NAMATI INC

GLOBAL NETWORKIN 2023, THE LEGAL EMPOWERMENT NETWORK CHANGED ITS NAME TO THE GRASSROOTS JUSTICE NETWORK (NETWORK), DRAWING ON ITS MEMBERS' SHARED DREAM OF MAKING JUSTICE A REALITY FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. THE NETWORK REMAINS THE WORLD'S LARGEST (AND GROWING) COLLECTIVE OF GRASSROOTS JUSTICE DEFENDERS AND THEIR ALLIES. OUR 14,500+ MEMBERS REPRESENT MORE THAN 3,800 CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING DIRECTLY WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS 175 COUNTRIES. AT ITS CORE MISSION, THE NETWORK IS COMMITTED TO USING LEGAL EMPOWERMENT METHODS TO BUILD POWER IN OUR COMMUNITIES, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNANCE AND DECISION-MAKING. IN 2023, 170 NETWORK MEMBERS TOOK PART IN MORE THAN ONE LEARNING EVENT, AND 302 DIFFERENT PARTICIPANTS JOINED LEARNING EVENTS OVERALL. THE NETWORK BUILT LEADERSHIP AMONG MEMBERS WITH 125 ORGANIZATIONS PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE AS CORE GROUP MEMBERS WHO SHAPED OUTREACH, LEARNING EVENTS, AND COLLECTIVE ACTION WITHIN THE NETWORK.

COMMUNITY LAND PROTECTION KENYA: IN KENYA, NAMATI AND ITS PARTNERS WORKED WITH 18 NEW COMMUNITIES AND CONTINUED SUPPORTING 13 EXISTING COMMUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY-LED GOVERNANCE OF LAND. NAMATI LED MEETINGS TO BUILD AWARENESS AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SUPPORTED PARTNERS IN RECRUITING NEW PARALEGALS, AND CONVENED PARTNER SETTINGS TO TRAIN AND EQUIP PARALEGALS WITH THE NECESSARY INFORMATION AND SKILLS TO WORK IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. OF THE COMMUNITIES WITH EXISTING SUPPORT, 10 ELECTED COMMUNITY LAND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES (CLMCS,) SIX HAVE REVISED THEIR BYLAWS, AND THREE REGISTERED THEIR LAND AND RECEIVED LAND TITLES. MYANMAR: IN 2023, NAMATI TOGETHER WITH LOCAL PARTNERS, RESOLVED 110 CASES, POSITIVELY IMPACTING THE LIVES OF OVER 2,000 PEOPLE. THE MAJORITY OF THESE WERE LAND TITLE AND LOCAL LAND DISPUTE CASES, REFLECTING POLITICAL DYNAMICS AND EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRACTION IN LAND JUSTICE CASES. THE NAMATI TEAM AND THREE PARTNERS CONTINUE TO FACE CHALLENGES AS A RESULT OF CHALLENGING POLITICAL AND OPERATIONAL DYNAMICS. NONETHELESS, NAMATI AND PARTNERS CONTINUE TO SECURE MEANINGFUL REMEDIES WITH COMMUNITIES TO LAND RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND RESEARCH AND DOCUMENT LAND RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND AREAS FOR CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT ON LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES. NAMATI AND ITS PARTNERS PUBLISHED 3 POLICY BRIEFS ON THESE SUBJECTS AND TRANSLATED 3 ADDITIONAL POLICY BRIEFS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH INTO BURMESE. SIERRA LEONE: LAST YEAR, THE SIERRA LEONE PROGRAM FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CUSTOMARY LAND RIGHTS ACT (CLRA), A LANDMARK LAND RIGHTS LAW, WHICH INCLUDES STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS SUCH AS BANNING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING MINING, TIMBER, AND AGRIBUSINESS IN OLD-GROWTH FORESTS AND OTHER ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS. THE NAMATI TEAM DEEPENED KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITIES, INVESTORS, AND GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS' ABOUT KEY PROVISIONS IN THE CLRA AND EACH GROUP'S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. IN ADDITION, THE NAMATI PROGRAM SUPPORTED COMMUNITIES PROTECTING THEIR LAND AND ENVIRONMENT BY 1) SECURING REMEDIES TO LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS, 2) DEVELOPING RESOURCES TO USE WITH STAKEHOLDERS, COMMUNITIES, AND INVESTORS, AND 4) CREATING VIRTUAL PLATFORMS FOR COMMUNITY MOBILIZERS AND VILLAGE AREA LAND COMMITTEES TO SHARE UPDATES ABOUT THEIR WORK AND EXPERIENCE TO HELP PROMOTE LEARNING. PARALEGALS HELPED OVER 20 COMMUNITIES NEGOTIATE LEASES COVERING OVER 33,000HA ACROSS FOUR INVESTMENT PROJECTS.