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CONDESAN hosts first Latin American edition of IPROMO

12.08.2021

The first ever Latin American edition of the IPROMO training programme, “IPROMO Latinoamericano”, closed on 1 June 2021. Held under the theme "Sustainable management of socio-ecosystems in the Andes", the course was organized by the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) through the Adaptation at Altitude and Andean Forest programmes, which are financed by the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development, jointly with the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and sponsored by the Mountain Partnership Group of Civil Society Organizations of South America.

Since 2008, IPROMO has been conducted annually by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, together with the University of Turin and the University of Tuscia, in English in Italy. Organizing the first IPROMO Latinoamericano in Spanish provided an opportunity to direct focus on the Andes and other Latin American mountains and to engage Spanish speaking participants. This edition was implemented with an emphasis on the management of water resources. The course addressed three main themes: the importance, diversity and functioning of Andean ecosystem; governance and sustainable management; and sustainability and water justice.

More than 40 students from eight Latin American countries with a wide variety of professional profiles and backgrounds were selected to participate. Lectures were given by 21 instructors, including experts in research and the sustainable management of mountains in Latin America. The content was divided into two modules. The first was an introduction to the dynamics of ecosystems in the Andes, their importance and role in sustainability, and the causes and impacts of the environmental and social changes that are occurring. The second module was dedicated to alternative visions of sustainable management of water resources. Keynote lectures were complemented by discussions, group work, project construction and role-playing games, enabling participants to begin the dynamic process of applying what they learned and laying the foundations for future collaborations.

The students took advantage of the opportunity created by IPROMO Latinoamericano to advance a series of ideas aimed at opening new spaces for collaboration, to pursue this experience and draw a roadmap together. María Argüello, Executive Director of CONDESAN, noted, "We have joined forces to develop this Latin American IPROMO as a pilot initiative for now, but it should be part of a long-term effort to maintain this process in the region, and which illustrates the importance, need for and added value of collaborative work.”

The IPROMO Latinoamericano graduates join the ranks of hundreds of other past IPROMO participants and will be welcomed to the IPROMO Alumni Network. Closely linked to the Mountain Partnership, the virtual network supports activities related to sustainable mountain development and promotes the sharing of mountain-related knowledge and information. Alumni are encouraged to connect with each other to promote initiatives and collaborations.

For more information about IPROMO Latinoamericano, visit the course website. The introduction video, videos of the classes and final summarizing video are available here.

News by Alejandra Melfo and Ana Carolina Benítez, CONDESAN

Photo by Omri D. Cohen on Unsplash