African BCP Initiative Workshop Kicks Off

Natural Justice, ETC Compas and the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (CIKOD), supported by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative (ABS Initiative) and the Ford Foundation, are hosting the African Biocultural Protocol Initiative Workshop from 5-7 November in Nairobi Kenya.

The workshop brings together representatives of the NGOs and CBOs that have been collaborating on the African BCPI and BCP processes in India. They are partners and/or community representatives from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Benin, Senegal, India, New York and the Netherlands.

African BCP Initiative Meeting

On Sunday October 13th Natural Justice hosted a meeting of the African Biocultural Community Protocol Initiative’s Kenyan partners in Nairobi. Attendees included representatives from the following organizations: Kivulini Trust, the Ogiek People’s Development Programme, Save Lamu, LIFE Africa Network, the Enderois Welfare Council and the Nairobi People’s Settlement Network. 

The meeting opened with a discussion facilitated by Natural Justice’s Gino Cocchiaro about what a BCP is and how it can help communities to access the law, among other benefits. This was a chance for more experienced partners to share lessons, and new faces to learn more about the process. The rest of the meeting was dedicated to conversations surrounding the presentations of two guest speakers – Rebecca Wangui and Ken Otieno from Reconcile. Rebecca spoke about integrating gender concerns into land issues, giving an overview of the status of women in various Kenyan land laws. Ken’s presentation spurred lively conversations about the status of the Community Lands Bill in Kenya, its significance, and how communities can give input.

Natural Justice partner works to alleviate poverty and protect biodiversity

Natural Justice attended the Annual General Meeting of Phyto-Trade Africa from the 29th to the 31st of July. During the 3-day meeting, Gino Cocchiaro (Natural Justice) met with Phyto-Trade members to discuss their strategies on collaborations with communities in the bio-trade industry.

Natural Justice has previously presented on its work with communities, particularly on biocultural community protocols and biocultural dialogues, which has assisted communities set out terms for engagement with biotrade companies. Natural Justice will also be collaborating with Phyto-Trade Africa and the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Initiative on a programme of work that will identify best practice examples of ABS in southern Africa.

Phyto-Trade Africa is a trade association of the natural product industry in Southern Africa with an aim to alleviate poverty and protect biodiversity in the region by developing an industry that is not only economically successful but also ethical and sustainable.

African BCP Initiative meets in Kenya

On the 15^th of June 2013, Natural Justice held a meeting of the African BCP Initiative in Nairobi, Kenya with its Kenyan partners. Phase 2 of the African BCP Initiative has now begun and local partners took the opportunity to discuss their various project of work for 2013-2014. The meeting also heard from prominent human rights lawyer Korir Sing’Oei on the current discussions around the community land bill, Soikan Meitiaki of the Forest CarbonPartnership Facility on REDD+ in Kenya, Hjalmar Joffre-Eichorn a community based theatre expert on forum theatre in Kenya and Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend, Global Co-ordinator of the ICCA Consortium, on ICCA’s in Kenya. Natural Justice thanks all its Kenyan partners and presenters for participation in the meeting. The short report for the African BCP Initiative 2011-2012 can be found here.