‘Winning the award will open doors for us'

Andres Mora Portuguez is from Costa Rica and works for Freshwater Action Network Central America (FANCA). He collaborated with Both ENDS on the project ‘Negotiated Approach.' Both ENDS and FANCA won the Innovation Award. We had a conversation with him at the award ceremony.

How do you feel about your nomination for the Innovation Award, with Both ENDS?

‘It's a great honour. We've been working for some years now with Both ENDS. We did a lot of work in Central America without scientific knowledge or basis. But together with Both ENDS we've been able to gather some knowledge in the past few years. Because of this, we can organise our work a lot better. They also provided us with examples of best practices that have worked very well, elsewhere. We are grateful to Both ENDS for that.'

What does it personally mean to you to contribute to this project?

‘Fantastic. I see myself not only as a representative of my community, but also of Central America. I tell the story of my people. And with the help of Both ENDS also, the people tell their story through FANCA, to the whole world. As a representative, I am glad I can share the progress we've made and the challenges we've overcome, with the world.'

There is more.....

‘Policymakers and politicians in South and Central America value awards and decorations a lot. Winning the Innovation Award is great, because it makes it easier for us to talk and negotiate with these people. Winning the award will open new doors for us. And doors that were closed for us before are going to open for us.'

How does this innovative trajectory bring existential change to your way of working?

‘We apply the ‘Negotiated Approach.' We try to teach communities that they can make a difference. The people realise more and more that if they participate in the policy making process, they can indicate what their needs are. It's important to note that we do this without any form of discrimination. Everybody can participate in the process.

We work according to the bottom up principle; which means we work from within the communities. In the past we would go to the communities and offer them knowledge. We decided what they needed. Now things have changed, we ask them what they need. Sometimes they say to us, we want to know more about accountancy, negotiation or management techniques. And then we provide them with the knowledge.'