Hivos

Summary

Hivos (Dutch: Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation)[1] is an international cooperation organization, with its global office in The Hague, The Netherlands. Hivos provides support to civil society organizations working in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. It is one of very few INGOs with a distinctly humanist ethos.

Hivos
FoundedJanuary 5, 1968 (1968-01-05)[1]
FocusFree and sustainable world
Location
Area served
Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa
MethodGrants, funding, campaigns
Key people
  • Anne Jellema, Chief Executive Officer[3]
  • Michel Farkas, Chief Operations Officer
  • Kennedy Mugochi, Regional Director East Africa
  • Sarah Saleh, Regional Director Middle East and North Africa
  • Tanja Lubbers, Regional Director Latin America
  • Nana Zulu, Regional Director Southern Africa
  • Will Janssen, manager Business development
Endowment69 million in 2019 [4]
Employees
289 (excluding Yayasan Humanis) in 2022
Websitehttps://hivos.org
https://hivos.org/about-hivos/our-organization/ https://hivos.org/document/annual-report-2022/

Hivos focuses its efforts on three primary impact areas of humanitarian projects worldwide: climate justice, safeguarding civic rights in the digital age, and promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.[5] The latter involves initiatives dedicated to advancing women’s empowerment and upholding the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.

History edit

Hivos emerged out of the organised humanist movement in the decades following the establishment of Humanists International in Amsterdam in 1952, as a culmination of Dutch humanists' growing desire to have a meaningful social impact through international development. Thus Hivos was founded in 1968 by the Dutch Humanist Association, the Association and Humanitas Weezenkas. The founders held the conviction that development work should be secular, as true cooperation presumes respect for differing beliefs. In the first ever brochure, the founders wrote that “necessary changes should spring from communities themselves – from people at the base of society.” These convictions are still reflected in Hivos its work.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Hivos was one of the first major Dutch NGOs that opened offices in the Global South to operate in the close vicinity of its civil society partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders there.

Organization edit

Location edit

Hivos' Global Office is in The Hague. Hivos currently works in 40 countries and has regional hubs in Latin America, East Africa, Southern Africa and North Africa and the Middle East (MENA). Hivos’ regional hubs work alongside many partner organizations taking the lead in defining regionally and nationally specific programs.

In 2021, Hivos handed over its Southeast Asia activities to the NGO Yayasan Humanis in Indonesia. [6]

Governance edit

As of 2023, Hivos is managed by the Executive Board, consisting of Chief Executive Officer Anne Jellema and the Chief Operations Officer Michel Farkas. The Management Team is made up of the heads of the Strategy and Impact Department and the Business Development Department, the four directors of their regional hubs[7] and a few other management positions. [8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "History". Hivos International. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  2. ^ "About Hivos". Hivos International. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Hivos welcomes new director". Hivos International. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 16 Feb 2024.
  4. ^ "Hivos facts and figures 2011".
  5. ^ "Vision and values". Hivos. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  6. ^ "Who we are |". hsi.foundation. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  7. ^ "Our organization". Hivos. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  8. ^ Schleedoorn, Mark (2022-09-22). "Hivos welcomes new director". Hivos. Retrieved 2024-02-16.