Building Democracy from the Grassroots. Inter-American Foundation: 2001 in Review, October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2001.

The Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent agency of the U.S. government, funds innovative, participatory, and sustainable self-help development projects proposed and managed by grassroots groups and supportive organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean. IAF also encourages partnerships among community organizations, businesses, and local governments, directed at improving the quality of life for poor people and strengthening democratic processes. This annual report for 2001 describes IAF's grantmaking, evaluation, and dissemination activities and the July 16th forum "Building Democracy from the Grassroots," organized by IAF and a unit of the Organization for American States. The forum brought together policy makers and development practitioners to discuss the proposition that a democracy must be built from the bottom up. In 2001, IAF awarded 43 new grants and 27 supplemental grants in 15 countries, totalling about $13.9 million. Funding was distributed among five program areas: enterprise development and management, agriculture and food production, education and training, community services, and ecodevelopment. Many projects involved indigenous communities or focused on women's education and self-employment. Educational activities included entrepreneurship training, community-based literacy education and life-skills training, training in business and marketing, electrification and facilities improvement in rural schools, community leadership training, and agricultural and vocational education for adults and youth. (SV)