Here you will find the latest news on the work of Both ENDS and our partners. If you would like to stay informed of the latest news, subscribe to our newsletter of follow us on Facebook and X.
In the beginning of October 2011, Tim Senden travelled to Tanzania for Both ENDS. In Tanzania he interviewd a number of organisations that are working on small-scale jatropha production. Thousands of small-scale farmers grow the jatropha seeds - which give a rich oil that can be used for energy production - along sides their food crops. Most of the seeds are sold to a company that exports the oil to Europe. From the remaining seeds they make soap which is sold on the local market. Is this a sustainable production model - unlike the big jatropha plantations - from which Tanzanian small-scale farmers can profit? Watch the clips and place your reactions on our Youtube channel, or on our Facebook or Twitter page.
In the past quarter of a century we have become a strong, professional network organization, working with many partners in countries around the globe on environmental and development issues. We are very proud that we were given the opportunity to work with inspiring people all over the world who, often in very difficult circumstances, are taking small steps to create a fairer and greener world.
Churches, NGOs and local communities in Vanuatu have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the accession of the country to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) under current conditions. However, the Government has gagged opposition groups and without consultation decided to join.
On the 11th of December at 19:00 hrs. in Bajesdorp in Amsterdam, Burghard Ilge from Both ENDS will give an introduction to the documentary 'This is what Democracy looks like' by Jill Friedberg and Rick Rowley (2007). Afterwards there is room for debate. This is one of the many films shown during the free alternative documentary film festival Bajesdoc, held on diverse locations in Amsterdam from 8-11 December.
Tax evasion costs 145 countries, representing over 98% of world GDP, more than US$3.1 trillion annually. This is concluded by the Tax Justice Network in a recently published report. With their campaign 'Tackle Tax Havens' the network wants to inform the public of the negative impact of tax havens on the global economy.
More than 100 international experts and social activists gathered from 5-8 November in Brussels, Belgium, for a 'Week of Action' to call attention to the negative effects of International Investment Treaties (IIA) on human rights and the environment.
On December 16th Jubilee Netherlands is organising a Political Café in collaboration with Both ENDS and Oxfam Novib. The purpose of the meeting is to connect the debt problems of developing countries to the current debt crisis in Europe. What lessons can be learned from past debt relief initiatives and in which way were they successful?
Before the end of this year, the World Bank will vote on whether to introduce a new lending instrument called "Programme for Results" (abbreviated as P4R), which aims to better meet the needs of developing countries while increasing the World Bank's reach by bringing funds from public and private donors together in sectoral programmes. NGOs from around the world have expressed concern about P4R, as has the business community and various governments. These parties are concerned that a large number of standards, which may have significant adverse effects on humans and the environment, will be released. A number of organisations have therefore voiced their concerns about P4R in a letter to the World Bank.
Small grants are a relatively new phenomenon, especially when they are fundraised and managed by local foundations. Both ENDS promotes small grants funds such as CASA, as they are able to cater directly to the demands and needs of local organisations that stay invisible for international donors and private foundations. For an example of the impressive reach and effectiveness of small grants, please check out CASA's first Five Year Report
Regional governments in Asia will soon decide whether to proceed with the construction of Xayaburi Dam in northern Laos. This will be the first of eleven dams that are planned for the Lower Mekong Mainstream. Both ENDS asks your support in protecting The Mekong River and the millions of people who depend on it by signing the petition.
Click here to sign the petition
How to get people to collect waste from a river? By granting an award for the person collecting most. A waste-collecting competition organised last Saturday in the district of Bogor on Java, Indonesia, proved this formula tho be effective. No less than a thousand local people collected 8650 kilograms of waste from the Cilliwung River.
'At the moment we produce six kilos of gold per year, we cannot meet the demand,' María Luisa Villa of AMICHOCÓ from Colombia says. In the last couple of years, AMICHOCÓ has worked hard to organise small-scale sustainable gold miners and to make certification possible. Under the brand name 'Oro Verde' the Fairtrade Fairmined gold is now available on the market. 'We are ready to expand production, but the preservation of biodiversity and the protection of the rights of ethnic groups remains our priority,' Villa stresses.