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| Fundación Solón | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fundación Solón |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Founder | Guillermo Solón |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | La Paz |
| Region | Bolivia |
| Focus | Human rights, Indigenous rights, Environmental justice |
Fundación Solón is a Bolivian non-profit organization focused on research, advocacy, and policy analysis related to Indigenous peoples, natural resources, and social movements in Latin America. Founded in 2001 by Guillermo Solón, the foundation operates from La Paz and engages with regional actors including movimiento cocalero, Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional de Bolivia, and international institutions such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States.
Fundación Solón was established in 2001 amid political shifts after the 2000 Cochabamba Water War and during debates over neoliberalism in Bolivia. Early interactions included collaborations with the Achacachi communities, dialogues with the Movimiento al Socialismo caucus, and participation in forums hosted by the International Labour Organization and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The institute produced policy briefs during the 2003 Gas War and advised actors during constitutional negotiations associated with the 2009 Bolivian Constitution. Over time it has intersected with figures such as Evo Morales, networks like Via Campesina, and academic centers such as the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences.
The foundation's declared mission centers on defending collective rights of Indigenous peoples and promoting equitable natural resource governance, often engaging with arenas that include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Activities combine research, legal analysis, and community outreach involving stakeholders from the Titicaca Basin, Amazonian federations like the Federación Sindical de Comunidades Interculturales de Cochabamba (CSUTCB), and municipal governments such as El Alto Municipal Government. It produces reports for forums including the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and contributes to debates at the Summit of the Americas and World Social Forum.
Fundación Solón is organized with a board of directors, an executive director, and thematic research units that focus on hydrocarbons, mining, and land tenure. Its governance includes advisory councils with representatives from the National Confederation of Peasant Workers of Bolivia (CSUTCB), the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia (CIDOB), and legal experts from universities such as the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés and Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo. The foundation employs researchers who liaise with entities like the Ministry of Rural Development and Land and international NGOs including Oxfam and Amnesty International.
Key programs have addressed extractivism in the Bolivian lowlands, water rights in the Cochabamba Department, and agrarian reform linked to the Land Reform and Agrarian Laws debates. Projects include participatory mapping with Amazonian communities, legal defense initiatives at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and capacity-building workshops with unions such as Sindicato de Trabajadores Mineros. The foundation has produced policy papers referenced in forums convened by the Andean Community, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
Through strategic litigation and policy advocacy, Fundación Solón has influenced debates on consultation rights under instruments like the International Labour Organization Convention 169 and urged recognition of collective titling processes similar to rulings from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in cases involving Indigenous land rights. It has submitted shadow reports to the UN Human Rights Committee and engaged in advocacy during negotiations at the World Trade Organization and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change sessions, connecting local claims from the Amazon Basin to multilateral policy outcomes.
The foundation maintains partnerships with academic institutions such as the London School of Economics, research centers like the Overseas Development Institute, and NGOs including Friends of the Earth International and International Rivers. Funding sources have included grants from foundations like the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, and multilateral agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme and the Inter-American Development Bank. Collaborative projects have linked Fundación Solón to networks including Red de Intelectuales, Artistas y Movimientos Sociales en Defensa de la Humanidad and regional alliances such as Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas (CAOI).
Fundación Solón has faced critique from political actors aligned with Evo Morales at times, and contestation from private sector firms in the mining and hydrocarbons sectors that dispute its research characterizations. Critics from business associations like the Cámara de Industria, Comercio, Servicios y Turismo (CAINCO) and certain municipal officials have alleged bias in policy briefs submitted to bodies such as the Plurinational Legislative Assembly. Debates have emerged in media outlets including Los Tiempos and Página Siete about the foundation's role in mobilizing social movements and its relationships with international donors such as the European Union and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Category:Civil society organizations in Bolivia Category:Indigenous rights organizations Category:Environmental organizations in Bolivia