.jpg)
Lidiethe Madden
​
I am firmly convinced that another world is possible when working with the principles of equality, equity and empowerment, especially with rural and indigenous women in Latin America and the Caribbean.In 1989 I founded the Andar Association in Costa Rica, an NGO with counterparts in Guatemala and Honduras. In 1996, for 27 years, I developed the Eco-Finca Terranatura "Salud que brota del campo" in the rural community of Cartagena, which is located in the La Rita District, Pococí canton, in the North Caribbean Region of Costa Rica. I dedicate myself to the production of cocoa, fruit trees, vanilla and medicinal plants. The farm was certified, after a three-year transition process (2020 to December 2022) as organic for the national market by ARAO, a certifying company of the Government of Costa Rica.
I also care for and protect a one-hectare wetland and a 12-hectare mountain, which has received the Environmental Services Payment from the Government of Costa Rica for 25 years. I conceive the ECO-Finca as a laboratory of the future, in which I have developed various ventures and experiences in agro-ecotourism for rural women and families. This venture earned me, in 1999, to be nominated as a fellow and honorary member of Ashoka International.
​
Since my professional practice as a Social Psychologist and Academic Master in Gender Studies, I have favored participatory leadership through various educational processes, articulating social, environmental and economic interests. The conservation and care of natural resources, the harmonious coexistence between people and all living beings, empathy, compassion and the good life of communities, are contents developed with people with a low level of education and lack of opportunities. One of the results is co-creation, transformation and innovation, which promote diversity of talents, without differences of gender, skin color and/or nationality. Mutual respect, self-care, food security and sovereignty, nutrition, health and climate change are part of the contents that I work with young people and adults in the communities.
​
I have implemented this vision of the future through various professional, academic and volunteer experiences, with public entities and the private sector, universities, civil society organizations and international cooperation, both in Costa Rica and in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador. For the last ten years I have been linked to ASHOKA Spain, an organization with which I share innumerable advances in the world of social entrepreneurship.
​
My passions are multiple and varied, having action research, sustainable development, gender equality and advances in environmental psychology as a central axis. The plurality of contents, the study, the reflection and the systematization of life stories, allow me to articulate knowledge and consciousness. I have published various books and articles in scientific journals, among which I would highlight: Haciendo camino al Andar. Methodological guide for community action. OEF International, Washington, United States, 1991. Seven Tools for participatory education. Illustrated series with the figures of Andarina and Andarín. Working in groups. Gender. Participatory methodologies. Administration management. Management of Small Credits. Andar Association and FIDA. Costa Rica. 1998. Gender, ethnicity, security and food sovereignty. A case study with Bribri and Cabécare indigenous women from Costa Rica. Spanish Academic Editorial. Germany, 1916.
​
On behalf of the Ibero-American Institute of Spain, I received in 2008 the nomination of Doctorate Honoris Causa and Master Honoris Causa for his dedication and leadership in education.