(01 December 2008, Medellín, Colombia) A football league that motivates and commits its players, their families and communities with environmental protection in Belize won first place in the Experiences in Social Innovation contest organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) with support from the Kellogg Foundation.
"Its greatest innovation lies in its simplicity," said the spokesperson of the Committee of Notables, Nohra Rey de Marulanda, during the Award Ceremony at the Antioquia University in Medellin, Colombia.
Belize was awarded first place because the project "arises out of an inspiring and motivating idea -football tournaments-, and from there involves and commits the community to environmental protection. Moreover, its costs are low and the project is easy replicate, with good potential to be transformed into public policy," she added.
The "Freshwater Cup Environmental Football League" is a project of the Environmental NGO Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) carried out in a community in Punta Gorda, Toledo. Through a football championship, it teaches youths and children how to protect biodiversity in an area that is ecologically rich, but also fragile.
The Award Ceremony of the IV Social Innovation Fair was attended by ECLAC Secretary Laura López, the Rector of Antioquia University, Alberto Uribe, and local authorities. The five winning projects stood out for their potential to transform their creative ideas into public policies in benefit of the poorest population in the region.
The second place went to the Colombian project "Hermes" programme for conflict management in schools, implemented in 225 schools in 19 areas of the capital, Bogotá, and 10 municipalities of the Cundinamarca Department. The project helps students, parents and teachers learn how to resolve conflicts and create a culture of peace through mediation. It was awarded second place because it addresses a vital problem in Colombia by promoting dialogue and tolerance. Contest organizers highlighted its ability to train youths as mediators in schools, helping them transform themselves and break with the culture of violence.
The third place was awarded to the project Strengthening people's finances in Azuay and Cañar: consolidating a local development proposal in a context of high emigration, in Ecuador. This initiative stood out for extending bank and loan services to low-income families that would not have access to financial services otherwise, contributing to local development. Savings from remittances from their relatives abroad are pooled and loaned out to members of the community, in large part for productive activities. Today, this cooperative-like model is an example of the "solidary economy" included in the Constitution of Ecuador.
The Chilean project A Roof for Chile: From slums to neighborhoods. Implementation of participatory work committees of slum dwellers and volunteers in the Metropolitan Region won fourth place for bringing together volunteer university students with slum dwellers in the construction of urban homes. Its successful model has been replicated in 13 Latin American countries, and aims at eliminating all slums in Chile by 2010.
The fifth place went to the project "Our tracks": An experience in capacity-building from traditional schools towards intercultural education. In the Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy Province in Argentina, a school strengthens the capabilities of its indigenous students by using traditional indigenous stories. It was awarded the prize for developing a school programme that adapts to local culture and the needs of its residents, as well as for providing a systematized educational method that creates a learning community.
Empowerment of Blind and Visually Impaired Youth, a project of St. Lucia, won an honorable mention for its contribution to the social insertion of disabled youths as a basic right, and helping these youths become active and independent members of their community.
Immediately following the award ceremony, the 2008-2009 round of the contest was officially opened. Applicants have until January 16, 2009 to submit their projects. The Experiences in Social Innovation project was originally set to end in 2008, but given its positive results in identifying innovative ideas, it has been extended for another year.
See also:
cepal.org
