The tourist city of Goma, located in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), hosted a crucial session on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, to listen to local environmental defenders and climate activists.
Organized by the Congolese Alert for Environment and Human Rights (ACEDH), as part of the Solidarity Initiative for Environmental Defenders (STAND), a collaborative effort involving the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Alliance For Land Indigenous and Environmental Defenders (ALLIED), this meeting took place at the Congo Uni Hotel. Its main objective was to identify the specific needs of these actors who have been engaged for several years in the fight for environmental preservation.
The event brought together a diverse range of participants, from passionate young activists to experienced members of organizations dedicated to environmental protection. Each participant had the opportunity to share their daily challenges, successes, and most importantly, their needs in terms of capacity building.
According to Maître Olivier Ndoole, an ecological defender from North Kivu and head of ACEDH, “this listening session was crucial to understand how we can better support these environmental defenders who play an essential role in our community.”
He continued, “It was a listening session aimed at identifying needs and challenges regarding human rights defenders within the STAND project. This is to explore ways to support local environmental defenders, not only in terms of capacity building but also in accessing small grants to support their activities.”
ACEDH, for climate protection
The identified needs from the session include technical and scientific training. Many participants expressed the need for comprehensive training in environmental sciences, such as natural resource management and the impact of local climate change. To influence local and national policies, activists emphasized the importance of developing effective advocacy and communication skills.
According to Me Olivier Ndoole, funding remains a critical issue, with an urgent need for strategies to access sustainable funds for their environmental initiatives. The session also highlighted the importance of strengthening community engagement and increasing public awareness of local environmental issues.
All the expressed needs will be compiled into a package that will be translated into priorities and pillars for interventions to support defenders at the local level, according to Me Olivier Ndoole. ACEDH and its partners are committed to developing a capacity-building program tailored to the needs expressed by environmental defenders in North Kivu. This program aims to address identified gaps and provide ongoing support to those tirelessly working towards a more sustainable future.
STAND, a project to support environmental defenders
The “STAND” project is designed to respond to the call of environmental defenders (EDs) who, despite their vital role, face serious threats to their safety and livelihoods, including crime, loss of livelihoods and property, physical attacks, and even murder due to their advocacy, especially in resource-extractive dependent countries.
Moreover, this project aims to enhance the financial capacities of environmental defenders to cope with the risks they face and to improve the integration of environmental protection and defense into a broader framework on livelihoods, forestry, and climate change.
Magloire Kambale in Goma