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Green Resources’ forestry projects are negatively impacting on local communities – donor

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By witnessradio.org Team

The Finnish Development Finance Iinstitution (FINNFUND) is concerned about effects from its own financed carbon offset projects in Uganda that have negatively impacted on the local communities. FINNFUND is an investment arm of the Finnish Government, with financial support of up to US$ 25 million to the Green Resources Forestry project.

 

The Agency’s concern follows growing anxiety about the activities of the project with total disregard to lives and the ecosystem of the local communities adjacent to the project.

 

In the 1990’s, Green Resources acquired a 50-year licenses to engage in plantation forestry in two central reserves of Kachung and Bakaleba in Dokolo and Mayuge districts respectively, covering an area of 11,864 hectares.

 

In 2014 Oakland Institute released an investigative report, which exposed the company’s mis-conduct, pointing out that local communities were deprived of vital resources, experienced violent threats, amidst lack of clarity in regards to land ownership. It also points out corporate pollution of land and waterways by agrochemicals used in forestry plantations.

 

Reports from Oakland Institute, suggest that following the exposure of Green Resources’ poor conduct at Kachung site, the state-owned Swedish Energy Agency – Green R sources’, the only carbon credit buyer – stopped payments to the company in November 2015.

Swedish Energy Agency was touted as the longest carbon deal – running between 2012 and 2032

 

In March 2017, the Agency commissioned an audit to analyze Green Resources’ progress related to its (Swedish Energy Agency) earlier demands as ‘compliance’, ‘partial compliance’ or ‘non-compliance’. These included: social and economic assessment of Kachung’s local population; food security; energy saving cooking stoves; cattle grazing; communication and grievance mechanism; anti-corruption; land ownership and boundaries; firewood collection; rehabilitation of water points; and road maintenance.  However, the findings of the audit report exonerated Green Resources on nine areas and accusing the company for being non-complaint on the issue of food security.

 

In 2017, the Oakland Institute commissioned another investigation to verify the Swedish Energy Agency’s findings. To the contrary, they claim their research demonstrated the on-going failure by Green Resources’ forestry and carbon offset project in Uganda.

 

“Local communities and the surrounding environment face violence and abuse, which Green Resources minor reforms have failed to halt. Communities living adjacent to Green Resources’ plantation continue to face a growing food security crisis, with constraints in access to land that pose dire challenges in food cultivation, cattle grazing, as well as accessing water and firewood.

Green Resources also continues to misrepresent its impact in the region” the report reads in part.

 

In an interview with witnessradio.org, the FINNFUND stated that “We are concerned about the negative impacts which we and Green Resources have identified together with the local communities. At the same time, there are limitations to what Green Resources can do to address these impacts under the existing legal and regulatory framework. The Company has taken some concrete measures to try to address these impacts. Finnfund is actively engaging with the Company to determine whether the concrete measures taken to date are sufficient”

 

Asked whether FINNFUND intends to exist the project with such glaring evidence of Green Resources’ misconduct;  the FINNFUND’s Pasi Rajala said “before opting for a suspension or divesting, we need to consider the outcomes of such decision to people on the ground and to prioritize the perspectives of locally affected stakeholders.

 

WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Uganda: Land-grab victim communities will join counterparts in commemorating the 2024 International Day of Struggle Against Industrial Plantations.

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By Witness Radio team.

On September 21, 2024, land-grabs communities under their group, the Informal Alliance for communities affected by irresponsible land-based investments in Uganda for the first will join fellow victims in commemorating the International Day of Struggle Against Industrial Plantations, highlighting the growing threat posed by large-scale monoculture plantations.

These industrial plantations have led to the forced eviction of millions of people across Uganda, displacing indigenous communities and stripping them of their land rights and livelihoods. Driven by multinational companies and government-backed investors, with the support of government and private security entities, these evictions prioritize profits over people.

Among the many Ugandan communities still suffering the devastating impact of monoculture plantations are over 30,000 people who were violently displaced from the Namwasa and Luwunga forest reserves between 2006 and 2010 to make way for the New Forests Company’s pine and eucalyptus plantations. In addition, thousands of local and indigenous communities were illegally evicted to make way for palm oil plantations in Kalangala district. Nearly 4,000 people had their land grabbed by the Formosa tree planting company in the Mubende district, and over 35,000 were displaced in Kiryandongo to make way for industrial agriculture to grow maize, soybean, and sugarcane plantations, among others. These and other affected communities united and formed the Informal Alliance for Victims affected by irresponsible land-based investments to defend their rights in early 2019.

The International Day of Struggle Against Industrial Plantations was first celebrated on September 21, 2004, during a community network meeting fighting against industrial tree plantations in Brazil. Since then, it has become a day when organizations, communities, and movements worldwide come together to celebrate resistance and raise their voices, demanding an end to the relentless expansion of industrial tree plantations.

In Uganda, on Saturday, September 21, the 2024 commemoration will start with a radio program in a local dilect (Luganda) purposely to highlight weird experiences faced by communities displaced by large-scale monoculture plantations, struggles for justice, and holding companies and financiers accountable. A one-hour radio program starting at 10 a.m. EAT will feature leaders of the loose alliance. Listen to the radio program on Witness Radio platforms on the website www.witnessradio.org or download the Witness Radio App on playstore.

Later, land-grab victims in Uganda will join their colleagues from Africa and other countries around the globe in a webinar meeting aimed at fostering organizations’ and rural communities’ connection across member countries and communities to build confidence, share experiences, strengthen our campaign to reignite hopes and forge a bond of understanding between the Informal Alliance and victim communities shattered by destructive plantations as well as deterring future plantations expansion.

The Webinar will start at 3PM EAT and will be aired live on Witness Radio platforms on the website www.witnessradio.org or download the Witness Radio App on playstore.

Please note: Both the radio show and Webinar will be live on Witness Radio on www.witnessradio.org or download the witness radio app on playstore to listen live.

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WITNESS RADIO MILESTONES

Uganda: CSOs claim Agilis Partners forcibly evicting local communities to pave way for agribusiness; company did not respond

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Witness Radio and its partners have alleged that thousands of people from local and Indigenous communities have been forcefully evicted from their land to make way for Agilis Partners Limited’s large-scale farming operations, in violation of international human rights law.

They have raised concerns about severe human rights abuses including forced evictions and lack of prompt, fair, and adequate compensation; violations of Indigenous peoples’ right to free, prior, and informed consent; abduction, arrest, torture, and judicial harassment of human rights defenders, and alleged sexual violence against women and girls, as well as other negative social and environmental impacts.

Witness Radio and its partners representing PAPs have written to Agilis Partners on several occasions seeking a dialogue between the company and people who have been harmed however, the company has not responded to their communications.

In a letter to Agilis Partners in June 2024, 36 civil society organizations called on Agilis Partners and its financial backers to take immediate action to stop the human rights abuses and harassment committed against community members, engage in dialogue with the communities, and restore the lands to the people that have been displaced.

We invited Agilis Partners to respond to the letter, the company did not respond.

Company Responses

Agilis Partners. No Response.

Source: business-humanrights.org

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DEFENDING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

Breaking: Witness Radio and Partners to Launch Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy Project Tomorrow.

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By Witness Radio Team.

Witness Radio, in collaboration with Dan Church Aid (DCA) and the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD), is set to launch the Monitoring, Documentation, and Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda (MDA-HRU) project tomorrow, 22nd February 2024, at Kabalega Resort Hotel in Hoima District.

The project, funded by the European Union, aims to promote the protection and respect for human rights, and enable access to remedy where violations occur especially in the Mid-Western and Karamoja sub-regions where private sector actors are increasingly involved in land-based investments (LBIs) through improved documentation, and evidence-based advocacy.

The three-year project, which commenced in October 2023, focuses its activities in the Mid-Western sub-region, covering Bulisa, Hoima, Masindi, Kiryandongo, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kibale, and Mubende districts, and Karamoja sub-region, covering Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Nabilatuk, Abim, Kaabong, Kotido, and Karenga districts.

The project targets individuals and groups at high risk of human rights violations, including Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs). It also engages government duty bearers such as policymakers and implementers in relevant ministries and local governments, recognizing their crucial role in securing land and environmental rights. Additionally, the project involves officials from institutional duty bearers including the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Equal Opportunities Commission, and courts, among others.

Representatives from the international community, faith leaders, and business actors are also included in the project’s scope, particularly those involved in land-based investments (LBIs) impacting the environment.

The project was initially launched in Moroto for the Karamoja region on the 19th of this month with the leadership of the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders (NCHRD).

According to the project implementors,  the action is organized into four activity packages aimed at; enhancing the capacity and skills of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) in monitoring, documentation, reporting (MDR), and protection, establishing and reinforcing reporting and documentation mechanisms for advocacy and demand for corporate and government accountability;  providing response and support to HRDs and marginalized communities; and lastly facilitating collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagements that link local and national issues to national and international frameworks and spaces.

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