See also www.apreciandolonuestro.org.

The main goal of the “Appreciating What is Ours” project is to achieve local economic development through the behavior change of economic actors in a specific geographical area – especially as related to their influence in the appreciation and use of local resources. Thus, the project is a campaign called “Appreciating What is Ours” that seeks to promote local production and trade.

By economic actors we refer to all persons that are involved in economic activities (small or large scale) and those that are not involved yet but would like to be.

The project is based on the idea that the strength and stability of local economies depend, first of all, on the appreciation and use of local resources (including labor, abilities and raw materials) to produce for the local market. Once local capacities have developed and competitiveness increases, then one may consider exporting products. To strengthen this idea, STRO defends the theory that when people realize their real influence on the local economy, they incorporate that power into their organizational and operative processes, which can result in much more effective decision-making processes and economic behaviors in relation to the local economy’s well-being.

Thus, the project is focused on developing and trying out tools that, in a recreational form adequate for all publics, guide the various actors (citizens, civil society organizations, local authorities, etc.) in Yoro in the discovery of:

• The potential that local resources represent for socioeconomic development in the region.
• The capital flows to and from the local economy (origin, value and where they are invested).
• The economic consequences of the expenses and investments of different actors for the local economy.
• The power and importance of the creation of networks between citizens, organizations and the public sector.
• The valuation of individual and organizational dreams and interests as a source of inspiration and motive force for local economic development.

In short, the project is divided in two parts:

(Stage 1) To study and analyze the local economy so as to raise consciousness about the potentials of locally available resources and generate ideas about how to optimize their use in the benefit of local development. This is done through exercises such as the mapping of the local economy, the identification of local money flows, etc.

(Stage 2) To clarify and make the ideas produced in the first stage operative, accompanying people and organizations that seek to change the local economy using a “coaching” methodology. “Coaching” means that a “coacher” accompanies a client during the process of identifying and clarifying a specific idea to be developed, following his/her ideas and instincts, under the supposition that no one is useless nor needs development imposed from the outside, but rather from oneself. It is important to note that the “coaching” methodology is different from that of a mentor, a counselor or an advisor. A “coacher” is not an expert giving advice or defining actions, nor a counselor focusing on the past, but rather a person that listens and accompanies another with regards to what road that person thinks he/she should follow for his/her own development.

For each one of the two stages, STRO uses a series of tools and techniques designed by the New Economics Foundation (NEF). NEF implemented a similar project called “Local Alchemy” in 20 English communities. Today, apart from following up the Local Alchemy project in England, NEF works to internationalize its tools and techniques in developing countries, giving technical advice to organizations in South Africa, Israel and Brazil. STRO signed an agreement with NEF in order to guarantee that the “Appreciating What is Ours” project had consultancy and technical accompaniment from NEF.

To a considerable extent, the project’s success depends on its compromise with participatory local socioeconomic development processes, on its ability to organize the community and on the organizational capabilities of the institutions that implement the project on the ground. After doing some research, STRO decided that World Vision is the organization with greatest potential to work together with STRO on this project. This decision was made because of the participatory local development strategies promoted by World Vision, because of its recognized organizational capabilities, and above all, because of the population’s trust and recognition of World Vision’s work.

For these reasons, we believe in the resulting synergies of future work with World Vision, not only in the “Appreciating What is Ours” project, but also in other local development projects that both organizations promote in Yoro, Honduras.

For more information, please see APLN's website.