By Chris Lang A recent report by Action pour la Promotion et Protection des Peoples et Espèces Menacées (APEM) and Rainforest Foundation UK looks at the social impacts of two REDD projects in Mai Ndombe province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report is based on grassroots research carried out over two years. The…
Tag: WWF
“Killings, torture, sexual and physical violence and intimidation have no place in conservation”: NGOs react to WWF’s “independent review” on human rights abuses
By Chris Lang In March 2019, BuzzFeed News published a year-long investigation that found that WWF had funded and equipped eco-guards who have tortured, sexually assaulted, and killed people. In response, WWF launched an “independent review”. WWF finally released the review this week. It is, of course, pure coincidence that the review came out just…
US government stops funding to WWF, WCS and other conservation organisations because of human rights abuses
By Chris Lang In autumn 2019, the US government suspended US$12.3 million of funding to the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE). This followed a bipartisan congressional oversight investigation to examine whether US conservation funds were supporting eco-guards who committed human rights abuses.
International Day of Struggle against Monoculture Tree Plantations: How WWF and the African Development Bank are promoting land grabs in Africa
By Chris Lang Yesterday was the 16th International Day of Struggle against Monoculture Tree Plantations. In 2004, rural communities in Brazil declared the day to commemorate the resistance against the expansion of monoculture tree plantations in Brazil. Through solidarity statements and actions around the world the day has evolved to become an International Day of…
The EU’s NaturAfrica must avoid colonialism in conservation: Protected areas should be managed by Indigenous Peoples themselves
By Chris Lang On 11 December 2019, European Commission published a Communication setting out a European Green Deal for the European Union and its citizens. The Communication referred to its Comprehensive Strategy with Africa, and mentioned an initiative called “NaturAfrica”: