What enjoy most about my role at Greengrants is that I work in support of a dazzling array of people achieving so much with so little. I work with our advisors -- activists around the world that are transforming each struggle into a more just and democratic world. Our support provides a bit of financing at just the right time to push these important efforts forward, advancing the voices of people who otherwise might not be heard. From student groups in China that have progressed into important environmental organizations, to an oil pipeline in Africa that now works for the people instead of against them – I am always amazed at what we accomplish together with our grantmaking advisors.
Not only are we supporting activism around the world, but our grants are now also providing a springboard for other groups to mobilize resources – money, volunteers, expertise – to grow movements in their regions. In Russia, our advisory board is making its expertise available to local funders and the municipal government to implement local environmental programs. In Central America, our advisory board is funding a study of small grant making in that region to distribute to other funders in the region in an effort to spur more movement building funding. And in both Brazil and Southeast Asia, our advisory boards have created their own organizations and raise as many funds as we have granted to them this year for the first time.
This issue is full of great stories of the sparks ignited by local action. Check out the story on an Indian state that went "waste-free” through the initiative of a group of determined activists and how the model is spreading to other parts of the world. There are also some thoughts from the Bali Climate Change conference. Some members of the Greengrants network were there to bring the grassroots perspective to this multi-national process.
It’s important work and I’m happy to be able to add to it in the little way that I can. Thanks for playing your part.
With best wishes to you and your family for the holidays,
Chris
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Environmental activists flocked to Bali for the UN climate change conference. Several of our own advisors were in attendance to ensure that the critical grassroots role in this world dilemma was not overlooked. Rubens Born, our advisor in Brazil, “[We] are fully convinced that we are taking part in a historic moment for humanity. Never before have so many people, so different, coming from so many places, with such will to work for a single cause: to guarantee that the men and women of this planet can slow down the process of global warming and leave a less damaged world for future generations.” 
and composting. Thanal played a key role in the Indian government’s precedent-setting decision to release a Zero Waste action plan for the entire state of Kerala. 
