Hivos ( nl, Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation) is an international cooperation organization, with its global office in The Hague,

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Hivos provides support to civil society organizations working in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

, the Middle East and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

History

Hivos emerged out of the organised

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...

movement in the decades following the establishment of

Humanists International Humanists International (known as the International Humanist and Ethical Union, or IHEU, from 1952–2019) is an international non-governmental organisation championing secularism and human rights, motivated by secular humanist values. Found ...

in Amsterdam in 1952, as a culmination of Dutch humanists' growing desire to have a meaningful social impact through

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications ...

. Thus Hivos was founded in 1968 by the Dutch Humanist Association, the Association and Humanitas Weezenkas. The founders held the conviction that development work should be secular, as true cooperation presumes respect for differing beliefs. In the first ever brochure, the founders wrote that “necessary changes should spring from communities themselves – from people at the base of society.” These convictions are still reflected in Hivos its work. In the 1980s and 1990s, Hivos was one of the first major Dutch NGOs that opened offices in the Global South to operate in the close vicinity of its civil society partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders there.

Organization

Location

Hivos' Global Office is in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

. Hivos currently works in 40 countries and has regional hubs in Latin America, East Africa, Southern Africa and North Africa and the Middle East (MENA). Hivos’ regional hubs, working alongside many partner organizations and take the lead in defining regionally and nationally specific programs. In the next several years, Hivos will particularly seek to expand collaborations and partnerships in the MENA region and increase its advocacy efforts in the Netherlands. It will continue its presence in Latin America and merge the hubs in East Africa and Southern Africa. Hivos will hand over its Southeast Asia activities to the recently formed local NGO Yayasan Hivos in Indonesia. At the beginning of 2020, one third of Hivos staff worked at the Global Office in The Hague, while two-thirds work at regional and country offices. Staff in the regions are mainly non-Dutch and also hold management positions in the regional offices, including those of Regional Director.

Governance

Hivos is managed by the Executive Board, consisting of Executive Director Edwin Huizing and the Chief Operations Officer Michel Farkas. The Management Team is made up of the heads of the Strategy and Impact Department and the Business Development Department, the four directors of their regional hubs and a few other management positions. The Strategy and Impact Department is headed by Biranchi Upadhyaya. Will Janssen serves as the head of the Business Development Department.

References

{{Reflist International development agencies Humanist associations Non-profit organisations based in the Netherlands Funding bodies of the Netherlands 1968 establishments in the Netherlands Organizations established in 1968 Organisations based in The Hague