Building Resilience and Regional Solidarity: Highlights from the 9th Annual Land and Environmental Defenders Workshop

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From September 17–19, 2025, the Environmental Rights Organizations Network (EROG) hosted the 9th Annual Land and Environmental Defenders Workshop in Mombasa, Kenya. With the theme of defending the defenders, the gathering brought together environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to share experiences, strengthen networks, and chart a path forward for environmental justice in East Africa.The workshop was a joint effort and  EROG, CJGEA, OHCHR, ALLIED, Global Witness, Haki Ni Yetu and EU Delegation to Kenya supported the realisation of the workshop.  The workshop was partly funded by the support EROG receives through the Haki Ni Yetu-project (funded by EU).

This year’s workshop was not just a space for reflection—it was a platform for action. Amid growing threats to land, natural resources, and community rights, defenders came together to build resilience and push for meaningful change.

 

Strengthening Regional Networks

One of the most significant outcomes of the workshop was the strengthening of regional solidarity. Participants formed new alliances across borders to support one another in times of crisis. These networks will provide rapid legal aid, emergency relocation, and psychosocial support for defenders facing threats.

“One of the most powerful takeaways for me was the sense of solidarity we built across borders. We’re no longer working in isolation, and this Network has created a support system that strengthens all our movements”, said Kristine Yakhama, Coordinator  from Good Health Community Programmes (Kenya), reflecting on the cross-border solidarity that the workshop enabled.

 

Kristine Yakhama, Coordinator  from Good Health Community Programmes (Kenya)

 

This kind of collaboration is essential in a region where defenders are often isolated and targeted under vague laws and security frameworks.

Advancing Legal and Policy Reform

The workshop also helped sharpen advocacy strategies for legal reform. In Tanzania and Uganda, participants committed to pushing for national policies that explicitly protect environmental defenders from criminalisation. These efforts build on existing draft legislation and aim to close the gap between legal recognition and practical protection.

“The EROG workshop demonstrated that advancing legal and policy reform is not merely about drafting laws, but about shaping a just future where women’s land rights are protected, communities are empowered and commitments translate into action,” emphasised Albert Taremwa Director of Local Sustainable Communities Organization (LOSCO, Uganda), speaking on the capacity-building efforts related to legal reforms.

 

Albert Taremwa Director of Local Sustainable Communities Organization (LOSCO, Uganda)

Empowering Grassroots Defenders

Training sessions focused on legal literacy, documentation, and civic education, equipping grassroots defenders with the tools they need to assert their rights and resist land grabs. These skills are especially critical in rural and indigenous communities, where access to legal support is limited.

“The training on legal and regulatory frameworks gave us tools we had never accessed before. It empowered women and grassroots defenders like myself to better understand community and land rights, documenting challenges we face and how to use this knowledge confidently when engaging with local authorities and policy makers.”  highlighted Nailejileji Tipap from Indigenous Women Development Affairs (Tanzania), marking significant change in empowerment.

 

Nailejileji Tipap from Indigenous Women Development Affairs (Tanzania) speaking at the workshop.

Deepening Institutional Engagement

Participants explored new ways to engage with national and regional institutions, including Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), and the East African Court of Justice. These partnerships will be key to holding governments accountable and ensuring that legal victories translate into real-world protections.

 

 

Not only is the support from Haki Ni Yetu, funded by the EU delegation to Kenya, instrumental in making this workshop possible and amplifying its impact, it also strengthens the Network’s leadership and coordination capacity to take action beyond the workshop. Institutional strengthening builds capacity for the Network to engage with policy and action drivers both at state and non-state level.

“The support by Haki Ni Yetu to EROG plays a key role in ensuring community voices are heard in a coordinated manner, by setting the stage for strategic engagement on accountability and realisation of rights. During the workshop, the Defenders took a participatory approach on confronting criminalisation and addressing the challenges facing their communities. This is a step towards environmental governance in a way that puts solidarity with the defenders at the forefront”, said Rashid Mohamed, Arid Lands Action Forum and  EROG Board Chairperson (Kenya), on the importance of support received from Haki Ni Yetu and EU.

 

Rashid Mohamed, Arid Lands Action Forum and  EROG Board Chairperson at the workshop.

Looking Ahead

As threats to land and environmental rights intensify, the need for coordinated action has never been greater. The workshop underscored the importance of:

  • Legal and policy reform to protect defenders
  • Community oversight in land governance
  • International pressure to safeguard human rights
  • Tailored protection for defenders facing intersectional risks

 

Fardosa Mustafa, EROG’s Network Coordinator speaking during the workshop.

 

The workshop reaffirms that environmental justice is not just a legal principle—but a lived reality:

“Hearing Defenders share testimonies from the frontlines, and the solidarity in their struggles was truly inspirational. Going forward, our collective responsibility is to turn these commitments into protections and opportunities for Land and Environmental Defenders”, summarised Fardosa Mustafa, EROG’s Network Coordinator, reflecting on the impact and ways forward.

 

This article has been written in close collaboration with EROG and their Network Coordinator Fardosa Mustafa. 

EROG receives funding through the 2nd open call of the Rights, Governance and Accountability Grants (Large Grants) of the Haki Ni Yetu project. The Haki Ni Yetu project is funded by the EU Delegation to Kenya. You can learn more about the project here: https://wordpress-1175544-6194269.cloudwaysapps.com/en/haki-ni-yetu/

 

 

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