Kaanbal Suut

Strengthening internal capacities and leadership of civil society organizations in the Yucatan Peninsula

The Project

Kaanbal Suut seeks to strengthen the capacities and leadership of civil society organizations (CSO) to conserve nature and manage natural resources sustainably and strategically manner, at the regional level, through a combination of learning themes, approaches, and methodologies.

Context

Kaanbal Suut seeks to strengthen the internal capacities and leadership of civil society organizations and networks in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is a new initiative of FMCN, with the support of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, which arises from an interest in strengthening civil society organizations (such as non-governmental organizations, civil associations, collectives, and alliances), and promoting their success in advancing conservation impacts and the sustainability of natural resources strategically.

For this project, we sought to innovate in the design process, incorporating aspects relevant to the current context derived from the COVID-19 pandemic and the social, economic, and environmental challenges that Mexican society, specifically the Yucatan Peninsula, is facing. The proposed topics integrate the most relevant needs identified by CSOs in the region, and the e-learning format seeks to be effective and coherent, making the learning processes and experiences more attractive.

The project is divided into six learning modules:

Resilience Bootcamp.
Strategic planning.
Financial sustainability.
Human resources.
Risk management.
Communication, community, and social media.

The lines of work that guide the actions of Kaanbal Suut are:

Strengthening civil society organizations in the Yucatan Peninsula that work with women, youth, and/or indigenous groups and organizations led by women.
Training and assistance to the 20 selected organizations that met the requirements of the selection process.
Virtual group sessions to teach the six modules dynamically and strengthen interaction among project participants.

The Kaanbal Suut project seeks to strengthen the internal capacities and leadership of civil society organizations and networks in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Achievements

During May and June 2022, the first generation of Kaanbal Suut concluded their training process by receiving specialized mentoring on the six core modules of the project. As a result, 11 organizations strengthened their institutional capacities.

In 2022, following the success of the first generation and with the support of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, an external committee selected 20 organizations to strengthen the institutional capacities of 34 leaders. The group has various work approaches, including solid gender components.

The new generation will receive weekly synchronous sessions and will have asynchronous work spaces through the use of a virtual platform. Likewise, the 2022 generation will have the opportunity to coexist, virtually and in person, with the 2021 generation to promote alliances and exchange knowledge.