WICE Announces Comprehensive Restructuring to Modernize Global Development Approach

WICE, a global organization founded in 1989 by conservationist Daan Vreugdenhil, has announced a comprehensive revitalization of its mission, team, and operational model. The restructuring represents a significant shift in how the organization approaches sustainable development, maintaining its established legacy while expanding capabilities to address current global challenges. This transformation signals a new era for the development sector, with implications for how international aid and sustainability initiatives are conceptualized and implemented worldwide.

The restructured organization will advance community-centered solutions across multiple critical sectors including health, nutrition, agriculture, food systems, artificial intelligence, ecotourism, energy and environment, education, economic development, blockchain technology, governance, partnerships, and humanitarian assistance. This broadened scope reflects the interconnected nature of contemporary development challenges and represents a departure from traditional siloed approaches. The organization's leadership emphasizes that this transformation honors previous work while recognizing the urgent need for more effective and innovative development strategies.

According to Emily Weeks, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of WICE USA, the organization is blending decades of proven expertise with next-generation approaches that center people, prioritize local leadership, and embrace modern tools and financing mechanisms. Weeks, who previously served at USAID, stated that the restructuring creates a new model for supporting long-term sustainability. The organization's approach represents a significant evolution in development philosophy, moving toward collaborative frameworks that blend public and private capital to unlock substantial investment in critical areas.

WICE operates as an agile, decentralized consortium that prioritizes collaboration over competition, sharing skills and resources to deliver human-centered solutions at scale. The organization's structure fosters partnership, investment, and co-design with local communities, representing a fundamental shift from traditional top-down development models. With more than 150 experts operating across 100-plus countries, the team brings substantial experience having managed over $50 billion in government contracts, advised national leaders, partnered with more than 2,500 organizations, and demonstrated proven ability to rapidly deploy resources anywhere needed.

Dr. Ahmad Kablan, Ph.D., Vice President of WICE, emphasized that the organization is not merely adapting to the evolving global development landscape but actively leading its transformation. The restructuring positions WICE at the forefront of advancing climate resilience, clean energy, inclusive economic growth, and sustainable infrastructure. This strategic repositioning comes at a critical time when global challenges require innovative approaches that can deliver measurable impact at scale. More information about the organization's new direction is available at https://www.wice.org.

The implications of WICE's restructuring extend beyond the organization itself, potentially influencing how development agencies and non-governmental organizations approach their work globally. By emphasizing local leadership, modern tools, and innovative financing, WICE's model could establish new benchmarks for effectiveness in the development sector. The organization's focus on creating inclusive solutions to global challenges addresses growing concerns about the sustainability and equity of traditional development approaches, potentially paving the way for more resilient and prosperous futures for communities worldwide.