The Siemenpuu Foundation has reached the age of a quarter of a century. Siemenpuu’s founding meeting was held on November 26, 1998, when 16 Finnish environmental and development organizations signed Siemenpuu’s charter. Siemenpuu was founded to strengthen the distribution of Finnish development cooperation funds for the environmental work of organizations and civic movements in the Global South.
Siemenpuu’s goal is to improve equal opportunities for rural local communities to develop sustainable living conditions and participate in decision-making that affects the state of their environment. Siemenpuu supports the strengthening of a multi-vocal civil society that promotes environmental justice.
So far, we have supported 670 projects planned and implemented by environmental actors in the global south in around 50 different countries. The operation has e.g. protected forests, increased the availability of clean energy, improved the sustainability of food production, strengthened ecological democracy in local communities, developed women’s opportunities for a sustainable livelihood, and increased the awareness of millions of people about their environmental rights and responsibilities.
In honour of our anniversary, as well as the 25 years anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, Siemenpuu will publish a 25-part Polar Night Calendar (ending on Winter Solstice Day) in social media between November 28 and December 22, 2023. In the calendar, daily there will be thoughts of representatives of Siemenpuu’s current and former partner organizations on environmental protection and environmental justice.