Revising NGOs Agendas with a Focus on Security

program, a component of the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), aims to transform insecurity in Honduras by promoting a shared vision among institutions to coordinate actions and strengthen state bodies. This vision has resulted in reducing violent acts in target communities. The program operates in a challenging environment, where most NGOs and donor agencies refuse to work in high-risk communities and prohibit links between their programs and violence or police involvement. In Honduras, there are approximately 13,000 NGOs operating in various sectors, including health, infrastructure, education, and violence prevention. However, only a few of these organizations include violence reduction in their mission statements. Those that prioritize conflict areas focus primarily on prevention, rather than addressing the root causes of violence. The Honduras Convive! program has faced challenges in identifying partners willing to incorporate violence reduction and interruption as a priority. One of the program's early experiences was working with World Vision's regional office, Programa de Desarrollo de Area (PDA) – Cerro de Plata. The PDA operated in the San Miguel District of Tegucigalpa, a high-risk area controlled by gangs. Initially, the PDA's long-term plan focused on community development goals that were not easily adaptable to the security situation. However, after months of discussion with World Vision, the PDA realized that addressing security concerns was essential to achieving their goals. The program's field staff supported and guided the PDA in transforming their approach to intentionally focus on security, including working with the police. The PDA's transformation involved promoting a conceptual shift among staff regarding the need to address violence, inviting public and private institutions to discuss and analyze citizen security needs, creating an Action Committee to drive community-based initiatives, and defining a strategy for the Committee. The PDA acted as a catalyst for immediate actions to improve security. As a result, World Vision revised their national policies to incorporate joint efforts with the police to tackle insecurity as part of their operating model. This experience demonstrated that the Honduras Convive! program can work with NGOs to change their approach to working in conflict areas, shifting from pure prevention to violence interruption.