary General of the United Nations, 2010 Ban Ki‐moon, visits TECHO headquarters Chile 2010