California Environmental Justice Alliance’s Post

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE ON WORLD WETLANDS DAY 2024 "My name is Fyneface, Dumnamene Fyneface. I’m an environmental justice activist, human rights defender, and the Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental ADVOCACY CENTRE (YEAC-Nigeria). As the world marks 2024 International Wetlands Day today, February 2, I call on the people of Nigeria, the people of the Niger Delta, the people of River State, and, of course, the people of Ogoniland to take the issue of wetland very seriously. These are areas that are covered by water that surrounds us on the land. Wetland is very critical to human well-being. Like the theme of this year’s International Wetlands Day, “wetlands and human well-being,” without wetlands, we cannot really live our lives comfortably on earth. It talks about how wetland influences our lives and how we, in turn, influence the wetlands that are around us. Wetlands support the lives of humans in the areas of providing places where we fetch water, providing places where we bathe in the natural environment, providing places where we fish, and providing places where we even have water for irrigation. However, the issue of wetlands in the Niger Delta and Ogoniland is being threatened, just as we have it across Nigeria as well, as a result of human activities. Across Nigeria, we have had a system whereby wetlands are beginning to dry up as a result of human activities in relation to climate change. We talk about Lake Chad, which is drying up now as a result of climate change and other human activities. In the Niger Delta, wetlands are being threatened by the activities of multinational oil companies that are extracting and mining oil in our environment and polluting the wetlands that surround us. We also have the activities of youth who are involved in artisanal crude oil refineries and contribute to the destruction of wetlands....." Read More: Executive Director’s Message on World Wetlands Day 2024 – Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (centreadvocacy.org) UNEP-WCMC Association Ramsar France UN Environment Programme Environment Agency

We are excited to invite you to this webinar series organised by Both ENDS and AIDA - Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense. Inspired by the #TransformativeWaterPact, this webinar series aims to facilitate a dialogue among its co-authors and their allies, focusing on #GlobalSouth countries' #watergovernance and justice challenges. The goal is to highlight the #impact of sharing valuable global experiences in advocacy, litigation, local solutions, campaigning, and research that have contributed to advancing the protection of the #RightToWater worldwide. ◼ First webinar: 19 September at 16:00 CEST (11:00 BR | 17:00 EAT | 19:30 IN) This session will be led by the Instituto Cordilheira de Brazil and will address various strategies of #resistance, #defense and #justice that local communities and civil society have developed to facilitate the #conservation of protected areas, and access to justice for the victims of the tragedy caused by the collapse of a mine tailings dam in Brumadinho, #Brazil.  Register here to join this session ➡ https://lnkd.in/gBMp-HuZ Learn more about the pact ➡ https://lnkd.in/gd3baNU3 IHE Delft Institute for Water Education #IHEDelft #IHEDelftWDPP #WaterandDevelopment #KnowledgeSharing

It has been an honor to contribute to something I am very passionate about through the Standing Together for Environmental Defenders (STAND) initiative with my colleagues Elizabeth Moses and Jessica Webb Environmental defenders from Indigenous groups and local communities are often on the front lines of the climate crisis, driving reforms necessary to protect our planet and tackle the root causes of climate change. Many are also among the planet’s greatest stewards, caring for lands and natural resources that sustain up to 2.5 billion people. However, environmental defenders often face attacks, harassment and criminalization when attempting to engage governments and companies to shape decisions that directly impact their lives and livelihoods. This growing violence often results from bad governance and poses huge risks to defenders’ natural resources and cultural identity. The STAND Initiative will strive to strengthen the ability of GEDs to access actionable environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making processes and enforcement, utilize legal and justice mechanisms, and leverage coalitions and platforms as part of their advocacy. More information and country specific contacts can be found on our Two Pager available in four languages. https://lnkd.in/eJgt-DC6 #EnvironmentalDefenders #HumanRights #AarhusConvention #standup4humanrights

🎉On behalf of the World Resources Institute and ALLIED, I want to share a new global initiative to protect Grassroots Environmental Defenders (GEDs)! 💡 The Standing Together for Environmental Defenders (STAND) Initiative will offer training, financial support and collaborative partnerships to defenders and civil society organizations confronting the risks faced in Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Liberia. ➡ The STAND Initiative will strive to strengthen the ability of GEDs to access actionable environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making processes and enforcement, utilize legal and justice mechanisms, and leverage coalitions and platforms as part of their advocacy. We also be creating a Defender Small Grant Fund for defenders in these countries to help them apply these approaches in their ongoing work. More information and country specific contacts can be found on our Two Pager available in four languages. The STAND Initiative will strive to strengthen the ability of GEDs to access actionable environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making processes and enforcement, utilize legal and justice mechanisms, and leverage coalitions and platforms as part of their advocacy. We also be creating a Defender Small Grant Fund for defenders in these countries to help them apply these approaches in their ongoing work. More information and country specific contacts can be found on our Two Pager available in four languages. https://lnkd.in/eJgt-DC6 #EnvironmentalDefenders #HumanRights #AarhusConvention  #standup4humanrights

Opportunity

Here’s to the next chapter of CLF!

Opportunity

NEMA must prioritize integrity and transparency in all its operations to build community trust and effectively protect our wetlands for current and future generations. https://lnkd.in/dkQYhzyC Read more in my Article 👇

It's not what we do, but how we do it. Listen to my colleague LaTonya Derrick explain the importance of community consultation in transportation projects #equityindesign #stantecproud #bettertogether