Articulating community initiatives for sovereignty
and the defence of life

Who are we?

The Network of Community Initiatives – RICO is a collective of people in Latin America and Europe who seek a transformation towards a world of sovereign and interdependent communities, whose inhabitants relate responsibly to each other and to the territory. We seek to facilitate the construction of solidarity networks between rural and urban communities through the exchange of knowledge and the coordination of joint actions to build and recover dignified and sovereign ways of life based on love for the Earth and its inhabitants.

We orient all our processes according to four axes of work

Associativity and organizational strengthening

We encourage dynamics of collaboration between actors with common interests and objectives, in which affection, trust and care take precedence.

Pillars of community sovereignty

We strengthen the autonomy of communities to decide and practice Buen Vivir with dignity and in harmony with Mother Earth and their ancestral values.

Gender and new masculinities

We support the transformation of gender relations, centring the women’s perspective and creating collaborative dynamics based on care.

Political impact and defence of Life

We amplify struggles to protect territories and their inhabitants from destructive projects through visibility, awareness-raising and denunciation.

With whom do we weave?

Our network includes various rural and urban communities in Colombia, as well as various individuals and activist groups in Germany and other countries in Europe. We have also collaborated with different social processes in Guatemala and Venezuela.

On our interactive map you can learn more about each of our members and allies!

What do we do?

The heart of our work is carried out in Articulating Working Groups: spaces in which the members of the network can establish dialogues with other collectives and actors who are working around the same theme, fostering the exchange of knowledge and collaboration.

Each working group defines its own dynamic, fostering a shared leadership among all participants.

Be a part of the debate!

In addition to our collaboration between communities and collectives, RICO seeks to participate in and influence social, academic and policy debates in our areas of work through research and outreach material. 

Explore our library and be part of the discussion!