IDEAL is the Australia-Latin America Development Exchange. We are a community of practice for people with an interest in the parallels between development in Australia and Latin America. We believe that great value can be gained by identifying topics of common interest and finding ways to access knowledge and practical experience about them.

For us, development is the processes by which people improve their quality of life. It encompasses economic development, access to essential services and poverty reduction. It includes improving human rights and democratic processes (more…)

Developing social enterprise models for Latin America

The social enterprise sector in Australia is going through a period of rapid growth in its size and sophistication. Meanwhile, a challenge for civil society organisations in Latin America is achieving financial sustainability. The enterprise dynamic of many organisations is hampered by dependence on grant funding, which is turn leads to short-termism and instability in the services they provide and the benefits to citizens and communities.

There is scope for an initiative directed towards the civil society sector in Latin American countries that provides training, research and extended support tailored to their individual and organisational objectives. It could generate insights and knowledge drawn from social enterprise within other settings, including Australia, and develop models suitable for the unique socio-economic context of Latin America.

The attached article includes reflections on the process of starting up social enterprises in Australia. (click here)

Click to view a report by the Peru Support Group on the pros and cons of artisanal mining.

Click to view an interview by the Red Argentina de Cooperación Internacional with Steve Fisher of Community Works.

Click here for a summary in Spanish of the work of BasicNeeds in community mental health.