Fundar — Who, what, why
Fundar, Centro de Análisis e Investigación is a plural and independent CSO established in 1999 by Sergio Aguayo and Mario Bronfman. Both former academics at Colegio de México (COLMEX), they sought to establish a rigorous research centre that focused on evidence-based advocacy. And with these goals in mind, Fundar was established to advance democracy and to generate structural changes that positively transform the power relations between society and government.
Fundar also happens to be one of the Hewlett Foundation’s longest-standing grantees, having received foundation support since the US-Latin American Relations (USLAR) program was established.
What
Fundar’s work aims to promote a society that is transparent, fair, and participatory, and seeks to promote and protect the human rights of individuals and communities in Mexico. With this in mind, Fundar is clear in its identity as an organization that brokers relations between communities and local, grassroots organizations working at the sub-national level with national level networks.
Why
Fundar’s experience in the Provida case (2002) led to its initial approach of applying the transparency law to policy influence. In December 2002, the Mexican congress approved an increase of 600 million pesos for women’s health in the federal budget. The president of the budget committee provided detailed instructions to the Ministry of Health for the distribution of these additional resources. The president of the budget committee also designated 30 million pesos specifically for 10 Centers to Assist Women.
Fundar was part of a coalition of six CSOs that came together to investigate these centers. Using Mexico’s new transparency law, they learned that the Centers to Assist Women were a front for Provida, a right-wing organization that campaigns against abortion and the use of condoms, running counter to the Mexican government’s policies in the field of HIV/AIDS and population control. Through use of the transparency law, the coalition surfaced evidence that 90 percent of the funds allocated to Provida had been blatantly misused. The Provida scandal became front page news.
Fundar was part of this type of multi-capacity coalition which focused on a particular problem. It was recognized as an effective and replicable approach for CSO to be able to use the transparency law to hold the government accountable. Although like-minded organizations working together had been common in Mexico, this coalition was unique because it had different types of organizations coming together to work on different aspects of one shared issue or problem.
