General

Pastoralists across East Africa are challenged by loss of land, political conflicts, population increase, economic inequality, and climate change. A transition from pastoralism to agro-pastoralism has been observed in semi-arid areas in response to these challenges. The hypothesis for this project is that the resilience of this transition rests on the capacity to provide secure but still flexible access to land, the so called paradox of pastoralist land tenure.The purpose of this project is to conduct a comparative study of land tenure and capacity for climate adaption in four semi-arid, pastoralist regions in Kenya. The aim is to provide new insights on how pastoralist land tenure can be designed to enable effective adaptation strategies. The four Kenyan case study counties are all dominated by semi-arid land.We identify and categorize land tenure systems and associated practices within these four areas, and map the way land tenure is practiced in these counties through samples of communities in each county. This will enable an evaluation of the marginal valuation of changes in attributes central to household welfare and collective action. The project will use a combination of ecological methods to measure rangeland productivity, combined with interview data on household livestock and milk production, animal breeds and health.We will then synthesize these results to identify pathways towards resilient pastoralist land tenure systems and propose alternative tenure designs.

General

The initiative and future like-minded interventions, will result in that indigenous peoples and local communities in particular women and youth, have claimed a central role as empowered innovators, implementers and advocates for territorial governance and climate solutions that benefit people and nature in priority landscapes in Latin America. The project is a project support and will address socio-environmental issues that are critical for transboundary nature protection (mainly biological diversity and climate) in Latin America. It will focus on three key transboundary landscapes in Latin America, where WWF will aim to involve, empower, strengthen their voice, and pursue greater equity for IPLCs to be active in the pursuit of sustainable development that benefits people and nature.These landscapes are home to indigenous and local communities, who can play a key role in sustainable development, but whose human rights are often not adequately respected or implemented, including their right to land, access to information and participation in decision making processes. These communities often do not have the necessary prerequisites to amplify their voices and have a more prominent role in policy influencing. The landscapes selected also provide a useful context for addressing gender equality because IPLC women are often excluded for decision making processes. The lack of economic opportunities for IPLCs in these places particular pressure on women who are often left in the community with children when men migrate to the city in search of employment. The project aims to implement measures to address these inequality and challenges. From a regional and environmental management perspective, the focus on these transboundary landscapes will add value because it makes it possible to implement similar approaches and actions in each country and address connectivity needs between protected areas and across borders. Combining a landscape approach and regional coordination will lead to more effective conservation of biodiversity and benefits for people, which cannot be achieved through purely national interventions. It will be possible to scale up impacts through shared learning, building alliances across borders for policy influencing and work with organizations that transcend national borders Three main strategies will orient the course of this project: a) income-generating activities that promote sustainable livelihoods for men, women and their families, b) building capacities and alliances of rightsholders’ organizations, and c) advocacy for equitable climate and nature solutions. This project contributes to WWF global goals for Forest and Governance, the strategic plans of the WWF offices involved in this proposal and is aligned with the objectives in the strategy for Sweden’s regional development cooperation with Latin America 2021–2025.

Objectives

The project has three main outcomes with associated short- , medium, and long -term objectives: 1. Income generating activities that promote sustainable livelihoods, human wellbeing , and natural resource management - By 2024, at least 15 income generating activities are prioritized with rightholders. - By 2025, at least 8 income generating activities are being implemented with adaptive management considerations. - By 2026, At least 5,000 IPLC people participating in income generating activities. 2. Building capacities and alliances of rightsholders for more empowered territorial governance - By 2023, at least 15 IPLC organizations (5 per landscape) trained in organizationaland financial management and territorial governance. - By 2024, at least 30 IPLC will be trained on advocacy and leadership. - By 2025, at least 6 alliances (2 per landscape) between IPLCs and other key stakeholders should be established to support equittable climate and nature solutions 3. IPLCs have a stronger voice for equittable climate and nature solutions - By 2025 at least 15 IPLC organizations have amplified their voices in public debate for equitable climate and nature solutions

General

Diakonia is an international NGO working for a just equal, and sustainable world. The organisation supports civil society capacity building, gender justice, social and economic justice, peace and social cohesion. It works with people living in the most vulnerable conditions, local civil society partners and other strategic actors for the realization of the right to a dignified life for everyone without any form of discrimination. Diakonia has been active in the DRC since 1999 with an office in Kinshasa which currently employs 11 people and has direct partnerships with 18 CSOs. The Embassy has worked in partnership with Diakonia from 2018 to 2023 on the project Strengthening Civil Society Organisations in the DRC and this contribution will be a second phase of its project. The new phase is proposed for 37 months of implementation period plus 3 months of closing from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2027 and will mainly be carried out at the level of 6 provinces including the City Province of Kinshasa and the provinces of Kongo Central, Kwilu, Maï-ndombe, Kasaï Central and Lualaba. In continuity with the first phase, the proposal addresses the issues of the chronic democratic deficit, the lack of awareness and respect for human rights, gender inequalities, and the absence of accountability of those in power to rights holders. So, it is highly relevant with the current context in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the public space is increasingly limited in the face of upcoming elections in December 2023, people who defend human rights are particularly vulnerable, women are underrepresented in politics and still facing home and sexual violence. The development objective of the program is a democratic and stable state in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where people of all genders and ages can fully enjoy their freedoms, claim their rights, and live in peace and dignity. To this end, the overall program objective is to contribute to the strengthening of democracy and gender equality, and the respect of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Embassy assesses that Diakonia's objectives and theory of change are clear and seem realistic and consistent with the change sought. Also, the ownership and sustainability of the program were addressed as much as possible. To implement the activities, Diakonia will partner directly with nine CSOs, including seven working at the national level and two CSOs based in the provinces. The overall budget of SEK 35,000,000 is broken down as follows: 49% direct to partners projects, 11% for partners operational costs, 29% for Diakonia program staff, office and equipment costs, 4% for quality assurance management and 7% for global overhead costs. Considering the budget and the fact that about 50% of funds will be transferred to third parties, the contribution represents a great risk for the Embassy. However, given Diakonia's proven capabilities in risk management of this type of program, including mechanisms and routines anti-corruption both within its own structure and with its implementing partner, the Embassy agrees to take the risk since the program will be an asset for the democracy, gender equality and human rights portfolio.

Objectives

The development objective of the program is a democratic and stable state in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where people of all genders and ages can fully enjoy their freedoms, claim their rights, and live in peace and dignity. To this end, the overall program objective is to contribute to the strengthening of democracy and gender equality, and the respect of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The four expected outcomes of the program are: 1. The selected partner CSOs have the operational and organizational capacity to effectively act to promote citizen participation, human rights, and gender justice. 2. Specific groups living in vulnerable conditions (human rights defenders, people in detention, populations living in mining areas, women, youth and people with disabilities) claim and defend their rights (land rights, access to basic services, and other human rights). 3. Women, youth and people with disabilities are better represented in decision-making bodies and laws and receive effective support from political parties and other structures. 4. Congolese citizens actively participate in electoral processes and in the development and monitoring of public policy implementation.