Our Mission, Vision and Values

The principles that guide our commitment and action.

Our Mission

We strengthen the strategic communication skills of social leaders and communicators from marginalized organizations and communities in Latin America and the Caribbean, so they can be agents of change who inspire others to build more just and equitable societies with environmental responsibility and cultural identity.

Our Vision

We envision resilient, well-informed, collaborative, and connected communities, alongside local and regional governments that promote human rights with inclusion, equity, and respect for the environment.

Our Values

"Minga", an ancient Quechua word meaning 'collaborative community work,' is the guiding principle that shapes our unique model. We co-design all of our programs and campaigns in direct response to the voices of our community partners, in a highly consultative and participatory manner.

From Them - We work in and from the Amazon

We do not impose models, visions, or issues unrelated to the reality of communities. We always place the perspective of Indigenous women at the center of our work. We constantly learn and are inspired by their struggles and desires to transform unequal power relations into more just ones. Behind every woman are other women; we value the wisdom of people and their ability to define solutions that benefit their families and communities.

We are mirrors

Discrimination and abuse have affected the way people perceive themselves. MINGA restores their true self-image and gives them the energy to recognize their values, strengths, wisdom, and talents.

The Power of Emotions to Heal Us

Many of the obstacles to the exercise of rights are internalized negative emotions resulting from historical abuse. Therefore, we focus on these, so that people can reconnect with positive feelings that help them relate to themselves and others. We facilitate processes to transform the effects of both internal and external colonization through emotions.

Accompaniment with reciprocity and respect

Beyond projects or workshops, MINGA invests in long-term relationships with people and communities in a process of mutual learning and empowerment. MINGA is a bridge that helps people—wherever they are in the system of power and decision-making—communicate and grow together. We are interlocutors with different people, cultures, and countries so they can express their collective vision. All our work is based on mutual support based on respect, love, and humor.

We use the language of the people

Language conveys a way of understanding life and contains a great deal of cultural wealth. That's why we communicate with the words people use every day and value all their ways of expressing themselves.

Integrity and Care

We strive to live and practice our values in all aspects of our lives and work. We support each other in finding our voices, developing different abilities, and valuing each person's contributions.

MINGA connects, educates, and empowers people through its comprehensive approach to social change:

  1. CREATE A SPACE FOR A RESPECTFUL ENCOUNTER MINGA connects with community members as allies and strives to create spaces of trust. It doesn't work "top-down," but rather horizontally. No single person or entity has the answers; rather, we engage in a collective process of finding them, where each person has something valuable to contribute.
  2. CREATIVE USE OF COMMUNICATION MINGA helps them discover and express abilities that have been repressed or denied by colonization and other processes of disempowerment. We help them regain the ability to verbalize their dreams, without guilt or fear, and to understand the limitations (already anticipated by us) so they can visualize the changes they want for themselves, their families, their communities, and social movements.
  3. EMPOWERMENT TRAINING This helps us learn about our rights and how to exercise them individually and collectively.
  4. GENERATION AND MOBILIZATION OF LOCAL RESOURCES MINGA recognizes that we all have resources to offer—within ourselves, our community, our culture, and our environment—to help our community move forward successfully. We help identify local and individual resources that together allow us to exercise our right to a dignified life with access to healthcare and education. Most importantly, we identify resources that will enable sustainable development, protecting the environment and natural resources.
  5. SHARE THE RESULTS OF PERSONAL GROWTH AND RESOURCES Everyone who participates in MINGA programs, whether they are adult and youth promoters, authorities, radio correspondents, and others, is encouraged to share their new knowledge and skills with their own network, creating a domino effect and building a genuine engine for people-based social change.

Areas of transformation

We work directly with women, youth, and families, training social organizations, and collaborating with government authorities and/or foundations. MINGA facilitates collaboration to resolve social issues and create a more equitable long-term relationship of power.

MINGA's integrated approach combines social change communications (such as edutainment programs via radio and smartphones), provides leadership training and mentoring for its growing networks, and establishes strategic partnerships with municipalities, business sectors, and social organizations to ensure long-term sustainability.

MINGA utilizes interculturalism and constructivism in all its programs, maintaining a strategic focus on women's leadership in human rights and community development initiatives as the core of expanding circles of influence and systemic change. Rather than offering a single workshop, MINGA provides ongoing training and mentoring, facilitating peer networks at the local, regional, and international levels.