Fundacion Avina: Migrants as Agents for Change

Progress and examples results related to the first objective: Strengthened capacity and advocacy of grassroot migrant organisations: A main result during 2023 is the completion of the mapping and identification of grass root organizations of migrants interested in participating in the project. This led to a selection of fifteen organizations, five in each of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. These organizations consist of returning migrants (most of them deported from the USA), families of non-accompanied migrating minors, labor migrants/seasonal workers, committees of families of missing migrants and people at risk to migrate. The 15 selected grass root migrant organizations are all advancing their processes of organizational strengthening, focusing on communication, advocacy work and monitoring. Most of them have completed their plans for advocacy work to enhance the rights of migrants. The first transfer of funds to the organizations have been made and activities to carry out the advocacy plans are ongoing. As part of the organizational development 43 female leader from the grass root migrant organizations have completed a training program strengthening their leadership qualities. In all three countries the organizations participate in exchanges aiming to strengthen alliances for joint objectives. The civil society platform, RROCM (Red Regional de Organizaciones Civiles para las Migraciones) has elaborated and started to implement a five-year strategic plan where migrant organizations from the region participate to promote their advocacy work at the regional level. Some of the 15 organizations participating in the project have become members of RROCM or are considering joining the network. In December 2023 RROCM was given the opportunity to present its strategic plan and annual plan for 2024 and coordinate activities with the multilateral mechanism the Regional Conference on Migration (CRM). In Honduras 13 organizations met for a first meeting of the national chapter of RROCM. Progress and examples of results related to the second objective: Design and establish models för three-party cooperation to support local socio-economic integration of migrants. Three pilot municipalities, or associations of neighboring municipalities, have been selected and activities have been initiated to identify and bring together local authorities, private sector actors and organisations of returning migrants, as well as those considering to migrate, to elaborate a road map for the local integration of migrants or, in some cases strengthen opportunities for people at risk of forced migration. So far there seems to have been more progress related to the commitment of civil society and local authorities elaborating of municipal policies, while mayor results are yet to been seen when it comes to private sector involvement. During the remaining activity period more focus will be on local employment possibilities and the matching of local private sector in need of trained and prepared human capital and the (returning) migrants who need access to income opportunities.

The main objective of the project Migrants as Agents for Change is to strengthen the social fabric of the migrant population through its institutional strengthening and the advocacy capacity of its grassroots organizations in the northern triangle of Central America. The purpose is that, through their strengthening, they themselves can strengthen their bases, participate in spaces of national and regional strategic incidence, as well as make public policy proposals for the defense of their rights, among them, the right to work. The overall objective is divided into two general objectives: 1) To strengthen the capacity of migrant led organisations to influence policy, legislation and practice at the local and national level and strengthen human rights for migrants. 2) To design multi-sector mechanisms and establish three-party cooperation to support the socio-economic integration of migrants at local level.