Partners of the Americas' senior leadership, including President & CEO John McPhail, Juntos Aprendemos Project Director, Gustavo Payán, and Director of the Cacao for Development program, Pablo Ramírez, attended the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit from September 18-20 in New York City. They led an important discussion on empowering communities through locally-led development, partnerships, and strengthening local systems in international development, with global thought leaders and innovators. Participating organizations include iDE Global, the Mexico City Government, Aspiration, Alight, the Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation, Pro Mujer, Proantioquia, Swissconnect, Agrotech Plus Ltd, and IREX. Juliana Araujo, the Vice President of Partners' Organizational Advancement Department, moderated the round table.

Partners' President & CEO John McPhail attended the Central America Donors Forum in Costa Rica from September 24-27, 2023, to advance development, partnerships, and philanthropy in the region. While in the country, he attended meetings with representatives from civil society, governments, foundations, and our Costa Rica Chapter.

Partners is pleased to announce the call for nominations to our Board of Directors for the 2023 Election Cycle. Join a diverse and highly motivated leadership team to oversee the execution of Partners’ strategic plan and become international ambassadors of Partners’ legacy and impact. There are seven openings on the Board of Directors for this year’s election, including four from the United States, and one each from Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. Read the overview of the process in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

September marks the close of Partners' 2018-2023 USAID Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) grant cycle. The F2F program generates sustainable, broad-based economic growth in the agricultural sector and facilitates opportunities for people-to-people level exchanges across the globe. Over the course of the five-year cycle, Partners conducted 536 assignments with 164 hosts across Jamaica, Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Guatemala, and Myanmar. Volunteers supported the areas of permaculture, apiculture, climate resilience, goat management, agronomy, chocolate product development, integrated pest management, and microfinance, and worked with agribusinesses, youth, women, Indigenous people, and more. Thank you to everyone who volunteered on assignments during this program cycle, our hosts, staff, and supporters of the F2F program.

Partners is excited to announce the extension of our U.S. Department of State-funded Mexico United 2026 program through September 30, 2026. As preparations ramp up for the hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Mexico United 2026 continues to work with key civil society, government, and private sector stakeholders to promote the rights of workers across Mexico working in industries impacted by the tournament. Under this extension, the project will implement new awareness-raising activities to educate workers on their rights and available complaint mechanisms and build the capacity of stakeholders to advocate on behalf of workers leading up to and during the 2026 World Cup.

In honor of Literacy Day on September 8, our Juntos Aprendemos project organized several activities to promote reading at INTÉGRATE centers in several cities in Colombia. These centers are vital to helping migrants and refugees integrate into Colombian society by providing essential services. The activities carried out in September encouraged a love for reading in children, inspiring them to explore their interests, improve their social skills, and enhance reading comprehension through interactive games and creative activities. At the same time, parents participated in workshops on parenting guidelines, offering comprehensive support to families.

During September, our 100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K) program continued its call to register for a capacity-building workshop at the Conference of the Americas on International Education. The event will discuss effective practices for expanding international student mobility and competing successfully for 100K grant resources on November 8, 2023.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15-October 15, Partners celebrated the cultural diversity, history, and contributions of our Hispanic and Latinx Home Office and Field Office staff during a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion event. Staff shared their heritage from across the Americas on September 29, 2023.

Ten professional community leaders from five countries in the Caribbean will engage in a 10-day immersive experience in Washington, D.C. this year as part of our Education and Culture program. Throughout the program, participants will visit local environmentally-focused nonprofit organizations, have cross-cultural experiences, and forge long-lasting connections, creating a network of environmental leaders committed to addressing shared challenges and promoting sustainable practices.

According to Whyaka Mainstay, an Arawak Amerindian Indigenous community in Guyana, the lush, dense rainforests that cover Guyana’s territory hold timeless secrets, traditional knowledge, and healing powers passed on through the generations of today’s Amerindian communities. They're building an eco-park where visitors will learn firsthand from Amerindian youth tour guides about the Arawak culture, traditions, and world vision on a hike along rainforest trails. Our Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers have played a central role in supporting them to develop their ideas and open the park soon.

As a benefit to all of our Chapter members across the Americas, members can book professional meeting spaces for free at our Washington, D.C. Home Office. All of our conference and meeting rooms are perfect for trainings, meetings, and events. Our newly renovated spaces are equipped with medium-to-large tables, comfortable seats, high-quality video-conferencing technology, wireless internet, and well-stocked coffee and tea stations. Individual members can also use one of our “hot desks,” which are individual offices with chairs and monitors that connect to your laptop. When Chapters visit D.C., they will have a place to convene and change lives. Please email membership@partners.net or click here for more information.