SWISSAID
Switzerland
| Research/Dev
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One of Switzerland’s leading aid organisations, SWISSAID was founded in 1948. We are involved in cooperative development projects in nine countries, try to influence policy-making on development in Switzerland, and inform people about the causes of poverty and underdevelopment. We have 84 staff worldwide, 29 of whom work in Switzerland. All our offices in the nine African, Asian and Latin American countries are staffed exclusively by local people, this is more efficient and effective, and also makes good financial sense. SWISSAID relies on the knowledge and skills of the people the projects are intended to help and does not bring in expensive experts from the northern hemisphere. We facilitate small, easily-managed projects, which are initiated and carried out by the affected people themselves. SWISSAID works in places where no, or very few, other aid organisations are involved. We are aware that real development can happen only when there is political change, this is why we are politically active, both in the Third World and Switzerland, but always on a non-sectarian basis and independent of party politics.
