What is the objective this year?
By Isabel Alverez-Vispo, President of the International Committee.
Someone once said that while the old dies and a new system emerges, these would be times of monsters, and perhaps that is what we are experiencing right now.
We see wars in different parts of the planet, the genocide in Gaza, various disasters caused by the climate chaos that humanity (especially the wealthy part) has unleashed on the planet, and increasingly visible right-wing movements. We live surrounded by extractivism and destruction, yet despite this—or perhaps because of it—the LSPA groups continue working to sustain life.
Food is care, and every day, the importance of the networks that support us becomes more evident, as does the importance of defending our land, water, and biodiversity, as well as our knowledge, cultures, and relationships.
When we talk about LSPA, we talk about all of this.
Our initiatives, practices and reflections are more necessary today than ever. This is the role that URGENCI has played for years, thanks to the work of each of us.
Once again, it’s time to remember the importance of this support. We are all aware of the challenges we face, but also of the fact that alone, we won’t get far. Over recent months, we have been working hard on how to make our networks more viable, more visible, and, above all, more livable, amid the urgencies surrounding us.
As a social movement, we are not looking for profit, but we are seeking support—through relationships, work, and also financial contributions. Each of us gives what we can and as much as we can.
Thanks to everyone who, in these challenging times, prioritizes the collective and chooses to be part of URGENCI. Thanks to all of you, we continue to sow life and community!
How does the Bidding Round work?
Step 1 – URGENCI sends out an email to all its members calling on them to pledge their membership fee. The bidding round will start on November 13th, 2024.
Step 2 – Each member responds to URGENCI at <contact@urgenci.net> within November 30th 2024 with the amount of its bid.
Step 3 – Members then pay their membership fee by bank transfer or paypal before December 12th. URGENCI shares the result with all members.
What do we all get out of this?
Our objective is to secure resources within our own network to sustain the position of the General Secretary. By collectively supporting this role, we empower URGENCI to drive impactful actions. To further amplify these efforts, we are also organizing an International Symposium. This event will foster collaboration, share best practices, and strengthen our movement. You can learn more about it here.
Together, we will keep working on:
Coordinating experience sharing, by:
- Showcasing successful field stories.
- Facilitating exchanges between Local, Solidarity-based Partnerships for Agroecology (LSPA).
Strengthening movement building, by:
- Providing support for new networks around the world, including shared tools and expertise.
- Increasing mobilization among local producer and consumer networks.
- Forming alliances and coordinating actions with complementary initiatives across local, regional, national, and international levels.
Providing resources and tools, by:
- Ensuring access to capacity building and training opportunities.
- Creating tools to strengthen the livability, viability and visibility of partnerships.
- Building international financial and methodological resources for LSPAs.
- Conducting research to support our members’ initiatives and their objectives.
Increasing visibility, by:
- Representing the LSPA movement at the UN and EU level.
- Engaging with public institutions to create dialogues.
- Launching mass mobilization campaigns.
This coordinated approach, strengthened by our International Symposium, will enhance our capacity to innovate, grow, and advocate for our movement!
How do members collect the membership fee within their own networks?
Each member is free to decide how they collect the membership fee within their own national network, as and however applicable. Some members charge an additional dedicated fee to URGENCI per individual basket. Other members decide during their GA how much of their general budget they will contribute. There are as many options as there are members!
