In some projects, things are handed out. People in need are classified, and certain things are given to some: food for you, a house for you, and nothing for you—because you don’t meet my criteria. That kind of cooperation, even when dressed in the language of rights, does not promote sovereignty.
Other projects aim to change ideas. They try to change people’s thinking because they believe those people are traditionalist, mentally colonized, or have not received liberating education—so they must have the wrong ideas. But when those in power give things or tell the less powerful what to think, it doesn’t foster sovereignty—it fosters dependency, and often, resentment.
Another path is to create opportunities. Opportunities for people to do new things they aren’t doing today, or to do things in a different way. Not just one new opportunity, but multiple, diverse ones. And nothing is handed over fully formed. There are no added incentives to lure people in. Each person or group decides which opportunity to take—if any at all. And to take advantage of it, they’ll need to make meaningful contributions. As a result, whatever they achieve will be theirs. Entirely. They won’t owe it to anyone. It will be the outcome of their own decisions and efforts.
Moreover, the project must accept that it is not all-knowing, that it is at the service of others, and that others set the priorities. It will strengthen the opportunities that attract the most participation, discontinue those that don’t, and continuously work to create new ones.
After years of trying different initiatives, we’ve come to the conclusion that the most effective way to promote the sovereignty and development of individuals, groups, and communities is through the creation of new opportunities. And that is what we strive to do.