Quaterly Report

MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006

Municipal Governance Program

QUARTERLY REPORT

July 1 – September 30, 2018

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACRONYMS 3

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5

II. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS 10

III. SIGNIFICANT CONSTRAINTS/LESSONS LEARNED

AND BEST PRACTICES 18

IV. PLANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS 19 V. ANNEXES 21

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ACRONYMS

ADIFIM Association of Individuals with a Disability in Motor Skills ADM Municipal Development Association ANSNIC National Nicaraguan Association for the Deaf APPDJ Association of Pensioners with Disability and Retirees APRODER Association for Promotion and Rural Development ARC Appreciative Review of Capacity ASODEL Association for Survival and Local Development BICU Bluefields, Indian and Caribbean University CAPS Center for Pyscho-social Care CAV Center for Life-long Learning CEIMM Center for Research and Information on Multiethnic Women CENIDH Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights CEPS Center for Studies and Social Promotion CEPREV Center for Violence Prevention CDM Municipal Development Committee CIG Interagency Gender Commission CoMAJ Municipal Committee of Adolescent and Youth COMUPRED Municipal Disaster Prevention Committee COSUDE Agencia Suiza para el Desarrollo y la Cooperación CSO Civil Society Organization DDHH Human Rights FADCANIC Foundation for Autonomy and Development of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua FECONORI Federation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities FUMSAMI San Miguelitos’ Women Foundation FUNDECOM Fundación para el Desarrollo Comunitario de Villa El Carmen GTI Indigenous Territorial Governments ICCO Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation IMTRADEC Institute of Traditional Medicine and Community Development LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual Los Pipitos Los Pipitos Association for Parents of Children with Disabilities MDS RACCS Sexual Diversity Movement Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region MGP Municipal Governance Program MINED Ministry of Education Mifamilia Ministry of the Family MITRAB Ministry of Labor MMNW Nidia White Women’s Movement MTI Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure NGO Non-Governmental Organization OB Grassroots Organization OCD Organizational Capacity Development OCAC Observatorio Contra el Acoso Callejero OCN-MT “Maricela Toledo” Organization for the Nicaraguan Blind ODHA-BICU Observatorio de Derechos Humanos y Autonómicos de la BICU OPcD Organizations of Persons with Disabilities ORD “Ernesto Che Guevara” Organization for Revolutionaries with Disabilities PGR General Budget of the Republic

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PRODESSA Center for Advancement and Counseling in Research and Development in the Agricultural Sector PwD Person with Disabilities RACCS Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region RACCN Northern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region Red Afro Network of Afro-Latin-American and Afro-Caribbean Women and Women of the Diaspora SARPF Rapid Alert System for the Prevention of Femicide SILAIS Integrated Local Health Care Systems SONGI Secretariat of International NGOs in Nicaragua TJRG Teatro Justo Rufino Garay URACCAN University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast

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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Component 1: Local Governance Citizen Participation

Implemented trainings, • 41 leaders and activists (61% women, 71% youth) from Complete workshops, meetings, and 27 communities of Boaco and Camoapa have increased activities focused on civic capacities for digital security and activism. education and activism • 81 community members (85% women, 60% youth) from Matagalpa with increased capacities for conflict resolution and nonviolent communication.

Implemented trainings, • 80 community leaders (80% women) of San Miguelito Complete workshops, and meetings and El Almendro with greater capacity for organization, focused on gender gender, environment, and citizenship. • 80 CDM leaders (50% women) participated in gender training program. • 378 youth and adolescents (60% women) participated in workshops on gender equity and new masculinities. • AMJOLU trained 200 community members (60% women), on the rights of young women. • 15 journalists (66% women) trained on gender sensitive reporting of violence against women. • 25 young women finished Feminist Training Course from AMJOLU, increasing their capacity to reduce gender violence. • 73 disabled women leaders and directors of partner DPOs with greater capacity to streamline gender equality into their activities. • AMOJLU participated in 7 council sessions to promote municipal level issues related to women’s rights and

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Indicate the status of List the major activities these activities in undertaken during the relation to approved review period that List Key Achievements by Activity action/work plan and contributed to the activity schedule. If different objective/results. from work plan, why? succeeded in convincing the Bluefields municipal council to hire a municipal gender coordinator. • 95 of 139 women (69%) from FUMSAMI, CoMAJ, CDM, and Red Afro had an increase in the level of specific self- efficacy and 48% in the level of general self-efficacy1. The women supported by FUMSAMI and the women of the CDMs were the groups with the greatest increase in the levels of self-efficacy. Implemented trainings, • 80 youth from CoMAJ Bluefields and El Bluff (60% Complete/Ongoing workshops, and meetings women) participated in a workshop on the culture of focused on youth peace and violence prevention. • 80 youth from CoMAJ Bluefields, Corn Island, Laguna de Perlas and El Rama (62% women) participated in a training course on tools for social activism and citizenship. • 57 youth from CoMAJ Corn Island (20 women) participated in a workshop on techniques and tools for creating experimental videos for social activism. • 55 indigenous, Afrodescendent, and mestizo youth (72% women), participated in territorial dialogues in Laguna de Perlas, as part of the participatory development of the Regional Youth Policy2. • Facilitation guides published for youth peer-led trainings in leadership, gender, citizenship and autonomy. • 30 youth (60% women) from two vulnerable barrios of Managua increased their capacity for violence prevention, intergenerational analysis, gender equality, and communication, and created 16 audiovisual pieces for a campaign promoting youth issues. They cascaded this knowledge to 200 vulnerable peers in their neighborhoods. (ongoing) Implemented trainings, • 120 people (30% women) in the communities of Complete workshops, and meetings Bluefields, El Bluff, Kukra Hill, and El Rama trained on focused on Afrodescendent rights and history of the Caribbean Coast. and Indigenous rights • User-friendly version of law 445 and law 28 on the rights of Afrodescendent and indigenous peoples published. • 262 leaders from 4 territorial governments (30% women) participated in 4 workshops held in indigenous RACCN territories to produce regulations governing communal property, natural resource rights, and conflict mediation. • Annual Operative Plan of the Communal Creole

1 General self-efficacy questions were taken from the questionnaire developed by NDI and were generalized across groups. Specific self-efficacy questions were more tailored to the needs and activities of specific groups, such as DPOs. 2 As noted in previous reports, the Regional Youth Policy will be a document promoted by the Regional government of the Southern Caribbean Autonomous Region, which will establish guidelines and standards for working with youth in the region, and will involve buy-in from local police, Ministry of Education, INATEC (Nicaraguan national technical institute), and is being coordinated by local partner Bluefields Indian Caribbean University (BICU).

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Citizen Innovation Activities • 60 youth with no prior experience in activism Complete Implemented strengthened their capacities for the promotion of human rights (20 from Teatro Justo Rufino Garay and 40 through the Innovamos Laboratory). • Completed an investigation of traditional indigenous Miskito practices that can be used for prevention of gender based violence. 4 communications tools were produced in Spanish and Miskito, which will be used in communities and campaigns to reduce violence and conflict. • 60 “invisible theater” scenes put on in public spaces, highlighting gender based violence and street harassment to date: 4 videos of the invisible theater scenes were shared on social media and received 58,128 views. • 10 workshops (Managua and Leon) held for 30 youth (28 women) in cyberactivism and defense of women’s rights. 6 communications pieces produced by the participants to highlight their activities and priorities were published on Facebook and have reached 13,314 views to date. • Cyber-campaign to celebrate the successes of the fight for women's rights: The campaign videos have had over 13,000 views. • FEMHACK Centro Americano 2017: Over 80 female cyberactivists from 4 countries and 7 CSOs participated in a 3 day conference on cyberactivism and inclusion in the tech sector • 40 youth participated in workshops in Managua and Bluefields. Participants learned innovative methods to promote advocacy: Produced 32 communication pieces. Videos from the workshops have a combined total of over 65,635 views on social media. • 10 pieces produced in Media Art Labs in Managua and Bluefields were installed in public spaces to promote dialogue: 3 videos were produced documenting the pieces in public spaces and shared on social media, receiving over 19,900 views. • Display of 3 art exhibits that used sculpture, paint, photography, and written testimonials to raise awareness of issues of street harassment: Over 240 people attended the 3 events and participated in debated generated by the exhibit. • Facebook Live launch of online digital feminist

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Indicate the status of List the major activities these activities in undertaken during the relation to approved review period that List Key Achievements by Activity action/work plan and contributed to the activity schedule. If different objective/results. from work plan, why? publication ‘La Quimera’, which will serve as a space for feminist art, politics, and social analysis, was viewed over 1,200 times to date. • Launch of Rapid Alert System pilot in Villa El Carmen, Managua, which will serve to prevent femicide in vulnerable communities. • 60 female human rights defenders trained on the use of Smart phones and the Rapid Alert System. Disabled Persons • 46 leaders of DPOs on Bluefields, Laguna de Perlas y Complete/Ongoing Organizations (DPOs) Corn Island validated and finalized Municipal Agenda for Supported 2018-2022, and will now use it as an advocacy tool to further the rights of disabled persons. • 65 women leaders of DPOs on Bluefields, Laguna de Perlas y Corn Island have increased organizational capacity and knowledge of gender equality issues. • Publication of life stories of 10 women with disabilities and or caretakers of disabilities, celebrating their lives and promoting their rights. • Publication of two flyers on rights of disabled persons, as well as promotion materials including shirts, bags, and stickers in order to highlight DPO advocacy efforts on the Caribbean Coast. • Advocacy to Bluefields mayor resulted in provision and rehabilitation of a space for FECONORI office, which will allow for sustainability and ongoing advocacy. (Ongoing, will be complete early 2019) Communications Campaigns • FECONORI campaign resulted in 86% of respondents Complete Implemented hearing campaign messages, 85% aware of the law protecting rights of disabled persons. • BlueEnergy campaign resulted in 60% of respondents hearing climate change messages, 89% in the 4 intervention neighborhoods. • Red Afro campaign resulted in 79% of respondents hearing campaign messages.

Organizational Development

8 MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE PROGRAM AID 524 -10 - 00006 plans in 3 municipalities. and Corn Island have created promotional materials, life stories, and communication campaigns to promote rights. • Gender equality promotion groups formed in the 3 municipalities in order to continue to follow up on gender action plans. Exchange between DPO leaders • Over 200 participants reviewed advocacy plans, Complete of the three municipalities to discussed sustainability, and updated gender action evaluate project impact plans.

Component 2: Fiscal Transparency (completed in FY17)

Component 3: Climate Change Adaptation

List the major activities List Key Achievements by Activity Indicate the status of undertaken during the review these activities in period that contributed to the relation to approved activity objective/results. action/work plan and schedule. If different from work plan, why? Publication of the toolkit and • Published toolkit and guide gives contextualized Complete manual for "Caribbean Home guidance for climate smart agriculture for Gardens" (Blue Energy) communities on the Caribbean Coast. Finalization of the Municipal • Published resilience plans are being used for Complete Resilience plan for Corn Island advocacy with municipal governments and Muelle de los Bueyes. Finalization of the Community • Published resilience plans are being used for Complete Resilience Plan for San Mateo advocacy with the municipal governments and San Pedro, Bluefields. Finalization of the Private Sector • Published resilience plans are being used by Complete Resilience Plan in Bluefields and businesses to improve their resilience against Corn Island. climate change Citizen advocacy actions based • 20 mini-projects from the resiliency plans of San Complete on the Resiliency Plans in 6 Pedro, Loma Fresca, 19 de Julio, and San Mateo communities of Bluefields and were presented to municipal government of Corn Island. Bluefields and included in the municipal budget • 11 mini-projects from the resiliency plan of Corn Island were presented to municipal government of Corn Island and included in the municipal budget.

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II. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Citizen Participation

2.1 Four indigenous territorial governments with strengthened knowledge of and capacities for communal property governance tools

On July 31st, the Foundation for Autonomy and Development of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua (FADCANIC) completed the first project to support four Indigenous Territorial Governments (GTI), focused on helping improve communal property governance by putting in place internal rules and regulations that govern territorial resource management, and by strengthening the functionality of internal institutions on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast.

Key achievements included the preparation of documents guiding resource management and internal processes (such as fishing regulations, land compensation standards, and procedural systems), capacity-building in the use of tools for land-use planning and resource utilization, and capacity-building for the application of diagnostic tools, among others (see Table # 1 for more details).

The second phase of the project began on August 28, which will expand and build on the results of the first program. Capacity-building of the GTIs will continue, with the addition of another territory, Tuahk. Work will also be expanded at the regional level through the organization and implementation of a diploma program in communal property governance and resource management3, as well as the participatory design of a strategic framework for biocultural management 4 , which will contribute to capacity strengthening for the administration of communal property in all of the 17 GTIs of the Northern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (RACCN).

Table # 1 Achievements of the GTIs in the first project

GTI Achievements • Developed and approved local territorial regulations governing artisanal Tawira fisheries to serve as the central framework for communal property governance in the Miskito Cays. • Six members (2 women) of the GTI received training on the use of Geographic

3 The Diploma consists of 144 hours of on-site class time in two editions, in which 70 leaders and specialists from the 17 Indigenous Territorial Governments of the RACCN will receive training (60% women). They will be selected taking into account ethnicity, gender and generational diversity. The organizers hope that the Diploma gives rise to the study and analysis of the management of communal property governance, thus contributing to the development of normative instruments in the territories. 4 This consists of creating a policy framework with cultural, legal and environmental appropriateness, in order to ensure the ownership and control of their land, natural resources, and institutional autonomy, as well as improve practices for gender and youth inclusion and ethnic diversity.

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GTI Achievements Information System (GIS), through which they will generate and organize georeferenced data for land-use planning and utilization of fisheries resources within the territory. • The GTI initiated dialogue with the Nicaraguan Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture (INPESCA) and the Government of the Northern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (GRACCN) on the administration of artisanal fisheries. The territorial regulations approved previously (see above) will serve as a point of reference for negotiations with the national government. • The Office of Communal Property has organized its system of procedures for managing the use of communal land by third parties, and has improved the definition of safeguarding the territory´s land tenure system. • The GTI processes 45 records of third party property claimants, which are AMASAU currently in the classification and rating process, and are now ready for the communal authority to issue land compensation resolutions. • Eight members of the GTI (3 women) received training on the use of GIS, which will allow them to collect geospatial information on cases of third party land claimants. • Developed and approved land compensation policies in six communities located along the banks of the Wawa River. • Completed 100 legal surveys of third party claimants as part of the assessment Twi Yahbra of those settlers in the territory. • Filed eight complaints in the justice system for encroachment on communal property currently. • Twelve members of the GTI (5 women) received GIS training, which will allow them to collect spatial information on land parcels of third party claimants. Wangki Twi Tasba • Developed a draft land compensation policy, pending approval of the assembly. Raya • 60 members (23 women) of the GTI received training on governance and conflict resolution.

Left, working session of the Tawira community, July 2018. Right, territorial session of Wangki Twi Tasba Raya, on the analysis and feedback of the third draft of the land compensation policy, September 2018.

2.2 Capacities strengthened in the prevention of domestic and juvenile violence with a focus on gender and new masculinities

30 youth (20 women) from the neighborhoods of Jorge Dimitrov and San Judas in Managua participated in a three-day workshop, and through a hands-on, reflective approach, addressed the topic of preventing domestic and juvenile violence. Center for Violence

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Prevention (CEPREV), in partnership with CANTERA, created self-awareness and developed self-esteem among the participants, as well as helped them learn effective interpersonal communication, improve gender and generational relations, and learn about concepts of new non-authoritarian masculinities and cohesive leadership. The workshop also dealt with concepts of sexual abuse, racism, and substance addiction.

The workshop was facilitated by CEPREV from September 25-27th. Participants conducted a critical analysis of parenting and authoritarian leadership models in the family, school and institutions, through dialogue, and personal and collective exercises including theater sketches and street performances based on their own lives. After having participated in the workshop, the youth will cascade what they learned to 200 adolescents and youth by giving talks and hosting discussions in their neighborhoods, which will allow them to continue reflecting on the issues addressed, as well as promote peer-to-peer learning.

Workshop on preventing domestic and youth violence. September 25-27 2018. Managua. For more images, visit CANTERA´s Facebook site: https://bit.ly/2NKpXQQ

2.3 Women and youth activists from six municipalities of Boaco enhance their knowledge of digital security

Youth groups and women leaders from 27 communities of the municipalities of Santa Lucía, Teustepe, and San José de los Remates in Camoapa, and San Lorenzo in Boaco are strengthening their capacities for the responsible, safe and effective use of technological for online activism. In this quarter, ADM held two out of three planned workshops with 25 women and 16 men (29 youth and 12 adults), who received training on the appropriate use of social networks and communication devices. The workshops were facilitated by specialists in communication and digital security. Participants improved their practices in the use of passwords, secure email accounts, and the use of privacy configurations. ADM staff also participated in the workshops, as they are working with community leaders to carry out activities in the municipalities.

Table # 3 Workshops on capacity strengthening in digital security

WORKSHOP I WORKSHOP II MUNICIPALITIES Use of social networks and mobile Knowledge is power devices for online activism

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M H Youth Adult TOTAL M H Youth Adult TOTAL Boaco 3 2 4 1 5 1 2 2 1 3 San José de los 4 2 3 3 6 1 1 1 1 2 Remates Camoapa 3 6 5 4 9 4 4 5 3 8 San Lorenzo 5 2 5 2 7 5 2 5 2 7 Teustepe 4 2 5 1 6 5 4 8 1 9 Santa Lucía* 6 2 7 1 8 ------TOTAL 25 16 29 12 41 16 13 21 8 29

*Second workshop will be held in October.

2.4 Community members in San Dionisio and San Ramon increase capacities for conflict resolution and dialogue

Community members from the municipalities of San Dionisio and San Ramón participated in a variety of activities to reflect on the current situation from a perspective of personal, family and community backgrounds. These meetings formed part of a pilot activity carried out by PRODESSA to practice and refine a training methodology in the areas of culture of peace and non-violent communication. These same community members later participated in workshops focused on participatory democracy and culture of peace.

A total of eight events have been held (diagnostic and capacity-building workshops): two in San Dionisio, and four in Yassica Sur/San Ramón. Further details on participants can be found in the table below. An additional 81 people will participate in additional three workshops to be held in early October.

These activities are an initial part of a pilot project in the two municipalities, which will contribute to training processes with these groups, as well as to the design and development of working strategies with families and youth in the communities. They have received methodological support from specialists in family and community psychology provided by PRODESSA, a partner organization that is developing psychosocial and reflection methodologies to identify, analyze and propose solutions to problems with a proactive vision.

Table # 4 Diagnostic and capacity-building workshops led by PRODESSA

Thematic Workshop focused on Diagnostic Workshop Participatory Democracy and Municipalities Culture of Peace W M Youth Adult TOTAL W M Youth Adult TOTAL San Dionisio 26 -- 8 18 26 24 -- 8 16 24 women San Dionisio 19 2 17 4 21 ------youth* San Dionisio 1 14 2 13 15 ------men* San Ramón 27 -- 4 23 27 20 -- 4 16 20

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women San Ramón 16 6 22 -- 22 25 12 37 -- 37 Youth TOTAL 89 22 53 58 111 69 12 49 32 81 * These groups are scheduled to participate in the second workshop in the next quarter

2.5 Continued advocacy results in progress for recognition of the rights of disabled persons on the Caribbean Coast

Global Communities continued to support local organizations of persons with disabilities (PwD) in Bluefields, Laguna de Perlas, and Corn Island in their advocacy efforts. Capacity- building for advocacy and accompaniment provided by the MGP to FECONORI and its partner organizations has led to several accomplishments during the quarter, including:

• July 17th marked the reopening of Casa de los Pipitos, also known as the Center for Life- long Learning (CAV), which had been rebuilt with support from the Municipal Authority of Bluefields with an investment of $22,000 USD. • Rehabilitation of office space donated to FECONORI and its partner organizations by the Municipal Authority of Bluefields. To date, the Municipality has invested more than $5,000 USD in the refurbishment of the building, which is set to open in early 2019. • 42 projects presented by Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) for the 2019 municipal budgets of Bluefields, Laguna de Perlas, and Corn Island, were approved and included by Municipal Councils, in the amount of $83,098 USD, representing 13 accessibility projects and 29 social inclusion and awareness projects. • Presentation of the campaign to support the rights of women with disabilities and women caregivers to public and private actors of Bluefields, Laguna de Perlas and Corn Island, in order to highlight the issue as a social responsibility and thus manage joint actions. Progress was made in the three municipalities. • Celebration of the National Day for Persons with Disabilities (August 25th) in the municipalities of Bluefields, Laguna de Perlas and Corn Island, which included marches and cultural events. In Bluefields and Corn Island, the municipalities delivered food packages to persons with disabilities with the greatest need.

New “Casa de Los Pipitos” in Bluefields

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Organizational Development

2.6 31 activists and journalists with strengthened capacities for physical and digital security.

During the months of July and August, 13 staff from local partner PRODESSA, 11 staff from local partner ASODEL, and 7 journalists from León and Chinandega received training in digital and physical security. Prior to the event, participants completed an online survey which helped target the training to their most urgent needs. During the workshops, the attendees assessed the IT risks in their organizations and identified corrective measures in a participatory manner. They also learned about security issues, mechanisms to address these issues, advantages and limitations of specific tools, and finished with a practical exercise in the use of learned tools and skills.

2.7 MGP supports local partners organizations in fundraising capacity-building

To support local partner organizations and grassroots organizations in diversifying their funding sources, MGP compiled and shared information on funding, support opportunities, and emergency technical assistance for CSOs and human rights advocates, as well as information on recent solicitations, such as the regional competitive grant fund "Society, Culture and Memory," sponsored by COSUDE, and the "Great Challenges Canada" fund, focused on sexual and reproductive health rights.

Global Communities also contacted 19 of the 58 partner organizations of the Secretariat of International NGOs in Nicaragua (SONGI), to assess interest and willingness to be included in an Excel matrix of potential donors and funders. This matrix will be shared with SONGI members to help them diversify funding sources and increase collaboration with others CSOs and NGOs in Nicaragua.

Citizen Innovation Fund

2.8 Facebook Live launch of feminist digital review "La Quimera"

EnRedadas por el Arte y la Tecnología launched “La Quimera” (www.laquimerafeminista.com); the first feminist digital review in Nicaragua through a Facebook Live stream (https://bit.ly/2AfzGeB) that received 1,200 views, 85 interactions and 39 shares as of September 30th. It was also shared on all of La Quimera’s and Las Enredadas’ social networks.

Artists, photographers, communicators, illustrators, defenders of human rights, and women in general are some of the voices featured in "La Quimera," a forum through which they can express opinions, analyze issues, and propose solutions regarding the situation of women in the country.

MGP support allowed for the creation of a network of 25 content collaborators (women committed to defending human rights), which produces creative and original content.

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EnRedadas also secured funding for its continued sustainability through the Spanish Cultural Center in Nicaragua and the Central American Women's Fund (CCEN and FCAM).

2.9 Rapid Alert System for the Prevention of Femicide launched in Villa El Carmen

60 women advocates from 30 rural communities of Villa El Carmen have been connected through an instant messaging group as part of the Rapid Alert System for the Prevention of Femicide (SARPF).

MGP supported local partner FUNDECOM to map key players in each community, including women at risk of violence, known aggressors, resources available for support, locations of human rights defenders, and potential partner institutions. The 60 women advocates received smartphones and training on their use to facilitate the reporting of situations of risk of femicide. This network of connected advocates are also available to provide and/or request support an accompaniment to woman at risk, or who are victims of violence, and register the incident in an online database. The database (https://sarpf.fundecomni.org) compiles cases of violence and attempted femicide. FUNDECOM serves as an information center and shelter in cases in which advocates must intervene and remove women from a vulnerable situation, which is carried out with the support and coordination of the organization.

Each advocate has a telephone with unlimited calls and WhatsApp, with which they are able to communicate with one another and report cases to the SARPF. The reports are sent through WhatsApp to a central computer, managed by FUNDECOM. FUNDECOM staff filter and confirm the authenticity of the information, and record the information in an Excel database that is linked to the online platform, which is updated to show cases on a monthly basis.

To date, two cases have been handled through SARPF, and FUNDECOM has presented this innovative idea for saving women’s lives at a meeting of human rights defenders in Central America. This is a pilot program, and will be adjusted in accordance with lessons learned during the execution of the program. It also serves as a form of digital empowerment for women in the communities who had never owned a smartphone before now. The women state: "We have never been a part of this type of communication before, we are learning and we want to continue learning, and this connected group helps us to not feel so alone and to help other women."

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Figure # 1 SARPF Functionality

1. 60 community advocates received training on use of smartphone and mapping of risks and resources available in their community to prevent femicide

6. Information helps advocates and 2. Advocates identify women at risk of other local actors coordinate actions femicide for violence and femicide prevention.

5. Information available for advocacy and to raise public awareness and 3. Advocates assist and intervene obtain resources for the prevention of to prevent femicide, and report to femicide the WhatsApp group

4. The event is recorded in the Excel database and upon verification, is entered into the website

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III. SIGNIFICANT CONSTRAINTS/LESSONS LEARNED AND BEST PRACTICES

3.1 CONSTRAINT: Slowness of public institutions impedes work with the Indigenous Territorial Governments

The government entities of Nicaragua involved in the communal property plan of the Caribbean Coast have slow, bureaucratic internal processes that have deepened the crisis of the agrarian conflict over communal lands as it takes extremely long periods of time to resolve cases of conflict.

Corrective measure: FADCANIC continues to coordinate with these entities to build their capacities, in order to ensure support in managing community governance and reduce the time needed to resolve cases on conflict.

3.2 BEST PRACTICE: Strengthen alliances with similar organizations participating in the local association of NGOS

MGP has enhanced its capacity in establishing and strengthening alliances by becoming a full member of the Secretariat of International NGOs of Nicaragua (SONGI). While the contact had been established and maintained since the beginning of this year, Global Communities became an official member on September 20th. Joining SONGI opens up new possibilities for cooperation, not only for MPG but also for its stakeholders and partner organizations.

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IV. PLANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Quarter Citizen Participation Institutional Strengthening Q1 • ADM to complete the training process in communication skills • Global Communities publishes: / online activism for leaders from the 6 municipalities of o Booklet “Insights for strategic FY19 Boaco. communication and campaign • PRODESSA to complete the thematic workshops on design and execution" for civil Oct – democracy, conflict resolution, and non-violent society organizations. communication in the two municipalities of Matagalpa. o “Booklet on gender and civic Dec • PRODESSA to complete the systematization of the pilot participation” as part of the experience in the two municipalities of Matagalpa, and collection of tools for civic 2018 develop its context-sensitive communication strategy. participation. • CANTERA youth groups organize and implement cascade o Illustrated booklet about trainings of workshops on violence prevention based on the activities carried out by young workshop facilitated by CEPREV. women exercising their rights • FADCANIC coordinates with a university of the Caribbean and participating in public Coast in order to design the course on communal property affairs. governance and territorial development. o "ARC Application Guide 3.0". • FADCANIC to conduct the initial workshops on institutional • Global Communities to carry out strengthening in effective administration and operations of workshops on digital security, aimed the offices of communal property in the 5 prioritized at teams from 5 local media outlets. Indigenous Territorial Governments. • Global Communities to complete the • The Network of Afro-Latin-American and Afro-Caribbean compilation and dissemination of Women and Women of the Diaspora (Red Afro) to give talks database of opportunities for on self-esteem, identity and the Afrodescendent Decade in funding and technical assistance for Bluefields, El Bluff, Corn Island and Laguna de Perlas. partner organizations, grassroots • Red Afro to carry out an analysis of both national and local organizations, and other NGOs. experiences with the political platform of Afrodescendent women, as well as a meeting on the key agreements of the international forum held in Cali, Colombia in October. • Red Afro and Comunidad Creole (Creole Community) broadcast radio programs addressing context-sensitive regional and national issues. • Red Afro and Comunidad Creole have promoted meetings to analyze the national situation and its impact on the autonomous regions, and have trained activists in advocacy, public safety and self-defense of the peoples of the autonomous regions. • FUNDECOM, with technical support from Global Communities, features a short video and animated infographic to highlight its Rapid Alert System for the Prevention of Femicide in Villa El Carmen. Q2 • FADCANIC to initiate a regional study / analysis of land tenure • Global Communities to conduct a with regard to communal property, conflicts and governance workshop with local journalists to FY2019 mechanisms. monitor municipal administration • Red Afro and Comunidad Creole to complete 26 radio and transparency. Jan programs on context-sensitive issues at the regional and • Global Communities to support 3 national levels. local media outlets to assess the 2019 • Red Afro and Comunidad Creole to complete the level of compliance with digital systematization of the experience with the initiative, security protocols and strengthen highlighting the outcome of citizen participation and advocacy capacity in security issues. processes at the local, regional and national levels. • Global Communities to produce a short video on the experience and

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Quarter Citizen Participation Institutional Strengthening

impact of the innovation project of Teatro Justo Rufino Garay.

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ANNEXES

The following annexes are attached:

1. MGP Project List 2. MGP Logical Framework Indicator Report 3. MGP Trainet Report 4. MGP Cost Share Report 5. MGP Accruals 6. Quarterly Burn Rate