| By Oakland Institute Photos: Oakland Institute\Wikimedia Commons For decades, Indigenous and local communities in the DRC have been victims of forced evictions and horrific human rights abuses in the name of so-called conservation, while facilitating illicit extraction of gold, tantalum, and cobalt reserves. In a report released last month, From Abuse to Power: Ending Fortress Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Oakland Institute detailed the causes and devastating impact of fortress conservation, and called for a decisive change of approach towards a new paradigm that respects and protects both people and biodiversity.  In July 2024, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the human rights body of the African Union, made a historic decision in favor of Indigenous Batwa community members expelled from the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. The ruling recognized the Batwa’s rights and called on the DRC government to return the land to its rightful owners, compensate them, and ensure their full protection. While the decision is historic, its actual implementation requires a drastic change of course by the government, conservation industry, and Western donors. At this critical juncture, NGO representatives involved in this case and across DRC will join researchers and activists to discuss the urgent need for justice and change of course for conservation in the country and beyond. |
| From Abuse to Power: Ending Fortress Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo Read the Report |
When:
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
8:30 am PST / 4:30 pm WAT
In English and French
Register to join here
https://bit.ly/47qAUBL
Who:
Blaise Mudodosi
Actions for the Promotion and Protection of Endangered Peoples and Species (APEM)
Jean-Marie Bantu
Environnement Ressources Naturelles et Développement (ERND Institute)
Esther Marijnen
Wageningen University and Research
Samuel Ade Ndasi
Minority Rights Group (MRG)
Frédéric Mousseau
The Oakland Institute
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