RIGHTS AND RESOURCES INSTITUTE INC
Programs
Program 1 [2020]
REGIONAL PROGRAMSIN ASIA, RRI'S WORK FOCUSED MAINLY ON BUILDING COMMUNITIES' LEGAL CAPACITIES TO RESPOND TO INCREASED CRIMINALIZATION AND THE ROLLBACK OF RIGHTS IN INDIA AND INDONESIA, AND ADDRESS COVID-INDUCED NEEDS AND PRIORITIES IN NEPAL AND INDIA. RRI KNOWLEDGE PARTNER LAND CONFLICT WATCH (LCW) RELEASED A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF 703 LAND CONFLICTS IN INDIA, WHICH RECEIVED WIDESPREAD COVERAGE IN THE NATIONAL AND GLOBAL MEDIA AND HELPED SHAPE THE POLICY NARRATIVE AROUND LAND CONFLICTS AND RIGHTS. LCW DATA WAS CITED IN INDIA'S PARLIAMENT AND BY SEVERAL POLITICIANS PARTICIPATING IN THE MOST RECENT ELECTIONS, AS WELL AS BY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS. LCW WAS ALSO INVITED BY THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE TO PRESENT ON THE ISSUE OF LAND CONFLICTS AND RIGHTS. LCW CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE INDIAN CIVIL SOCIETY NARRATIVE ON LAND CONFLICTS AND COLLECTIVE RIGHTS INCLUDING THROUGH TRAININGS FOR JOURNALISTS REPORTING ON CONFLICTS. OVER ONE HUNDRED MEDIA STORIES CITED LAND CONFLICT WATCH DATA IN 2020.IN AFRICA, RRI SUPPORTED ITS COLLABORATORS' EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES' ABILITY TO VOICE AND PROMOTE THEIR AGENDAS IN LAND AND FOREST REFORMS CURRENTLY BEING DRAFTED (DRC) OR IMPLEMENTED (LIBERIA). RRI ALSO SUPPORTED THE INTERNATIONAL LAND COALITION (ILC AFRICA) AND THE OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION FOR EAST AFRICA IN PRODUCING A NEW REPORT ON CRIMINALIZATION OF LAND AND ENVIRONMENT RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN EAST AFRICA. RRI PUBLISHED THE REPORT IN EARLY 2021, AND WITH SUPPORT FROM BOTH PARTNERS, HOSTED A VIRTUAL LAUNCH OF ITS FINDINGS ALONG WITH A LIVELY DISCUSSION WITH PROMINENT EAST AFRICAN LAND RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND EXPERTS. THE REPORT DREW SIGNIFICANT REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ATTENTION TO INCREASED LEVELS OF CRIMINALIZATION FACING LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN EAST AFRICA. IN MARCH, THROUGH THE LAND RIGHTS NOW PLATFORM, RRI SUPPORTED A CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF CRIMINALIZATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAD BEEN THE VICTIM OF LAND GRABBING IN UGANDA DURING THE COUNTRY'S LOCKDOWN. THIS CAMPAIGN RAISED AWARENESS OF ONGOING LAND GRABS AFFECTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HELPED INFLUENCE THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA TO ISSUE A MORATORIUM ON LAND CONCESSIONS DURING THE LOCKDOWN.IN LATIN AMERICA, RRI UNDERTOOK MOST OF ITS ACTIVITIES AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL AND AIMED AT COORDINATING ACTION TO DEFEND COLLECTIVE RIGHTS, COUNTER ROLLBACKS AND INCREASING CRIMINALIZATION OF LAND AND ENVIRONMENT DEFENDERS, AND TO STRENGTHEN COORDINATION AMONG AFRO-DESCENDANT ORGANIZATIONS AND NETWORKS TO ACQUIRE AND BENEFIT FROM COLLECTIVE TENURE RIGHTS. TO BETTER SUPPORT BOTTOM-UP ADVOCACY, RRI ALSO LAUNCHED A REGIONAL STUDY MAPPING TERRITORIAL DISPUTES BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES IN BRAZIL, PERU, COLOMBIA, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, AND MEXICO FROM 2017 TO 2019. IN THIS STUDY, RRI TOOK AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ANALYZING COLLECTIVE RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN LATIN AMERICA AND THEIR MULTIDIMENSIONAL AND MULTIPLIER EFFECTS ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AFRO-DESCENDANTS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES. RRI PARTNERED WITH ITS COLLABORATOR SERVINDI TO CARRY OUT A SUCCESSFUL REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN AND WEBINAR TO LAUNCH THE STUDY AS WELL AS STORY MAPS, A NEW TOOL THAT COMPREHENSIVELY TRACKS LAND RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES ACROSS LATIN AMERICA.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$2MProgram 2 [2020]
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENTRRI'S MOST IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO TRANSFORMING CONSERVATION PRACTICES WAS THE PRODUCTION AND LAUNCH OF A FLAGSHIP REPORT IN NOVEMBER 2020, RIGHTS-BASED CONSERVATION: THE PATH TO PRESERVING EARTH'S BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY (REFERRED HEREON AS THE 30 X 30 REPORT), PROVIDING DEFINITIVE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT RIGHTS-BASED CONSERVATION IS THE MOST PRAGMATIC AND ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE PATH TO ACHIEVING THE UN'S GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY AGENDA, PARTICULARLY THE PROPOSED TARGET OF BRINGING AT LEAST 30% OF EARTH'S TERRESTRIAL AREA INTO SOME FORM OF CONSERVATION STATUS BY 2030. THE 30 X 30 REPORT AND RELATED AREA ESTIMATE AND OPPORTUNITY FRAMEWORK STUDIES TOGETHER INFORMED THE JOINT EFFORTS AND INPUTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS FORUM ON BIODIVERSITY (IIFB) AND RRI PARTNER, THE ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT (AIPP) FOR THE CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY (CBD) NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS.OTHER AGENCIES, INCLUDING GLOBAL CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, HAVE ALSO STARTED TO USE THIS FRAMEWORK. FOR EXAMPLE, MOORE FOUNDATION HAS REQUESTED THAT RRI HELP THEM DEVELOP A RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO CONSERVATION IN PERU AND COLOMBIA BASED ON THESE STUDIES (RRI REPORT TO BE SUBMITTED IN THE FALL OF 2021). WE EXPECT THAT THESE PROCESSES WILL RAMP UP AS WE APPROACH THE CBD AND UNFCCC COPS. ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO TRANSFORM CONSERVATION PRACTICES WAS RRI'S INITIATION (IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GLOBAL LANDSCAPES FORUM AND THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MAJOR GROUP) OF THE INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE PRINCIPLES FOR RECOGNIZING AND RESPECTING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES,' LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND AFRO-DESCENDANT PEOPLES' LAND AND RESOURCE RIGHTS IN LANDSCAPE RESTORATION, MANAGEMENT, CONSERVATION, CLIMATE ACTION, AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS (REFERRED HEREON AS THE "GOLD STANDARD"). FOLLOWING THE INITIAL LAUNCH OF THE GOLD STANDARD DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IN 2019, THE PRINCIPLES WERE FURTHER REFINED, AND A FINAL FRAMEWORK ADOPTED FOR LAUNCH. THE PRINCIPLES WILL BE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED IN THE FALL OF 2021 VIA THE GLOBAL LANDSCAPE FORUM AND LEVERAGED ACROSS THE YEAR TO SECURE ENDORSEMENT FROM RIGHTS HOLDERS AND GENERATE COMMITMENTS BY PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ACTORS AND INSTITUTIONS TO BUILD MOMENTUM FOR ACTION.THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SHIFTED RRI'S 2020 - 2021 STRATEGY TO ADVANCE EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY-BASED MONITORING, AND LOCALLY LED DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO REACHING STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3. RRI ANTICIPATED LEVERAGING IN-COUNTRY PLATFORMS IN KENYA, LIBERIA, MALAWI, LAOS, AND INDONESIA TO CATALYZE NEW NETWORKS OF COMMUNITY, CIVIL SOCIETY, CORPORATE, AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS TO ADVANCE TENURE REFORMS AND IMPLEMENT CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS. THESE INITIATIVES WERE LARGELY POSTPONED IN 2020, THOUGH THEIR UNDERLYING ANALYSIS, WORK PLANNING, AND CONCEPT NOTES WILL SUPPORT REINVIGORATION IN 2021 AND BEYOND.BECAUSE OF TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, RRI PIVOTED TO PRIORITIZE VIRTUAL CONVENING AND NETWORKING. THE INTERLAKEN GROUP ORGANIZED A WEBINAR SERIES BETWEEN MAY AND JUNE 2020 ENTITLED MONITORING INVESTMENTS AND SUPPLY CHAINS DURING THE C-19 PANDEMIC: EMERGING PRACTICES, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT WITH INTERLAKEN GROUP LEADERS AND OTHER RESOURCE PERSONS LED TO DEMANDS FOR A NEW HIGH-LEVEL GUIDANCE TOOL DESCRIBING THE EMERGING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE FOR INTEGRATING GRASSROOTS MONITORING INTO PRIVATE SECTOR DUE DILIGENCE VERIFICATION PROCESSES. THIS GUIDANCE TOOL (UNDER DEVELOPMENT) WILL HELP SUPPORT CRITICALLY NEEDED CHANGES IN PRIVATE SECTOR PRACTICE TO BETTER INCORPORATE COMMUNITY DATA ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS INTO INVESTMENT DECISION-MAKING AND SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT.THE AFOREMENTIONED DIALOGUES PROVIDED A PLATFORM FOR LOCAL AND INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATIVES TO SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE DIRECTLY WITH CORPORATE, INVESTOR, AND DFI LEADERS. CONTRIBUTIONS WERE HEARD FROM THE COMISIN NACIONAL DE TERRITORIOS INDGENAS (CNTI) ON THE SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE BY IPS OF THE COLOMBIAN DECREE, PASSED DURING COVID, WHICH SOUGHT TO ALLOW "VIRTUAL FPIC." THE INTERLAKEN GROUP ALSO HEARD PERSPECTIVES FROM PROJECT AFFECTED COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITY MONITORS IN INDONESIA, LIBERIA, AND KENYA. THE WEBINARS DEMONSTRATED THAT, INCREASINGLY, A KEY VALUE ADD OF THE INTERLAKEN GROUP AND RRI COALITION IS TO PROVIDE A "CATALYST" FOR INSTIGATING NEW PRIVATE SECTOR AND COMMUNITY NETWORKS AND DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO ADVANCE TENURE REFORMS. IN PARALLEL, RRI INSTIGATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ANALYSIS AND TOOLS TO EMPOWER COMMUNITIES IN INVESTMENTS AND ADVANCE RIGHT- BASED APPROACHES.BUILDING ON THE 2019 COMMUNITY-BASED-MONITORING EXCHANGE IN SUMATRA, RRI SUPPORTED AN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY TO DOCUMENT LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN VIOLATIONS AND FILE COMPLAINTS TO THE RSPO, NATIONAL LAND AUTHORITY, AND OIL PALM COMPANY GRIEVANCE MECHANISMS. ALSO IN INDONESIA, RRI PARTNERED WITH RAINFOREST ALLIANCE'S ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK INITIATIVE (AFI) AND LOCAL INTERLAKEN GROUP PARTICIPANT ASM LAW OFFICES TO DEVELOP AND PILOT COMMUNITY-BASED MONITORING FRAMEWORKS AND KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS COUCHED IN THE COMMITMENTS OF MAJOR COMPANIES AND INVESTORS. THIS FRAMEWORK WILL BE PILOTED IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN INDONESIA AND THE RESULTS USED TO SUPPORT DIALOGUE WITH DOWNSTREAM SUPPLY CHAIN ACTORS.FINALLY, ENDORSEMENT WAS SECURED FROM THE RRI NETWORK TO DEVELOP NEW FLAGSHIP-LEVEL BASELINE ANALYSIS, LINKED TO RRI TENURE DATA, ON THE LEGISLATIVE, REGULATORY, AND POLICY CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO SUPPORT RIGHTS-BASED APPROACHES. THIS ANALYSIS WILL SUPPORT THE "TRANSFORMATION" ELEMENT OF RRI'S EMERGING PATH TO SCALE INITIATIVE TO RAISE DONOR AMBITION AND TARGET INVESTMENTS TO SCALE UP LAND RIGHTS RECOGNITION, MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE, AND REDUCE BIODIVERSITY LOSS.CONNECT, CONSOLIDATE, AND LEVERAGE THE EMERGING SUITE OF GLOBAL INSTRUMENTS TO DRAMATICALLY SCALE-UP THE RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND FOREST COMMUNITIES' LAND AND FOREST RIGHTS ON THE GROUNDEVER SINCE THIS OBJECTIVE WAS FORMULATED AND INTEGRATED IN THE DRAFT SP3 IN 2017 (AND PRIOR TO 2020), RRI HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON DEVELOPING AND INSTITUTIONALIZING GLOBAL INSTRUMENTS AND INITIATIVES TO LEVERAGE KEY PLAYERS IN SECURING COMMUNITIES' TENURE RIGHTS. FOR INSTANCE, AT THE TIME SP3 WAS ADOPTED, THE PROCESS OF TRANSITIONING THE TENURE FACILITY FROM RRG TO THE SECRETARIAT OF THE NEW INSTITUTION IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, WAS STILL UNDERWAY. LANDMARK (2015) AND LAND RIGHTS NOW (2016) WERE ALSO RELATIVELY NEW AND BEING CONSOLIDATED.IN 2020 THE FOCUS WAS NO LONGER ON CONSOLIDATING AN EMERGING SUITE OF INSTRUMENTS BUT RATHER ON CONTINUING TO LEVERAGE THESE NETWORKS AND TOOLS - NOW FULLY FUNCTIONAL - TO CATALYZE CHANGES IN THE LAND RIGHTS ECOSYSTEM DESPITE THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF PHYSICALLY CONVENING PARTICIPANTS. RRI ALSO FOCUSED ITS EFFORTS ON INCUBATING A NEW GLOBAL INSTRUMENT, THE INFORMAL PATH TO SCALE AND TRANSFORMATION WORKING GROUP, TO MOBILIZE BILATERAL DONORS, FINANCIAL MECHANISMS, AND PRIVATE PHILANTHROPIES TO SCALE UP FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS AND COMMUNITY LAND RIGHTS AND CONSERVATION, AT LEAST TO THE LEVEL TO MEET GLOBAL 2030 CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY GOALS - TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE 2021 CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY COPS.WHILE RRI DID NOT ORGANIZE OFFICIAL MEETINGS FOR MEGAFLORESTAIS IN 2020, IT HELD VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS WITH HIGH-LEVEL OFFICIALS FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, SWEDEN, MEXICO, BRAZIL, AND PERU. THIS ENABLED RRI TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE PRIORITIES OF MAJOR FOREST AGENCIES ACROSS THE WORLD AND CONDUCT A SUCCESSFUL SERIES OF WEBINARS BEGINNING FEBRUARY 2021 TO DISCUSS TENURE REFORM FROM THE LENSES OF ISSUES MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM. RRI ALSO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF ITS PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS IMPLEMENTING TENURE FACILITY RIGHTS RECOGNITION PROJECTS, IN INDIA AND NEPAL (1.3.2) AND DRC (1.2.1). IN ADDITION, BETWEEN MAY AND JUNE 2020, THE INTERLAKEN GROUP ORGANIZED A WELL-ATTENDED WEBINAR SERIES ON MONITORING INVESTMENTS AND SUPPLY CHAINS. DURING THE C-19 PANDEMIC: EMERGING PRACTICES, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS, WHILE CONTINUING TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR ENGAGEMENT THROUGH IN-COUNTRY PLATFORMS IN KENYA, LIBERIA, MALAWI, LAOS, AND INDONESIA.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.8MProgram 3 [2020]
COALITION AND COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMSRRI ALSO STRENGTHENED ITS RIGHTS-HOLDING COLLABORATORS' WORK AND VOICES THROUGH STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION OUTREACH, SUCH AS BY PLACING AN OP-ED BY VICTORIA TAULI-CORPUZ, THE OUTGOING UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, HIGHLIGHTING PANDEMIC IMPACTS ON INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES. ANOTHER OP-ED BY RRG'S LATIN AMERICA PROGRAM DIRECTOR IN EL PAIS, ONE OF THE LARGEST SPANISH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPERS IN EUROPE, HIGHLIGHTED THE PLIGHT OF LAND DEFENDERS IN COLOMBIA. IN INDIA, AN RRI-SUPPORTED CAMPAIGN LED TO LIFTING LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNITIES' FOREST PRODUCT COLLECTION, WHILE A BRIEF HIGHLIGHTED THE ROLE PLAYED BY COLLECTIVE RIGHTS RECOGNITION IN BUILDING TRIBAL COMMUNITIES' PANDEMIC RESILIENCE AND ACHIEVING BETTER CONSERVATION OUTCOMES.RRI PUBLISHED SEVERAL ANALYSES IN 2020 THAT FRONTLINE DEFENDERS WERE ABLE TO USE TO INFORM DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES AND SUPPORT ADVOCACY. LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER, "THE ESTIMATED AREA OF LAND AND TERRITORIES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND AFRO-DESCENDANTS WHERE THEIR RIGHTS ARE NOT RECOGNIZED" ("THE AREA ESTIMATE") PRESENTS THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL BASELINE OF THE LAND AREA WITH UNRECOGNIZED RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND AFRO-DESCENDANT PEOPLES (IPS, LCS, AND ADPS). THE STUDY SHOWED THAT IPS, LCS AND ADPS EXERCISE CUSTOMARY RIGHTS TO AT LEAST 50% OF THE LAND AREA OF THE 42 COUNTRIES STUDIED, WITH AT LEAST 46% OF THIS AREA THAT HAS YET TO BE RECOGNIZED. "THE OPPORTUNITY FRAMEWORK 2020" IS DESIGNED AS A SIMPLE TOOL TO HELP PRIORITIZE AND MOBILIZE GREATER INVESTMENTS TO SCALE-UP THE RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS AND COMMUNITY LAND AND FOREST RIGHTS IN 29 TROPICAL FOREST COUNTRIES THAT ARE PART OF THE FOREST CARBON PARTNERSHIP FACILITY (FCPF). BY ASSESSING THE ADEQUACY OF CORE ENABLING FACTORS, NAMELY LEGAL FRAMEWORKS, POLITICAL WILL, AND CIVIL SOCIETY CAPACITY, STUDY RESULTS REVEAL THAT INVESTMENTS IN JUST EIGHT COUNTRIES WOULD SHIFT NEARLY 290 MILLION HECTARES OF LANDS AND FORESTS FROM PUBLIC TO INDIGENOUS OR COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP. TOGETHER, THE "AREA ESTIMATE AND "OPPORTUNITY FRAMEWORK" FORM THE BASIS OF A NEW INITIATIVE TO RAISE AMBITION, CALLED THE PATH TO SCALE (SEE INDICATOR 1.3.4). FINALLY, RRI LAUNCHED WHOSE WATER, A PATHBREAKING ANALYSIS OF NATIONAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS RECOGNIZING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES', LOCAL COMMUNITIES', AND AFRO- DESCENDANT PEOPLES' WATER TENURE - PROVIDING CRITICALLY NEEDED DATA POINTS TO SUPPORT RIGHTS-HOLDER DEMANDS FOR BETTER LEGAL RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION OF THEIR FRESHWATER RIGHTS. IN ADDITION TO ITS TENURE TRACKING DATABASES AND FLAGSHIP REPORT ON RIGHTS-BASED CONSERVATION RRI SUCCESSFULLY SUPPORTED IP, LC, AND ADP ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS TO ADVANCE THEIR NEEDS AND PRIORITIES ACROSS MULTIPLE SCALES AND ARENAS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES (GATC) HAS SOUGHT RRG STAFF'S HELP TO DO A"DEEPER DIVE" IN 16 COUNTRIES WHERE THEIR PARTNERS ARE ACTIVELY USING THE OPPORTUNITY FRAMEWORK IN 2021GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.1M
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