The Alliance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for Conservation in Africa (AICA) says it is ready to influence the course of conservation of biodiversity on the continent by changing existing narratives on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) and conservation. AICA is emphatic that conservation models that exclude people have failed worldwide, hence its agenda to place ordinary IPLCs at the centre of its conservation agenda at all levels and advocate for the discontinuation of failed models.
This message was contained in a communique issued and signed by AICA’s Chairperson, Malidadi Langa, and the Team of Regional Focal Points, to announce the Alliance’s preparedness to push its strategy of Community-led Conservation in Africa, following the success of Africa’s first-ever Community-led Conservation Congress in Windhoek, Namibia from October 25 to 27, 2023, on the theme: “We are Nature and Nature is Us.”
The communique stated AICA’s commitment “to setting out correct narratives on IPLCs and conservation” through documenting lived experiences of IPLCs in conserving nature and traditional /indigenous conservation knowledge and practices. As part of this commitment, AICA would map out organisations and institutions working on conservation in IPLCs territories in Africa and proactively engage them to ensure that inclusive and just conservation becomes a reality.
The communique affirmed AICA’s commitment to the Kigali 2022 Declaration and Call to Action, which outlines strategies to halt and reverse the rapid loss of species and habitats in Africa. To this end, AICA will collaborate with established international conservation institutions and mechanisms like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the International Union for Conservation (IUCN) to design and create new IPLC natural governance models that could be considered as a category of IPLC community conservation that fully integrates the IPLCs into these international conservation bodies.
Therefore, AICA’s leadership would mobilise and partner with its supporters to raise awareness about the need for the Alliance as the only and collective voice of Africa’s IPLCs, and a suitable governance structure and institutional form. This mobilisation will present the Post-APAC IPLC Strategy as a road map to implement the IPLC-Declaration and Kigali Call to Action.
To facilitate this process, the communique said AICA would establish a Secretariat to support regional networks with chapters and coordinators to champion implementation of the Kigali APAC IPLC strategy and recommendations from the Congress including voicing Human Rights abuses and violations in the name of conservation. The Secretariat, which would serve as the base of AICA’s governance structure, would work with the regional networks to develop the Alliance’s strategic plan from the grassroots including trans-boundary conservation issues to enable all members of AICA to work towards the same goals.
Consequently, the Alliance would promote organisational development by establishing, strengthening and operationalising regional networks to create awareness about AICA to grow membership base and ensure regional and country-level engagement in all of Africa’s sub-regions.
Also, AICA will strive to unify IPLCs conservation voices on key issues from all of Africa’s five regions and support sub-regional platforms/networks to make connections that advance the IPLCs conservation agenda. This will include advocating for a dedicated and sustainable IPLC funding mechanism that will channel funding directly to grassroots IPLC Organisations.
In line with this, AICA’s vision would be included in all regional initiatives through existing regional networks, to amplify its regional visibility and within the regional economic blocs, and thereby influence decisions that impact IPLCs at the African Union level.
The Secretariat would also ensure there is a unified IPLC voice and common position on issues of continental interests during meetings of UN Conference of Parties such as the forthcoming 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from November 30 to December 12, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This would enable AICA to influence and validate financing mechanisms that directly go to indigenous peoples and Local Communities.
On the issue of Human-Wildlife interactions/grievance redress mechanisms, the communique recognised that communities living in proximity with wildlife pay disproportionately high costs in such conflicts. It called for the development of appropriate benefits sharing mechanisms and the packaging of adequate compensation that ensures conservation is beneficial to communities that coexist with wildlife.
The communique also advocated the putting in place of functional grievance redress and conflict resolution mechanisms founded on the reputed guidance of Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) guidelines and the Cancun safeguards for inclusive conservation. The latter aims to ensure that REDD+ initiatives adequately address sensitive issues such as the rights of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, social participation and preservation of natural ecosystems.
Furthermore, the communique encouraged the need to acknowledge, respect, recognise and support the rights and identity of customary governance authorities and resource holders, including women, youth and vulnerable people. Such acknowledgement should incorporate the systems and customary laws used to sustain resources, and to promote legitimacy, transparency and accountability in decision making as IPLC contributions to community-led conservation approaches, knowledge systems and conservation initiatives in Africa.
In relation to IPLCs understanding of International Global Conventions, the communique said AICA would engage with regional bodies in establishing frameworks that suit IPLCs and capture their interests and concerns and ensure that implementation of international agreements and instruments do not hurt IPLC interests.
While, at the country level, the Alliance would work closely with government agencies and institutions to ensure adequate resource allocations for IPLCs contribution to biodiversity conservation at the national level.
Additionally, AICA would conduct IPLC-centered research to inform new and ongoing IPLC biodiversity conservation programmes on the continent to inform reviews and enactment of laws that support the governance of natural resources by IPLCs and take into account cultures, traditions and norms of IPLCs at the national level.
The communique presented several measures for AICA on the matter of insecure IPLC land tenure/conservation and community livelihood. For instance, the Alliance would advocate for legislations that recognise community land rights, implementation of legislation, consolidating community governance and full implementation of existing pro-people land policies and legislation.
AICA would further promote the training of more advocacy officers of indigenous organisations, community leaders in the field, lawyers and professionals, who will work with IPLC networks to create awareness among IPLCs on land rights, strengthen networks at the regional level to have a voice and advocate for reforms in land laws that will include respecting the rights of IPLCs.
In reference to Protected Areas Authorities and IPLCs living in peace with protected areas and engaging in joint legislative reforms, the communique said AICA members would conduct sincere, honest and constructive dialogues with governments in addressing historical injustices and dedicating critical resources to support and fund community-led conservation interventions.
Furthermore, AICA would strengthen partnerships and coordination, and promote co-management of protected areas between government agencies and PLCs and ensure that any new conservation endeavors should be based on respectful partnerships and not in conflict with local communities.
Regarding the role, participation and engagement of women and youth in conservation, the communique noted the need to build the capacity of women and the youth in indigenous knowledge through sharing knowledge with future generations for continuity. Women and youth were encouraged to participate in development of policies at the local, regional and international levels including discussions on Climate Change. Therefore, AICA would work very closely with African governments and conservation actors to package and implement targeted conservation capacity-building programmes for groups like pastoral women, while seeking for investment opportunities indigenous leadership.
Again, the communique highlighted the need for advocacy programmes that promote inclusive participation of Indigenous women and youth in conservation efforts. This aim is to advance their active participation in natural resource management that contributes to ecosystems management and realisation for intergenerational champions that create value to the youths and women.
By Ama Kudom-Agyemang
