On October 14, the Embassy of Brazil in Rome welcomed approximately 70 participants to Building Together: From a Country Challenge to Collective Action. The gathering brought together representatives of governments, financial institutions, international organizations, and civil society to discuss ways to support the implementation of public policies addressing hunger and poverty.
The initiative was organized by Ação da Cidadania, Instituto Fome Zero, Comida do Amanhã, and World Vision International, four organizations sharing a seat on the Board of Champions of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. Held in partnership with the Embassy of Brazil in Rome and Brazil's Permanent Mission to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP), the gathering took place in support of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.
The aim was to place countries' experiences and priorities at the centre of the conversation, connecting governments, funders, and partners who can contribute resources, knowledge, and experience to support the implementation of public policies.
From National Priorities to Financing
The programme featured a conversation facilitated by Juliana Tângari, alternate representative of the shared civil society seat on the Board of Champions. The format prioritized listening to the experiences of countries and partners, creating space for reflection on how international commitments can be translated into concrete action.
Ambassador Carla Barroso Carneiro opened the gathering by discussing Brazil's experience in developing public policies and promoting social participation in food sovereignty and food and nutrition security.
Next, Samuel Ayenew, Minister and Alternate Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to FAO, WFP, and IFAD, presented his country's experience in implementing Yelemat Tirufat Plus, a national programme whose name means “Bounty of Basket ” in Amharic. The initiative seeks to increase protein consumption through foods linked to family farming. He also discussed the partnerships Ethiopia is seeking to build to expand the programme's reach.
Financing was another major topic of discussion. Natasha Hayward, Global Lead for Food Security and Nutrition at the World Bank, spoke about the Collaborative Financing Framework, which is still under development, and how financing can support the implementation of policies led by countries themselves.
Renato Godinho, Director of the Alliance's Support Mechanism, discussed how the initiative seeks to connect national priorities with members of the Board of Champions and partners who can contribute to their implementation.
Convening Is Also a Form of Advocacy
Civil society participation was a central element of Building Together. The four organizations responsible for the initiative chose to make their contributions at the end of the conversation, after listening to the experiences of countries, funders, and the Alliance's Support Mechanism.
Dana Buzducea, from World Vision International, Kiko Afonso, from Ação da Cidadania, Juliana Tângari, from Comida do Amanhã, and José Graziano da Silva, from Instituto Fome Zero, shared reflections on how civil society can contribute in practical ways to policy implementation by connecting knowledge, financing, and experience from communities.
More than bringing different institutions together, Building Together reinforced the importance of civil society in coordinating solutions to hunger and poverty. By promoting dialogue among countries, funders, and partners, the organizations helped connect national priorities with those who can support them through financing, knowledge, evidence, and community experience.
Civil society did not determine the implementation models for national plans, but helped create a space for dialogue among different stakeholders. The initiative demonstrated that social participation is also strengthened through the ability to convene, listen, and build bridges so that international commitments can move towards concrete results at country level.
Photo credit: World Vision International (WVI).