Earth Today | Caribbean civil society takes advocacy actions for climate justice

THE CARIBBEAN Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is supporting practical advocacy actions by four civil society consortia to promote climate justice and a just transition across the Caribbean region through small grants.

The grants have been awarded under the project ‘Amplifying local voices for a just and climate resilient COVID-19 recovery’, which aims to enhance the voices of the most vulnerable in calling for a pro-poor, inclusive, environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient approach to COVID-19 economic recovery and development in the Caribbean.

A key focus is the creation of a Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance, and the development and implementation of a collective advocacy agenda.

“This alliance will foster partnerships among civil society organisations (CSOs), community enterprises and resource users, academics, creatives and other non-state actors to amplify the voices of rights holders and enhance their influence on policy and practice,” CANARI explained in a media release dated February 9.

The project is being implemented by CANARI in collaboration with Panos Caribbean from 2021-2023, with funding from the Open Society Foundations. CANARI is a regional, technical, non-profit institute that has worked across the Caribbean for 30 years, promoting and facilitating stakeholder participation in the stewardship of natural resources. Panos is a regional non-profit that works to amplify the voices of the vulnerable, marginalised and excluded, using the media as an advocacy tool.

Advocacy action projects, meanwhile, are being rolled out from September 2022 to March 2023 by grass-roots to regional civil society organisations, including Climate Analytics Caribbean, Institute for Small Islands, International Development Empowerment and Representation Agency, The Cropper Foundation, Caris-Bois Environmental News Network, Climate Tracker, GirlsCARE, Young People for Action on Climate Change Jamaica, and Women’s Empowerment for Change.

“These small, grant-funded projects range from documenting indigenous and traditional agricultural practices for climate adaptation and resilience building to policy advocacy on the priorities of Caribbean small island developing states at the recent global United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27),” noted CANARI.

They also include training and supporting citizen journalists across Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago to tell their own stories of the climate crisis, its impacts and justice issues, as well as capacity-building.

“It is hoped that these practical advocacy actions will further the work of the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance to promote climate justice and a just transition through policy influencing, and engagement at national, regional and global levels.”