International Meetings
Fair cooperation full impact

These meetings aim to provide a space for critical reflection on international cooperation and to present initiatives that bring about change. More specifically, participants will discuss how communication for development, knowledge management in projects and other participatory processes can contribute in concrete terms to changing mindsets and co-constructing more equitable partnerships between Europe and the countries of the Global South.

The dynamics of international cooperation have long been questioned, particularly between Europe and Africa. Development policies and practices are often criticised for perpetuating post-colonial forms of domination. The specificities of local contexts remain insufficiently taken into account and asymmetries persist.

As a result, ownership of solutions by those they are intended to benefit is often low, and cooperation projects struggle to achieve the expected long-term results. Faced with the repetition of projects that do not fully address the problems they aim to solve, the funding and effectiveness of cooperation are being called into question.

In response, cooperation actors seeking to increase the impact of their initiatives are exploring new ways of working together. Participatory approaches involving various stakeholders to co-construct solutions on an equal footing are gaining ground.

Within this trend, communication for development (C4D) – a process that enables communities to take charge of their own development – and knowledge management (KM) – which facilitates the equitable sharing of knowledge and experiences – offer avenues for renewing international cooperation relationships.