How do we connect and serve within the borders of our homes? Partners of the Americas President and CEO John McPhail explains how we can fulfill our mission through virtual connections. Click the graphic above to watch with English, Spanish, and Portuguese subtitles.
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Save the Date to help communities in need! Though this pandemic is resilient, so are our volunteers and members. During this crisis, our work has become even more important. Join us on May 5 for
#GivingTuesdayNow
, a global day of giving in response to COVID-19.
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This month, the CPU continued to dedicate its efforts to address COVID-19 in Latin America. Each of the CPU’s projects are exploring and implementing innovative activities to reach their respective networks with messages on staying safe and healthy during the health crisis. The Unit’s U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL)-funded projects
Paraguay Okakuaa
,
Colombia Avanza
, and
Palma Futuro
will carry out communications campaigns to disseminate information on self-care, identifying symptoms, and proper protocol to follow if workers present symptoms. Using radio messages, a jingle, and an animated video, the Colombia Avanza project is focusing on spreading information on Occupational Safety and Health in the coffee sector to rural communities in the agricultural sectors, populations that may lack adequate access to information. In Paraguay, the Okakuaa project is raising awareness of government assistance programs available to employers and workers impacted by the crisis. Recognizing the CPU’s successful response to COVID-19 in Latin America, the USDOL's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) highlighted these actions on their webpage.
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Economic Development and Health Unit
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The EDH Unit has been leveraging its relationships throughout the Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) network to disperse information and best practices during COVID-19. On April 15, 2020, EDH Program Officer Kelly McNally hosted a virtual training through AVOP for all F2F implementors and their staff regarding cross-cultural communication, highlighting the importance of virtual connection during this pandemic. The F2F team and field staff continue to share Partners’ daily updates on social media to extend the guidance to in-country networks. In addition, the F2F team has leveraged its relationship with the Peace Corps to plan a “rapid response” team of returned Peace Corps volunteers to continue their projects in-country and reconnect with their communities through long-term F2F assignments. The F2F team is also exploring avenues for conducting remote assignments with volunteers and hosts in each of the core countries. These projects range from improving marketing strategy, business development, and crop management to helping farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises cope with the effects of COVID-19. The Unit continues to follow all guidance and recommendations from the CDC, U.S. Department of State (USDOS), and USAID regarding travel and other program activities impacted by COVID-19.
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Communication is more important than ever when physically distancing, and many Chapters are organizing meetings and activities via virtual platforms. To help out with this, the Membership Unit provided all the Traditional and PartnersCampus Student Chapters with a unique partners.net email address. Training sessions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese were also conducted and recorded to show the features of
PartnersConnect
as a management and communications tool.
Below are some examples of Chapters going above and beyond to serve their communities in the face of COVID-19:
- The Southwest Colombia Chapter offers sports, recreational, and physical activity programs for participants at home via Facebook Live and YouTube.
- The Costa Rica Chapter raised 100,000 colones for a program run by the First Lady of the Republic to give small stipends to people most in need or who have lost their jobs. Additionally, the Chapter has loaned two wheelchairs to post-operative patients without the resources to rent or purchase them.
- The Brasília, D.F., Brazil Chapter announced a free mental health clinic to deal with a community in crisis – job loss, stress, and anxiety of juggling work and family, health, and wellness concerns.
- The Tennessee Chapter is disseminating epidemiological testing and medical research on mitigation strategies and vaccine trials to Nashville and other areas statewide, including a summary of COVID-19 literature.
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Education and Global Citizenship Unit
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In late March, given the unprecedented circumstances related to the COVID-19 situation in the U.S. and Mexico, and in coordination with the USDOS, the
100,000 Strong in the Americas
Innovation Fund decided that it was necessary to postpone the launch of the 2020 U.S.-Mexico Competition, which was scheduled to open April 1, 2020. The Innovation Fund team recognizes that higher education institutions (HEIs) need to focus on completing the 2019-2020 academic year under new and challenging circumstances and are inspired by the collaboration and dedication of HEI teams in the U.S. and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. The Innovation Fund is hopeful for what is to come and looking forward to opening the 2020 U.S.-MX Competition when the time comes. In April, the
U.S. Alumni Network and Capacity Building Program
launched a Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Rapid Response round in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). U.S. citizen alumni of all U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs are eligible to apply for the grant to address issues related to the COVID-19 crisis with grants ranging from $500 to $10,000. The
Education and Culture program
anticipates announcing a call for proposals for small grant support. Priority will be given to creative projects that foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and corporate social responsibility; promote diversity and social inclusion in a strong civil society; and can improve the lives of at-risk youth, women, or marginalized communities during or after COVID-19. The deadline for submission is June 30. The Education and Culture program also plans to create a professional development workshop for teachers of English as a second language in June, July, and September.
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Partners of the Americas is hiring! We are currently seeking an IT Support Specialist, Chief of Party, Monetization Agent, CPU Legal Specialist, and a CPU Program Assistant.
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Open Internship Opportunities
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Partners of the Americas is looking for interns! We are seeking a 2020 IT Intern, EDH Intern, CPU Fall Intern, EGC Intern, Program Development Intern, Finance and Accounting Intern, and a Business Management Intern to join our team.
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