2019 has been a very intensive and productive year at GlobalCAD.

Among many other projects, we have implemented an evaluation framework in Costa Rica, developed a series of online courses focused on social entrepreneurship, helped foster deforestation awareness in Guyana, supported the mediterranean environment agenda, helped fight coastal hazards in western Africa and supported policy papers from social constituencies to drive action towards more inclusive and resilient cities.

As varied in topic and location as these projects might be, they all have one thing in common: collaboration. At GlobalCAD we hold the conviction that partnerships and collaboration are essential if innovative and sustainable solutions for improved development are to be realized. This assumption is proved right with every new project we embark on – collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. Be it with local counterparts, multilateral global agencies, or in the day to day work with team members, providers and the overall GlobalCAD community, we could not have achieved so much without the support and collaboration of our multiple partners.

As a way to thank part of our community – the one based in Barcelona at least – we gathered yesterday at our offices for an end of the year celebration. We enjoyed some good wine and healthy “pica-pica” (provided by the amazing “Alles Gute” vegan catering service) while celebrating the achievements and learnings of the year.

We also took the chance to officially inaugurate GlobalCAD’s photo showroom with an exhibition of Patxi Uriz’s photos of the Kumano Route in Japan. Located on the first floor of our offices, the idea is to use the space to showcase art that is inspiring and socially motivated. We invite you to propose ideas and artists we could collaborate with to make the most out of the new space.

We also celebrated the successful crowdfunding campaign for Patxi’s latest project, “Los Últimos de la Mejana” a documentary that CAD Productions is producing, which sensitively addresses the need to keep the local food production culture alive and how it relates to topics such as climate change and sustainability. The crowdfunding lasted 40 days and allowed the award-winning documentary director to collect enough funding for post-production and dissemination.

Again, a perfect example of the power of collaboration: over 100 people from all over the world joined forces and helped bring a relevant and emotional project to live.

As 2020 approaches, it is time to stop looking back and start looking forward. We expect the next year to be as fruitful and rewarding as the one we are about to leave and we hope we can continue forging alliances and collaborating with partners all over the world to help transform societies towards a more sustainable and inclusive world.

Happy 2020!