"Sweets among peoples" a project of exchange and cooperation between Bolivia and Zarautz

The "Sweets among peoples" developed from 30 October to 11 November, succeeds in developing a recipe with several ingredients, different activities that produced a greater rapprochement between North and South strengthening cooperation, between the peoples of Bolivia and Euskadi, particularly between the communes of Toro Toro and Zarautz.

The Bolivian protagonists of this project are Gladys Chumacero (President of the Agricultural Cooperative AGROCAINE) and Merardo Pozo (Technical agronomist from Organization and Promotion Center of Farmers - CIPCA) were invited by TAU Fundazioa and the World Rural Forum (WRF). Both came from Bolivia representing rural communities of Toro Toro (Potosi) for a stay of 10 days in Euskadi in order to participate in the "Sweets among peoples" project and know some cooperative experiences of farming.

The background to this visit must be seen in the cooperation between TAU Fundazioa and the World Rural Forum, here in the North and the Bolivian organization CIPA in the South to implement the project: "Capacity Building of the fruit processing plant in the Agricultural Producers Association of Caine: AGROCAINE, Potosi, Bolivia". This project is being implemented thanks to the important economic collaboration of € 17,019.02 by the City of Zarautz, in the official announcement for supporting cooperation in 2008.

AGROAINE is an agricultural cooperative that transforms guava, sweet potato and lemon that rural communities Torotoro Caine produce and transform it into organic jams consumed in school snack bars of the area thanks to an agreement with the Mayor. Thanks to the cooperation project funded by the city of Zarautz, this cooperative will achieve later this year 2009 improved the infrastructure of the micro-plant and strengthen the skills of their cooperative.

But apart from this economic cooperation necessary for the implementation of this project from TAU and FRM, we should show society of Zarautz, the importance of the participation of 6 entities of two continents to achieve a common goal such as raising the quality life of the neediest populations. To do this, we organized cultural exchange project, called "Sweets among peoples "to promote, exchange and training between the two countries.

Besides the exchange of views and experiences in several production, rural management and training centers (Gomiztegi School Fraisoro, Lurleen, Biolur, Jakion, Itsasmendikoi ...) We arranged an institutional meeting with the city of Zarautz and a participatory lecture-dinner where Eva Arguiñano the cook, used AGROCAINE jams to make a "dessert solidarity" for all participants that symbolized the union between the two peoples.