Putting people in charge of their forests Stories from communities taking a stand

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Millions of people live in forests and depend on them for almost everything

Shouldn’t they have a say?

Photo by Alice Harrison

But these people have the least say in what happens to the forest

That’s a disaster for both people and planet

Photo by Global Witness

Decisions must be made in the open. People must know their rights and be able to assert them

Global Witness sets out to help that happen

This is how we do it

Realising Rights

When people know what they are entitled to, they can then stand up and speak for themselves.

Helping forest-dependent people to know, and then realise, their rights, is essential to giving them an effective role in how forests are cared for.

Read these three stories from Liberia, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Accessing Information

Openness by those in power – be they governments, corporations or the local chief – is an essential prerequisite to hold people to account for their actions and decisions, and to ensure each player’s rights and responsibilities are fulfilled. Equal access to information makes for more equitable development.

Read these three stories from Ecuador, Ghana and Peru

Stopping Abuses

Ordinary citizens have a vital role to play in exposing illegality and corruption, provided they have the confidence to confront it and feel safe and supported when doing so.

Read these three stories from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana

All stories

  • Supporting community organisations to defend the rights of indigenous people in Cameroon

    Rights: Cameroon

    Read more
  • Logging in the DRC: Taking the lift or the stairs?

    Rights: DRC

    Read more
  • Putting communities at the heart of Liberia post-conflict forest governance

    Rights: Liberia

    Read more
  • Stopping the abuse of Artisanal Logging Permits in DRC

    Abuses: DRC

    Read more
  • You won’t touch our forest without our consent!

    Abuses: Ghana

    Read more
  • Accountability from the bottom-up: Ghana’s chiefs embrace transparency

    Info: Ghana

    Read more
  • Embedding a culture of transparency into forest sector management in Peru

    Info: Peru

    Read more
  • Realising the right to information in Ecuador

    Info: Ecuador

    Read more