Democracy and Community Organizing

El Salvador is still recovering from a brutal civil war (1979-1992) and decades of military-backed governments which limited free speech and civic participation. A government-backed massacre of indigenous people in the 1930s, and the repression of Mayan, Pipil and Lenca languages, forced rural families to lose much of their traditional cultures. The mass migration of political and economic refugees, beginning in the 1970s, has further undermined local culture and civic participation. Despite these challenges, the Salvadoran people have a strong history of community organizing. Read more on our History page.

Organized resistance movements overthrew the US-backed military dictatorship, paving the way for the return of democracy to the country. This culminated most recently in the election of the first non-military-backed President in recent history, Mauricio Funes, in 2009. The government, however, remains mired in debt and infighting left over from decades of right-wing rule.

Photo: Lucyna Jodlowska

EcoViva collaborates with community-based organizations in order to apply pressure to the government so that it serves the needs of local people, and to ensure that international assistance is channeled to the most effective community-led efforts for sustainable development. Read more about how we support Community Organizing and Leadership Development.