The Justice, Peace and Improvement Fee (JPDC) of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) (SECAM.org) is urging the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) to take proactive measures to make sure that EU biodiversity conservation funds don’t result in mass land alienation and threaten the livelihoods and stability of indigenous and native communities on the continent.
As one of many companions that first launched the coverage transient on “Defending the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Native Communities to Halt Biodiversity Loss (http://apo-opa.co/3XPyh9C)” on 12 September 2024, SECAM-JPDC reiterates the collective name for a brand new conservation paradigm that respects and protects the rights of indigenous peoples and native communities, who’re estimated as managing 80 per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity.
On this Press Launch, being relaunched on 17 September 2024 by SECAM-JPDC and its companions, CIDSE, the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR, Coventry College), the Alliance for Meals Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), the Pastoralists Indigenous Non-Governmental Organisation’s Discussion board (PINGOs Discussion board), the Pastoral Girls’s Council (PWC) and others, wish to draw your consideration to key suggestions outlined within the joint coverage transient. These embrace:
Ending Exclusionary Conservation Fashions: The coverage transient requires the abandonment of “fortress conservation” approaches in favour of co-management fashions that empower Indigenous Peoples and native communities to guard biodiversity in partnership with world actors. This implies avoiding any form of displacement, selling conservation approaches that combine people and nature and making certain biodiversity finance is managed and monitored by native communities.
Securing Land Rights: Defending the suitable to land of Indigenous Peoples and native communities is paramount. The coverage transient advocates for authorized recognition and safety of the human proper to land as a foundational aspect of efficient biodiversity conservation, in mild with UN Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP (http://apo-opa.co/47wvnK7)) and of the Rights of Peasants and Different Folks Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP (http://apo-opa.co/47w28ab)).
Guaranteeing Free, Prior, and Knowledgeable Consent (FPIC): All biodiversity tasks, particularly these funded by the EU, should safe the FPIC of Indigenous Communities, in keeping with worldwide human rights requirements. Significant and lively participation of native communities also needs to be ensured.
Redirecting Biodiversity Finance: The coverage transient urges that biodiversity financing be redirected to help sustainable practices equivalent to agroecology and pastoralism, which improve biodiversity whereas safeguarding the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and native communities. Pastoralism is a viable livelihood and land administration system that doesn’t obtain enough help.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact:
Simson Mwale
Programme Officer
SECAM-JPDC
E mail: simsonmwale@yahoo.com
Contacts of Accomplice Organisations:
CIDSE
Jose Emmanuel Yap
Meals and Land Coverage Officer
CIDSE
Cellphone: +32 (0)2 233 37 53
E mail: yap@cidse.org
Centre for Agroecology Water and Resilience (CAWR) Coventry College:
Dr. Priscilla Claeys
Affiliate Professor
E mail: ac4203@coventry.ac.uk
Alliance for Meals Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA):
Kirubel Teshome
Communications Officer
E mail: kirubel.tadele@afsafrica.org
Concerning the Organisations:
SECAM-JPDC (http://apo-opa.co/47x2X2h) is a SECAM Fee that helps the Catholic Church’s efforts in Africa to advocate for the pursuits of the poor and marginalized in the direction of establishing extra simply, affluent, clear and peaceable African societies dwelling in concord with nature.
CIDSE (http://apo-opa.co/3XMX12e) is a global household of Catholic social justice organisations working collectively for world justice.
Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR) (http://apo-opa.co/3TwscvW), Coventry College is a analysis centre devoted to the event of resilient meals and water programs by agroecology.
Alliance for Meals Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) (http://apo-opa.co/3XKaBDn) is a pan-African community of civil society organisations championing meals sovereignty and agroecology in Africa.