The New Gemeinschaft: Individual Initiative and Business–NGO–University Partnerships

IN ORDER for business–NGO partnerships addressing sustainable development to be successful in circumstances where North-South interests and corporate-non-profit interests can be at odds, trust is critical. The project discussed in this paper, the La Amistad Conservation and Development Initiative (AMISCONDE), is a bi-national effort in Costa Rica and Panama implemented by a partnership of McDonald's Corporation and its family of suppliers, Conservation International, Clemson and Texas A&M University, and local NGOs (Centro Científico Tropical in Costa Rica, Asociacion Nacional para la Conservación and, later, with Fundación para el Desarrollo Sostenible de Panama in Panama) in an attempt to create a sustainable economic and social development project that ultimately helps to protect the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve by working with the local communities living near or in the buffer-zone areas around the park. The project encourages partnerships within the communities and with key government and private organisations. AMISCONDE is the result of a unique collective decision-making structure comprised of individuals from the implementing organisations and local community leaders. The operative term is 'individuals', and this case study highlights the role of the individual in building trust and effective relationships between NGOs, corporations and local people. The AMISCONDE case study demonstrates one approach towards establishing collaborative business-NGO-university teams that help promote a more sustainable use of natural resources, improved economic opportunities for local communities, and provide workable solutions for environmental problems.