groupe initiatives   in few words Created in November 1993, Groupe initiatives is a platform of non-governmental development organisations. The main objective is to enhance our impact by sharing experiences, knowledge and know-how. Groupe initiatives is composed of six French associations for development cooperation working for achieving poverty eradication and the empowerment of the poor. We share a common ambition for engendering development that genuinely serves local populations via action - research and institutional capacity building : GRDR (Research and accomplishment group for rural development), GRET (Research and technological exchange group), IRAM (Institute of research and accomplishment of development methods), CIEDEL (Centre of international studies on local development), AVSF (Veterinarians without borders - International centre of cooperation for agricultural development) and HSF (Hydraulique sans frontières). A member of Coordination SUD, French NGOs confederation, Groupe initiatives is a place for debate, thought and skills gathering. We lead several activities: working together and exchanging ideas on common stakes and constraints of cooperation and development support; representing Groupe initiatives members and taking part in network groups and lobbying platforms; analysing and disseminating our experiences and methods through our review The Traverses series.