Building Bridges in Rural Mexico: How NGOs can Strengthen Local Government through Collaborative Leadership

August 2002

A study of bridging leadership in Mexico. This examines bridging leadership among business, local government, NGOs, and academia sectors.

The Acción Ciudadana para la Educación, la Democracia y el Desarrollo, (Citizen Action for Education, Democracy and Development) or ACCEDDE, is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Guadalajara and which operates throughout the Mexican state of Jalisco. This case describes the organization's work as a catalyst in the fight against underdevelopment and marginalization in the rural township of Cuquío. Since its inception, ACCEDDE has supported a local development approach characterized by strategies focused on raising awareness and building collaboration. The idea has been to facilitate a shared vision of the problem and, in the process, institutionalize citizen participation in public discussion. This study allows us to explore the role of an external organization in the bridging process and how collaboration between local government and citizens can become a reality.

Bridging leadership is a style of leadership that focuses on creating and sustaining effective working relationships among key partners and stakeholders. By "bridging" different perspectives and opinions often found across the breadth of different stakeholders, a common agenda can begin to be developed and shared in order to solve social and economic problems.

Produced in cooperation with the Tec de Monterrey and edited by Steven D. Pierce.

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