FRANCAISEntraide et Fraternité / Broederlijk Delen - Comments
The way it works
-To put the local community’s priorities and plans central, BD envisions its role as supporting operational local organizations rather than as designing and implementing its own programs. While the selection of countries where BD intervenes depends on historical relations, the areas in which the programs are implemented are chosen based on poverty levels and the demands of partner NGOs. EF shares the same philosophy and also envisions partnerships as relationships on equal footing. The reality, however, can be different. According to a study conducted by Suzanne Versele about six partners in Senegal, power dynamics remain in favor of BD, which, according to one of the respondents, had a ‘mother-child’ like relation with local NGOs.
-While the BD’s headquarters in Brussels supervise various programs in developing countries, branches in Flemish provinces coordinate local volunteering and educational programs. Broederlijk Delen is also closely connected to its sister organization, Welzijnszorg, that fights poverty within the Flemish Region.
-From Brussels, EF’s Secretariat-General governs three main departments. The first, International Partnerships, includes subdivisions for Africa, Latin-America, Asia, and institutional funding. The mobilization department constitutes of sectors for volunteers, youth, and coordination teams that operate in the municipality of Eupen, the region of Brussels and the provinces of Walloon Brabant, Hainaut, Namur, Luxembourg, and Liège. Finally, a third department deals with communication, information, and fundraising. In addition, there are specific sections such as the political unit.
