Submitted by ETC Group on
A Message from the Treasurer:
In Financial Year 1999-2000, RAFI completed a process of organizational consolidation that had begun the previous year. We and our sister organization RAFI-USA redefined our collaboration, and in January 2000, RAFI assumed full responsibility for the employment of RAFI’s Research Director Hope Shand. Until then, Hope had been an employee of RAFI-USA, working in close cooperation with RAFI on our joint programmes. We thank RAFI-USA sincerely for their willing contribution to an almost-seamless transition to our new working arrangements.
Two new full-time research staff were fully integrated into RAFI’s programme work during this year. Julie Delahanty is now working from Ottawa and Silvia Ribeiro from Mexico, who was established there with the help of GEA (Grupo de Estudios Ambientales), a Mexican organization with which RAFI cooperates. We thank them for their moral and programme support. Having two RAFI staff in Latin America for the year 2000 (Pat Mooney and Silvia Ribeiro) both broadened and deepened RAFI’s contacts and impact in Mexico and in Central and South America in ways that will endure for years to come.
RAFI further expanded our programme capacity by hiring six consultants on a range of projects during the year. Between them, they analysed new patents, produced timely cartoons, and conducted research on human genomics, biopiracy, and industry consolidation. In addition, RAFI contracted a team of researchers in Mexico to document examples of biopiracy in that country. In Ottawa, doctoral student Diego Martino continued his voluntary translations into Spanish of many RAFI materials.
We thank all of them.
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