Uniterra Volunteer Cooperation Program 2010-2011 Annual narrative report and summary

In 2010-2011, economic difficulties and the international situation exacerbated social tensions and provoked severe crises. Several countries, in particular Guinea, Niger and Burkina Faso, experienced social and political troubles with repercussions on program implementation. In Latin America, organized crime and drug trafficking engender a climate of violence and corruption, especially in Guatemala. In Asia, the socio-political situation in Nepal stabilized and Vietnam continued its growth with stable governance. In response to these crises, several governments and funding agencies changed their development policies and investment priorities. The work of our partners and volunteers was directly affected by one or more of the following factors: the priority given to economic questions and a rise in public investments in agriculture; the decrease in funding for health and education; cutbacks in public funding for civil society organizations; multiplication of security problems and the forced evacuation of volunteers; instability of institutions; population movements; and natural disasters.  Despite the difficult context and the persistent negative impact of the economic and food crises, the results achieved by the Uniterra Program in 2010-2011 exceeded expectations.