UK/Nicaragua Solidarity

Through more than four decades of profound political change in Nicaragua, the UK and globally, NSC has facilitated deep bonds of mutual solidarity between the UK and Nicaragua.

Over the years these links, based on the common interests of UK and Nicaragua organisations, have focused on interrelated themes of economic, social and environmental justice. This includes fair trade, climate justice, gender equality, co-operatives and community organising.

Very often we feel alone in trying to create a better world but the opportunity to meet other people with the same vision and who act on that vision means that we feel strengthened and accompanied.

Over the past two years, Nicaragua has suffered not just one but four major blows: the failed 2018 coup, the Covid-19 pandemic, US destabilisation, and in November 2020, the widespread suffering and destruction caused by Hurricane Eta.

NSC remains committed to solidarity with those who struggle against enormous odds to build a society based on social, economic and environmental justice, free from outside interference.

Our partner organisations

Nicaraguan Rural Workers Association (ATC) Globalise struggle, globalise hope!


Throughout the past 42 years, the ATC has played a key role in fighting for the rights of campesinxs to improve their living conditions and to strengthen the rural economy so that small scale farmers are able to feed themselves and their communities and to contribute to building national food sovereignty.

Political, social and economic transformation, including of land ownership to benefit small scale farmers, has been a central part of these struggles.

ATC Today

The ATC is a movement with over 47,000 members and has two main areas of work: defending the employment rights of agricultural workers in the banana, tobacco, coffee and sugar cane industries; and strengthening struggles for political, economic, social and climate justice in rural areas.

Providing training and access to government programmes

At five residential centres, the ATC runs courses in employment rights, agroecological farming, political and community organising, food sovereignty and gender equality. Government programmes provide technical training, access to resources and credit, and a marketing infrastructure for rural communities.

Working with rural co-operatives and associations

The ATC together with government institutions supports communities to build local, resilient and ecologically diverse food systems. This includes gender equality, peasant feminism and community and international solidarity.

Friends of the ATC testimonies

Building a youth movement for agroecology

The ATC runs a Latin America Agroecological Institute (IALA) to provide technical, political and ideological training based on peasant-to-peasant education methods. This two-year course offers holistic training based on the values of co-operation, internationalism and the struggle against capitalism.

A global movement of peasants and indigenous peoples

La Via Campesina, of which the ATC is a founding member, brings together millions of small scale food producers promoting food systems that respect people and the planet. This model is not just about growing healthy local food to enable people to live well but also about building a new social and political culture.

No to agribusiness, yes to agroecology

NSC solidarity with the ATC

NSC works with the ATC through another solidarity organisation, Friends of the ATC. We have co-produced a short video and co-organised a webinar entitled “Land, agroecology and peasant identity” with speakers from IALA, published regular updates on the ATC and IALA, organised a webinar with ATC and UK Landworkers’ Alliance representatives, and fundraised for our UK solidarity work and for ATC projects in Nicaragua.

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