Namati Inc

BUILDING A MOVEMENT OF GRASS- ROOTS ADVOCATES WHO EMPOWER PEOPLE TO KNOW, USE, AND SHAPE THE LAW.

COMMUNITY LAND PROTECTION KENYA: IN KENYA, WE WORKED WITH 13 NEW COMMUNITIES IN 2022 TO DRAFT THEIR BYLAWS, GETTING TO THE STAGE TO ELECT THEIR LEADERS BEFORE APPLYING FOR LEGAL RECOGNITION. THREE COMMUNITIES, SUPPORTED BY OUR PARTNER THE SAMBURU WOMEN'S TRUST (SWT), RECEIVED THEIR LAND TITLES.MYANMAR: IN MYANMAR, WE RESOLVED 32 CASES ON LAND RIGHTS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES. WE ALSO PUBLISHED 4 POLICY BRIEFS AND 2 MANUALS FOR PRACTITIONERS ON LAND GOVERNANCE AND HOW TO RESOLVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE SECTOR. IN ADDITION, WE CONTINUED TO PROMOTE THE ROLE OF WOMEN NOT ONLY IN APPLYING FOR TITLES TO THEIR LAND BUT ALSO INVOLVING THEM IN DEMANDING THEIR RIGHTS. SIERRA LEONE: IN SIERRA LEONE, NAMATI CONTRIBUTED TO THE PASSAGE OF TWO PASSAGE OF LANDMARK PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL LAND RIGHTS BILLS: THE CUSTOMARY LAND RIGHT ACT AND THE NATIONAL LAND COMMISSION ACT. NAMATI'S PROGRAM LEADS DRAFTED THE BILLS DRAWING ON PROGRAM LEARNING FROM COMMUNITY LAND PROTECTION PILOTS. THE BILLS HELD THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS FOR LAND RIGHTS:-GRANT ALL LOCAL COMMUNITIES THE RIGHT TO FREE PRIOR INFORMED CONSENT (FPIC) OVER ALL INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS ON THEIR LANDS;-INCORPORATE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENTAL LICENSE CONDITIONS INTO BINDING LEGAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND COMPANIES; AND-ESTABLISH LOCAL LAND USE COMMITTEES TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW COMMUNITY LANDS ARE MANAGED, AND MANDATE THAT THOSE COMMITTEES ARE AT LEAST 30% WOMEN.TO SUPPORT THE SCALING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE BILLS, NAMATI HELD A TRAINING FOR OVER 50 LAWYERS ON THE CONTENT OF THE NEW LAND LAWS AND ADVOCACY TO PROTECT TENURE RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND AN IN-PERSON LEARNING EXCHANGE FOR 24 REPRESENTATIVES OF VILLAGE AREA LAND COMMITTEES (VALCS).

GLOBAL NETWORKTHE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT NETWORK (NETWORK) BROUGHT TOGETHER 12,500+ MEMBERS REPRESENTING MORE THAN 3,300 CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS 175 COUNTRIES. IN 2022, THE NETWORK PILOTED KEY LEARNING INITIATIVES AIMED AT REACHING NEW AND YOUNGER AUDIENCES. OUR FIRST VIRTUAL COURSE, LEGAL EMPOWERMENT 101, DREW ON EXPERIENCES FROM ACROSS THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT NETWORK AND NAMATI, PULLING TOGETHER LESSONS FROM YEARS OF IN-PERSON LEARNING AND CASE STUDIES. THE NETWORK ALSO STRENGTHENED STRUCTURES FOR COLLECTIVE LEARNING AND ADVOCACY AMONG GRASSROOTS PRACTITIONERS AT THE REGIONAL AND THEMATIC LEVELS, INCLUDING:-THE NETWORK'S LAND & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CORE GROUP CONVENED IN NAIROBI AND MEXICO TO DEVELOP A COMMON SET OF PRIORITIES AND DEMANDS.-THE SOUTHEAST ASIA CORE GROUP MET IN MANILA TO DISCUSS THEIR SHARED PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND IDENTIFIED THREE THEMATIC PRIORITIES (GENDER JUSTICE, LAND/ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND CITIZEN/REFUGEE RIGHTS). -OVER 50 LEGAL EMPOWERMENT PRACTITIONERS FROM 15 COUNTRIES MET IN LAGOS TO DISCUSS A JOINT LEGAL EMPOWERMENT AGENDA FOR WEST AFRICA, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LAGOS DECLARATION ON COMMUNITY DRIVEN JUSTICE WHICH SERVES AS A GUIDING FRAMEWORK FOR JOINING LEGAL EMPOWERMENT IN THE REGION. FINALLY, THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT FUND (LEF) LAUNCHED THROUGH THE NETWORK'S JUSTICE FOR ALL CAMPAIGN ISSUED TWO ROUNDS OF FUNDING TO 94 ORGANIZATIONS IN 48 COUNTRIES.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE UNITED STATES: TOGETHER WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS WE ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES IN LOCAL FIGHTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. IN THE HISTORIC BLACK COMMUNITIES OF LOTHIAN AND HARWOOD, MARYLAND, A ZONING COMPLAINT FILED BY A LOTHIAN RESIDENT AND OUR LOCAL PARTNER FRED TUTMAN, THE PATUXENT RIVERKEEPER, WON THE CLOSURE OF AN INDUSTRIAL SITE THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN SOURCES OF NUMEROUS COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS ABOUT INDUSTRIAL TRUCK TRAFFIC AND OTHER HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS. THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT ALSO AGREED NOT TO RENEW THE LEASE FOR PROPERTY THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED TO CREATE A LARGE-SCALE COMPOSTING SITE, THREATENING THIS ALREADY OVERBURDENED AREA. ADDITIONALLY, RESIDENTS SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR THE BUDGET OF FREDERICK CITY IN MARYLAND TO ONLY FUND A HIGHWAY PROJECT THROUGH FORT DETRICK IF IT AVOIDS THE EXISTING HAZARDOUS WASTE BURIAL SITES.SIERRA LEONE: WE OBTAINED 16 REMEDIES TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL HARMS ACROSS 8 PROJECTS, TRAINING AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITY MOBILISERS TO UNDERSTAND AND TAKE THE LEAD IN ADDRESSING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS BY BUILDING THEIR CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY HARMS AND INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH COMPANIES AND REGULATORY AGENCIES TO ADDRESS THOSE HARMS. NAMATI CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO LANDMARK LAND RIGHTS LAWS, WHICH INCLUDE STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS SUCH AS BANNING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING MINING, TIMBER, AND AGRIBUSINESS IN OLD-GROWTH FORESTS AND OTHER ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.MYANMAR: NAMATI, WORKING WITH THREE LOCAL PARTNERS, RESOLVED 87 COMPLEX LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CASES, THE MAJORITY OF THESE BEING LOCAL LAND DISPUTES AND LAND GRAB CASES. THE NAMATI TEAM, OUR PARTNERS, AND THE COMMUNITIES WE WORK WITH CONTINUE TO FACE DIFFICULT CHALLENGES AS A RESULT OF THE MILITARY COUP THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2021. THE COUP BROUGHT TO AN END A DECADE-LONG PROCESS OF PUTATIVE DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION, FORCING IMMEDIATE CHANGES IN THE WAY NAMATI, AND OTHER CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, WORK.