TIPS Project | Stories of Change
Lobbying Leads Authorities to Channel Revenue from Forest Resources to Local Communities
Since 2019, the government authorities in the province of Niassa in Mozambique were not channeling the revenue from the exploration of forest natural resources to the local communities. According to the law (Forest and Wildlife law, nº. 10/99), 20% of the revenue is utilized for community development projects such as construction of markets, water boreholes, school classrooms, and livestock promotion.
As a result of the limitations of civil society and the communities in advocating and lobbying the authorities, this regulation under Forest and Wildlife law was not being implemented. However, as a result of the activities implemented under the ‘Towards an Inclusive and Peaceful Society’ (TIPS) project, the situation gradually improved. The project used approaches aimed at promoting peace through dialogue in which communities, civil society, the private sector, and government authorities were engaged.
Olga Justo, head of the Provincial Network of Paralegals for Arbitration and Sustainable Development Environment Justice for Communities (REPADES), acknowledges that the authorities’ compliance with the legislation to channel the 20% of forest resource revenue is the result of advocacy and lobbying actions.
“Advocacy is the strategy we use to persuade the authorities to fulfill their obligations. We are aware that dialogue is the way to restore peace.”
The TIPS intervention has boosted relations between the communities and the local authorities. The communities are aware of various laws, especially the Environment, Land and Natural Resources Act.
Olga Justo, head of REPADES. Through lobbying, companies operating in the forest have already fulfilled their Social and Corporate Responsibility obligations.
By 2022, the Niassa government authorities had channeled more than 19 million Meticais (EUR 271,487) as part of 20% of the communities’ entitlement for forest resources resulting from advocacy actions by the members of REPADES who support the communities in terms of access to justice.
After the training and forums held by the project in the provinces of Niassa and Maputo, REPADES intensified its communication strategy by lobbying the provincial and district authorities to channel the revenue to the communities. REPADES members carried out further trainings to community members through Study Circles. “The communities learned about conflict resolution strategies and natural resource governance,” says Olga.
Olga emphasizes that the TIPS project activities have strengthened relations between the communities and the local authorities. The communities are aware of various laws, especially the Environment, Land and Natural Resources Act. She adds,
“The profits made were channeled to the communities of Chala, Marangira, and Nungo and had an impact on improving local conditions, such as building markets [and] promoting livestock for marketing.”
In these communities, actions are underway to promote, protect and defend human rights, in the context of the use of land and other natural resources and access to basic services at the resettlement site in the district of Nipepe. “Through lobbying, companies operating in the forest have already fulfilled their Social and Corporate Responsibility obligations, with the emphasis on providing water, mats for mosques, and zinc housing sheets for some families,” highlights Olga.
As part of the lessons learned from TIPS, monitoring and mapping of conflicts over land and other natural resources is currently ongoing, involving the State Government and investors, as well as the provision of advocacy, civic education, counseling and technical assistance to local communities. Additionally, Paralegal Centres for Land Regularization are being set up in the districts of Lichinga, Maua, and Niepepe. All these actions are being taken to avoid possible conflicts.
About the TIPS Project
‘Towards an Inclusive and Peaceful Society in Mozambique‘ (TIPS) is a European Union-funded project implemented between January 2021 to December 2023, which seeks to contribute to conflict prevention, crisis preparedness and response, and peacebuilding through an inclusive nautral resources governance and management in Mozambique. The project is implemented by a consortium of actors comprised of Finn Church Aid and the Peacemakers Network, Institute of Social and Economic Studies (Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Económicos-IESE) and the Institute for Multiparty Democracy (Instituto para a Democracia Multipartidaria) in collaboration with the Council of Religions in Mozambique (Conselho das Religiões em Moçambique – COREM).
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