Winds of Peace Foundation

Staff

Stephen C Sheppard, CEO

Steve has been a member of the Winds of Peace Foundation’s Board of Directors since its creation and became CEO for the Foundation in 2005, following 35 years in business.  In addition to leading an employee-owned company for the final 16 years of his career, he has also been a frequent speaker to business, education and civic audiences on the subjects of organizational development, employee-ownership, organizational/personal wellness and leadership values.

 His long association within the employee-ownership community has provided a valuable perspective in working with Nicaraguan partners who seek organizational development, broad participation, transparency and business literacy for the strengthening of their organizations. 

Steve has served on a wide range of corporate and non-profit boards during his career.

Mark Lester, Field Director

Mark is Field Director for WPF and the Central America Regional Co-Director for The Center for Global Education at Augsburg College.  A longtime resident of Nicaragua, Mark is widely known and respected for his knowledge of development issues in the country and is a frequently sought-after resource for North American delegations visiting Nicaragua and seeking a deep analysis of Nicaraguan state of affairs.

WINDS OF PEACE FOUNDATION:  BEGINNINGS

Winds of Peace Foundation is the legacy created in 1978 by Harold and Louise Nielsen, of Kenyon, Minnesota.  Winds of Peace  was born of their visits to developing countries in Central America, the resulting recognition of enormous social, economic and civil inequalities characterizing these societies, and the impacts of developed countries upon them. The Foundation was created to share that awareness with others in the U.S., as well as to share the Nielsens’ personal resources in ways that would help alleviate these disparities where possible by providing assistance for self- and community development.  Winds of Peace established an objective of assisting those in greatest need of economic and development help.  And since the Nielsens’ earliest awakenings to the great inequities occurred during a visit to Nicaragua in 1983, that country became the focus for Winds of Peace activities.
Three core beliefs shape the focus of WPF:

1. that in order for people to determine a healthier and more just future for themselves and their countries, they would need to have access to opportunities to become leaders, activists, and creators of opportunities for others;
2. that citizens of the U.S. and other developed nations have little or no awareness of the true disparity between their own resources and those of developing countries, and the impacts which the dominant economic structure has upon those of developing nations;
3. that through exposure to realities of poverty, injustice and violence an appeal to people’s inherent connections to humanity is a key component to creating positive change both in the U.S. and within those developing countries.

Acting upon these core beliefs, Winds of Peace extends grants to Nicaraguan groups and organizations that seek grassroots, sustainable development.  Staff members located in Nicaragua and an evaluation committee assembled in Minnesota combine efforts to fund initiatives which respond to community member needs and objectives.  The ability to stay connected with grant recipients through Nicaraguan staff permits WPF to experience the cultural and economic challenges facing its partners.

This learning continues to shape the strategies adopted by WPF, manifest in microlending small, uncollateralized loans to its approved partners.  Aimed at those who have little or no access to credit or funding elsewhere within Nicaragua, this form of assistance not only makes good financial sense for the long-term sustainability of WPF, but also for the recipients themselves.  The loan is seen by recipients as a “trust” from WPF, and an opportunity for recipients to improve their circumstances through their own efforts.  The results of this partnering leads to significant improvements in the “infrastructure” of communities, with residents taking on leadership roles, new responsibilities for the common good, and initiatives that prove to be more sustainable than previous efforts.  WPF explores additional models of microlending and refines its loan policies and practices for a healthier partnership for both parties.

Today, WPF assistance in Nicaragua is targeted at 75% lending and 25% grantmaking.   Preferred proposals are received from Indigenous communities, women’s groups and rural poor, as WPF seeks to improve the circumstances of the most disenfranchised populations of Nicaragua.   The permanent presence of WPF staff in-country provides for consistency and accountability, as well as an ongoing support for people just learning about the economics of capital.

As WPF evolves, it will continue to seek ways in which its assistance is used in direct response to the needs of the communities served and in ways that best assure sustainable transformation of the circumstances faced in those communities.  WPF will seek to leverage the power of accompaniment and partnership and will continue to be a presence- physically, emotionally and spiritually- in the realities of its partners.

The story of the Nielsen’s journey to awareness and making a difference in the world is chronicled in the book, One Couple’s Gift by Steve Swanson. It can be ordered on Amazon.com here.