Putting people in charge of their forests Stories from communities taking a stand
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Millions of people live in forests and depend on them for almost everything
Shouldn’t they have a say?
But these people have the least say in what happens to the forest
That’s a disaster for both people and planet
Decisions must be made in the open. People must know their rights and be able to assert them
Global Witness sets out to help that happen
This is how we do it
Realising Rights
When people know what they are entitled to, they can then stand up and speak for themselves.
Helping forest-dependent people to know, and then realise, their rights, is essential to giving them an effective role in how forests are cared for.
Read these three stories from Liberia, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Accessing Information
Openness by those in power – be they governments, corporations or the local chief – is an essential prerequisite to hold people to account for their actions and decisions, and to ensure each player’s rights and responsibilities are fulfilled. Equal access to information makes for more equitable development.
Read these three stories from Ecuador, Ghana and Peru
Stopping Abuses
Ordinary citizens have a vital role to play in exposing illegality and corruption, provided they have the confidence to confront it and feel safe and supported when doing so.
Read these three stories from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana
All stories
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Supporting community organisations to defend the rights of indigenous people in Cameroon
Rights: Cameroon
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Logging in the DRC: Taking the lift or the stairs?
Rights: DRC
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Putting communities at the heart of Liberia post-conflict forest governance
Rights: Liberia
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Stopping the abuse of Artisanal Logging Permits in DRC
Abuses: DRC
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You won’t touch our forest without our consent!
Abuses: Ghana
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Accountability from the bottom-up: Ghana’s chiefs embrace transparency
Info: Ghana
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Embedding a culture of transparency into forest sector management in Peru
Info: Peru
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Realising the right to information in Ecuador
Info: Ecuador
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