Worldwide, six in every ten countries are seriously restricting people’s fundamental freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression (Civicus, 2018). In several countries where SRJS operates, there is widespread repression of and violence against environmental and land defenders. In this challenging context it is important for organisations and individuals to find ways to continue their work without compromising their safety. We build capacity in operational security and rights, to help better reinforce our partners’ resilience and wellbeing.

Local and Indigenous communities, and specific groups such as women and youth, often have insufficient access to and involvement in decision making over natural resources. We therefore give special attention to gender-mainstreaming and inclusion of Indigenous peoples and local communities in all programme components. Our partners in Aceh (Indonesia), Ghana and Tanzania offer good examples of gender-mainstreaming, while Cambodia, the Guianas and Myanmar nicely illustrate the involvement of local communities.