Rob Jentsch: Graduation Is Not Enough

In Guatemala, many young people finish secondary school and discover that a diploma does not always open a path to earning a viable income. Drawing from the experiences of young people and the organizations that support them, this talk asks how civil society organizations, employers, funders, and the public sector can build pathways to work that create value for everyone involved.

Félix Endara: Trans Cultural Archaeology: Solidarity Archives of Latin America

Félix Endara, Mesoamerica Program Officer at the Foundation for a Just Society (FJS), will address in this lightning talk how trans memory archives in Latin America are much more than just records and also serve as strategies for narrative change. Through the recovery of lost first-person stories, Felix will outline how trans archives use a cultural archaeology that challenges hate speech and anti-gender movements.

Brenda Xum: Building Social Change Leaders for Central America’s Future

The Ford Foundation’s International Fellowships Program (IFP), implemented by the Institute of International Education (IIE), expanded education opportunities for leaders from vulnerable communities globally, with impacts documented through IIE’s alumni tracking study. Guatemalan IFP alumna, Brenda Xum, will share how the program shaped her leadership journey and how targeted investment in education advances adaptation, sustainability, and economic inclusion.

Juan Enamorado: The Workshop That Led to a Cultural Center Protecting Rights in a Neighborhood

In 2022, during a CADF community philanthropy workshop, a round of introductions between the Women’s Enterprise Development Organization (ODEF ONGD) and Warriors Zulu Nation Honduras sparked a powerful alliance. Four years later, that roundtable became a cultural center in Chamelecón, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where children and youth have access to art, sports, and protection from violence. In this lightning talk, Juan Enamorado, Executive Director of Warriors Zulu Nation Honduras, will delve into those unlikely conversations that uphold rights and transform lives.

Valentina Vargas Ricca and Anita García Ortíz: Women with Disabilities: Feminist Resistance Against Anti-Rights Movements

One in five women worldwide has a disability. Amid today’s polycrisis, they face anti-rights movements and bear the brunt of climate change, patriarchal violence, ableist discrimination, and other overlapping forms of injustice. This talk will address the main trends experienced by feminist leaders with disabilities and will present key strategies they use to resist and dream of other futures in Central America and the world.