Leatherback turtle hatchlings in Papua New Guinea

Every seven years, leatherback sea turtles living off the coast of California swim thousands of miles west to Papua New Guinea. This global migration, and the support of Global Greengrants Fund donors, connects two worlds in one cause: the protection of a critically endangered species.

Leatherback sea turtles are the largest living reptile in the world. Growing from four inches to eight feet, these gentle giants can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and prey mostly on jellyfish. Sadly, the population of these modern-day dinosaurs is in jeopardy.

Local fishermen have been overharvesting leatherback turtle eggs and harming nesting mothers. Many grown turtles have died after getting caught in fishing equipment. The pristine beaches where the turtles have always nested are disappearing to large developments. The species is critically endangered.

No one has felt this shift more profoundly than villagers in Papua New Guinea. The country is home to six of the world’s seven species of marine turtle, and leatherback turtle eggs—which are laid on beaches by the hundreds—have long been a staple in local diets.

Mas Kagin Tapani: A Local Group With a Broad Impact

Recognizing the vulnerability of leatherback sea turtles, one local organization has rallied around its defense. Mas Kagin Tapani (or Makata) was formed by local activists and indigenous tribal peoples whose beaches the sea turtles visit to nest. For over five years, the organization has been reviving the marine turtle population in the Western Pacific through community education initiatives.

With a small grant from Global Greengrants Fund, Makata provided educational trainings on sustainable consumption of turtle eggs. As communities became empowered to protect the turtles, they began to develop action plans to reduce their impacts on the endangered population. Read more about the project that people like you helped to fund >>

Since their first conservation efforts, the organization has built national momentum and gained international attention. Makata’s national coordinator, Wenceslaus Magun, prides the organization on its ability to “change the mindset and attitude of the majority of people in Karkum [Village] to stop killing and harvesting turtle eggs for consumption.”

Mas Kagin Tapani Association Billboard

The success of Makata’s work in the village of Karkum has brought important media and tourist attention.  The National Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance constructed a billboard and furnished the Karkum Eco-Lodge to attract attention to the initiative. The organization has is expanding their outreach.

The initial trainings have sparked significant interest in addressing environmentally destructive activities, including mining and waste disposal. Makata is leading important campaigns to stop sea bed mining and submarine tailings disposal in the Bismarck and Solomon Seas. The organization has now grown to include four distinct programs: sea turtle restoration and protection, advocacy and campaigning against seabed mining, community livelihood projects, and community development trainings.

With future support, Makata aims to balance its conservation work with investments in community well-being, working towards the Papua New Guinea’s Millennium Development Goals. Supporting this organization extends beyond the benefits of environmental protection; their work is empowering indigenous populations to create healthier communities.

It is most appropriate, therefore, that mas kagin tapani means “sea guardian” in local languages. The group is doing extraordinary work to protect marine environments as well as the communities that depend on them.

And just as they have in years past, a number of Global Greengrants Fund advisors were present at the climate negotiations to call for the inclusion of local voices in the high-level discussions.

Samuel Nnah Ndobe

Samuel Nnah Ndobe, Global Greengrants Fund advisor from Cameroon, was in Durban last month. We caught up with Samuel to hear his thoughts on the recent climate conference and how climate change is affecting his region of Africa. His initial remarks were less than positive:

“Each year we go in to these discussions hoping to see meaningful changes, but consistently the outcomes are disappointing.”

Samuel is a leading advocate for the rights of forest-dependent communities who are already feeling the effects of climate change. What’s more, certain approaches aimed at slowing climate change are actually threatening these communities’ access to their land and resources.

“In the communities that live along the Congo Basin, we don’t have nearly as much moisture as we used to. In many regions, it has become drier and warmer. Wild foods are ripening prematurely. The indigenous people that live there are hunters and gatherers who have lived from the forest around their homes for centuries. Now, they must go deep into the forest to track animals and collect fruits.”

Samuel has worked with Global Greengrants Fund to channel small grants to a number of community and indigenous organizations in the forests of Central Africa. With his help, we have funded dozens of workshops and actions to define and protect the rights and ways of life of communities in the Congo Basin, particularly those threatened by the implementation of REDD mechanisms (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation).

Bagyeli children who live in the Congo Basin

“REDD is about linking forests and climate change. When you talk about forests, you must remember that there are communities that live in those forests and have for generations. In the Congo Basin, the Baka and Bagyeli people live in the forest but have no land rights. We are creating networks of organizations that can bring their concerns to the policy level.”

One notable outcome of the Durban climate talks was the creation of a global Green Climate Fund, which will transfer $100 billion from rich countries to poor countries to be used for carbon emissions reductions and adaptation to climate change. Currently, the Fund is being housed by the World Bank and seems destined to land in the hands of government officials.

“The Green Climate Fund should be made available to civil society groups and grassroots organizations that are working on behalf of local communities. These are the people that are suffering from climate change. They should have access to the funds they need to adapt.”

Samuel was also in Cancun, Mexico for the previous United Nations climate conference. Global Greengrants Fund spoke with Samuel about REDD and COP 16 in December 2010.

In December 2010, international climate change negotiations in Cancun, Mexico wrapped up without any significant compromise or binding deal. We were left hoping that the following year’s 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nations climate talks (COP 17) would produce such action.

In December 2011, COP 17 came to an end in Durban, South Africa. Finally, a new mandate, called the Durban Platform, was put forth to establish a binding agreement. While nothing is set take effect until 2015, the progress sparked hope for government action against one of the most defining challenges of our time.

Still, the high-level negotiations proceeded without consideration for the impacts of climate change or climate policies on local communities.

Global Greengrants Fund’s grantees have already seen the effects of climate change. Many are already leading efforts in their communities to adapt to changing weather. And just as they have in years past,

Check out these reflections from our grassroots experts who where in Durban for the 2011 Climate Talks:

• Samuel Nnah Ndobe, Global Greengrants Fund advisor from Cameroon, spoke to us about the impacts of climate change and policies in Central Africa. Samuel is a leading advocate for the rights of forest-dependent communities whose rights and resources are threatened by certain climate policies, like REDD (Reducing Emissions for Deforestation and forest Degradation).
• Bobby Peek, Global Greengrants Fund advisor from South Africa, organized Dirty Energy Week, a civil society side event that led up to COP 17. He spoke to Real World Radio about COP 17 as the “conference of polluters.”
• Nnimmo Bassey, Global Greengrants Fund advisor from Nigeria, wrote a four-part series in the New Internationalist Blog about the Durban climate talks and the civil society side events that paralleled the talks (“a People’s COP):

“And yet, despite the failure of the talks, I leave Durban this Monday morning with much optimism. I saw the power of the coming together of ordinary people, sharing of stories and building of new linkages. Perhaps a People’s COP may be the way forward.”

Significant rainfall hadn’t come to eastern Kenya for more than two years. Farmers had no crops and herders could not keep their livestock alive.

The drought in East Africa ©NASA Earth Observatory

The La Niña weather patterns that caused the drought have an uncertain connection to climate change. But the all-around hotter and drier conditions in the region, a trend of our changing climate, had reduced farmers’ resiliency. Heavy deforestation has also reduced the environment’s ability to produce moisture and retain water.

Amidst the crisis, the international community and large aid organizations stalled in providing much-needed help to the 11 million people at risk of malnutrition and famine. Meanwhile, grassroots organizations and leaders mobilized to provide relief and support local solutions to adapt to the situation.

Grassroots Action on the Banks of Lake Turkana

Christina Saiti Louwa has lived along Lake Turkana in northern Kenya all her life. She is a member of the El Molo tribe and Director of The El Molo Forum, an organization that advocates for climate justice and the rights of the El Molo people. For years, her organization has worked to strengthen community participation and promote gender equality and women’s rights.

Christina Saiti Louwa, in the red dress, with the women of The El molo Forum

Christina is also a member of Kenya’s delegation to the United Nations climate change discussions, where she lobbies to include indigenous perspectives in high-level talks. Climate change is a visible phenomenon for the El Molo people and others who live around Lake Turkana: the lake has receded about 5-8 meters in recent years.

When the famine overtook surrounding communities, Christina and The El Molo Forum took action. They set out to raise awareness about climate change and develop solutions to cope with the drought—both immediate and long-term solutions that would mitigate the impact of future dry spells.

Christina sharing tree seedlings with an El molo woman

Workshops, Food Aid, and Reviving the Environment

The El Molo Forum used $5,000 from Global Greengrants Fund to host workshops with other local women’s groups about climate change, drought preparedness and mitigation, and alternative livelihoods. The group then used a land cruiser to bring food and clothing to the worst affected drought victims in Loiyangalani District, Northern Kenya, where three-quarters of livestock had died. With these funds, the organization reached 400 households with packages of cornmeal, flour, rice, and oil.

To begin regenerating the local environment, The El Molo Forum supplied tree seedlings to communities and educated members on how to plant and care for the trees. Along with the workshop on climate change and the immediate food aid, the actions of this grassroots organization had a positive impact on local people during a difficult time.

After the project, Christina wrote of the experience:

“We are reaching out and trying to influence community elders, as they are the major decision-makers; women, as they are the homemakers who provide food, firewood, water, and build homes for their families and communities; and finally, the youth, as they are our future and future decision-makers. The youth are the ones inheriting the environment destroyed, neglected or polluted by their elders, fathers, mothers, and forefathers.

The communities are very positive, receptive, committed, and eager to learn.”

The El Molo village and Lake Turkana

The El Molo people survive mainly by fishing and keeping livestock. They live on the southeastern shore of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya.

1.  Cut the bottle in half; discard bottom half of bottle.

2. Cut the desired number of petals from the cut side of the bottle.

3.  Curl each petal under and fix it with a paper clip.

4.  Put the flower into hot water (almost boiling) for 10 seconds to fix the petals in a curly state.

5.  Put the cap back on the bottle neck and make a stem out of a piece of wire. You can decorate wire with a green paper or plastic.

Voila!

Plastic art: a floating lily, a butterfly, and a dragonfly, each made from recycled plastic bottles

What can you do with an empty plastic bottle?

Recycle it.

Reuse it.

Create art.

Start a conversation about protecting the environment.

In southeastern Russia, where waste pollution is a major problem, a local couple is using creative solutions to protect the environment.

They used a small grant to put their idea into action, and now they’re inspiring their small community to think differently about caring for the place they live.

Tamara and Vasilyi Rumkiny

Meet the the Rumkinys

Tamara and Vasilyi Rumkiny are former Soviet engineers. They’re celebrating the 50^th anniversary of their wedding this year. They are also leading innovative environmental action in theri community.

Since retirement, Tamara and Vasilyi have used their knack for design and innovation to improve environmental health in their village near Chita, Russia. Pollution (both domestic and industrial) is one of the biggest environmental problems facing the Chita area. Hoping to make a difference, the couple formed an organization called Initiative Group of Pensioners, and they began to design homegrown solutions to waste pollution.

Giving Plastic Waste a New Use

The couple began to actively promote recycling and reusing plastic bottles for household purposes. As an organization, they used a small grant to collect plastic waste and turn it into art, like the flower above. Then, they began to spread the word about environmental health.

The art they create takes first prizes at various regional and even national exhibitions and contests.  The Rumkinys have published brochures representing their creations and distributed them to the local schools and nonprofits. The crafts themselves are unique, but the training workshops and competitions create a space for the Rumkinys to open a conversation about caring for the environment. From school children to their peers, Tamara and Vasilyi are raising awareness and excitement about environmental protection in a very polluted area.

The couple’s optimism is contagious and inspiring. Although their organization is small, they remain determined, washing and transforming the plastic in their small apartment. They say that their mission is to involve as many people as possible in their recycling projects.

Why don’t you get involved? Check out these instructions from the Rumkinys on how to make a flower from a plastic bottle >>

Plastic bottles litter parks and forests around Chita, Russia, but they can be collected and turned into art. The art starts a conversation about environmental health.

Federacion de Pescadores de Navidad (FEPANAV), a Global Greengrants Fund grantee, has done incredible work to protect the Chilean coastline from unsustainable fishing. Now they need your help to win $20,000 to continue their efforts.

Rare Planet’s Solution Search contest rewards innovative conservation successes in communities where the need is greatest. This year’s contest focuses on grassroots work to battle the depletion of global fish stocks—an environmental crisis with devastating local effects.

More than 100 community groups from 48 countries were entered into the first round of the contest.  Our own Stefan Gelcich, advisor on the Southern Cone Board and expert on local marine issues, nominated one of our grantees: Fisherfolk Federation of Navidad (Federacion de Pescadores de Navidad, or FEPANAV), together with the Local Council of Navidad (Ilustre Municipalidad de Navidad).  A panel of judges selected 10 finalists, and Federacion de Pescadores de Navidad (FEPANAV) & Ilustre Municipalidad de Navidad made the cut!

A Deserving Nomination

Federacion de Pescadores de Navidad (FEPANAV) & Ilustre Municipalidad de Navidad

Federacion de Pescadores de Navidad (FEPANAV) is protecting threatened marine resources in Navidad, a fishing village on the coast of central Chile. The group has worked with the local municipality to put conservation leadership in the hands of the local community.

Their bottom up approach focuses on shared community control and local, sustainable fishing. Artisanal fishermen are able to maintain their livelihoods without depleting fishing stocks. Because the community shares control over the marine area and its resources, each member has incentive to harvest fish collectively and sustainably. They have even established no-take zones to safeguard endangered fish populations, which can then become marine sanctuaries.

Cast your vote to raise money for marine conservation!

You can help Federacion de Pescadores de Navidad (FEPANAV) & Ilustre Municipalidad de Navidad win a grant of $20,000 to continue their great work! All you need to do is vote for them >>

You’ll need to pick 3 groups to vote for, but please make sure Federacion de Pescadores de Navidad (FEPANAV) & Ilustre Municipalidad de Navidad is among your selection. The group with the most votes wins a $20,000 grant, 2 runners-up win $5,000 grants, and the winner may be featured on National Geographic’s The Ocean website, increasing their impact even further.

Please vote today, and after you’ve voted spread the word! Voting ends on December 23^rd, and winners will be announced on January 6^th.

Offense Wins Games, Defense Wins Championships by Paul Hendricks, Donor Advised Fund Manager

If you ever played on a sports team growing up, chances are you remember your coach saying ‘Remember team, offense wins games, but defense wins championships’. The old adage emphasizes the importance of playing a balanced game – that winning can’t happen without paying attention to both the offensive and defensive sides of the field.

A few weeks ago, Global Greengrants Fund board member Elmer Lopez gave a similar pep talk to our staff and board of directors. Elmer, who is a career environmental activist from Guatemala, spoke about the duality of the environmental movement in tackling climate change. His defense: environmental justice. His offense: local solutions.

Elmer said that we must fund local groups working on two angles of the climate crisis. On one side, groups that work to defend forests, watersheds and indigenous peoples’ rights from the negative effects of climate change or the causal mechanisms of related development projects. On the other, proactive initiatives that contribute to climate change mitigation in the short term and enable communities to be better equipped in the long run to adapt to potential impacts.

He told the stories of two local groups: one that is reducing local vulnerability to climate change by restoring mangroves that have been destroyed by water diversion projects, and another that is proactively growing native, drought-resistant seeds to sell to local farmers.

Climate defense: resist and restore

Changing weather patterns have left many communities along Guatemala’s Pacific coast shaken by the rains and rising water levels associated with tropical storms. These effects were previously lessened by the natural buffer and dispersive drainage system of mangroves in the area. Yet recently constructed irrigation ditches now serve as a funnel for rainwater to flood into local communities. What’s more, the large agricultural plantations consume much of the fresh water needed to sustain the coastal mangroves. This has caused their rapid degradation – and consequently increased the vulnerability of communities to coastal flooding and storm damage.

In response, affected communities have built resistance to the damages of such diversion projects and begun replanting lost mangroves. Through these actions, they are restoring balance to the surrounding ecosystem and mitigating the damages caused by increased flooding and storms.

Climate offense: develop local solutions

A group of local entrepreneurs in rural Guatemala is restoring traditional, resilient agriculture practices. They are gathering and regenerating native, drought-resistant seeds to sell to local farmers and creating an agricultural system that is less vulnerable to changing climatic conditions – ensuring future sustainability of the livelihoods of surrounding communities. In an area that has lost much of its biodiversity to large seed companies, this cooperative has raised awareness about the benefits of seed sovereignty. Through these actions, the group is providing a sustainable economic and environmental system that can withstand changing growing seasons.

While both of these initiatives encompass some aspects of both offensive and defensive strategies, it’s clear that both perspectives are needed to develop a robust environmental justice movement. As high-level negotiations continue to fail and local initiatives become increasingly important, philanthropy must integrate this balanced approach to climate funding. We need to support both justice-driven campaigns that defend against climate change and its causes, as well as local solutions to prepare those most affected by climate change to thrive in the future. Because as coach says, ‘Offense wins games, but defense wins championships’.

Film is undoubtedly one of the best ways of explaining complicated issues, capturing what is at stake, and expressing the sentiments of the people affected. This is exactly what the 72 films shown at the South American Film Festival on extractive industries accomplished throughout the month of October. Each film focused on the struggles of communities against the impacts of extractive industries, like mining and oil, and each was unique in creativity and portrayal. The event was a huge success, as was confirmed by our insider: festival organizer, Global Greengrants Fund advisor, and grassroots activist Enrique Bostelmann.

The Inside Scoop

Enrique played a crucial role in organizing and planning for the film festival, so our Q&A session was full of behind the scenes insights. Here is our inside scoop…

The festival brought together 1,500 participants across four different countries: Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. The endeavor was made possible by a number of small grants that Global Greengrants Fund channeled to South America, as well as an alliance with Amnesty International.

People in the audience opened up and shared personal experiences on the effects of extractive industries. Enrique recalls these narratives to be some of the most memorable moments of the event.

To further discussions, a space was created for people to voice their perspectives.  Whether on the impact of mining operations in Peru or the complexities of the fishing industry in Chile, exchanges were full of opinion and enthusiasm. In addition, organized forums were held at each of the festivals to enable media, directors, and activists to gather and deliberate on issues brought up by the documentaries.

The success of the festival extended far beyond South America. The campaign caught the attention of people in Italy, Spain, France, and Canada. They have since requested permission to replicate the film festivals in their own backyards. Repeat festivals will also be held in Uruguay and Argentina to wrap up the year.

The collaboration that radiated off this series of events is reassuring to Enrique, but his vision for future film festivals consists of a more aggressive communications plan. He knows more people will become informed and involved with an increased investment in publicity. Perhaps, next year the festivals will gather crowds of 1,500 people per city.

Struggles That Must Be Addressed

Enrique concluded the interview by emphasizing the reason for initiating a series of film festivals on extractive industries:

“We decided to create these film festivals because we wanted to make sure that international human rights and socio-environmental platforms are at the forefront versus the back burner of democratic issues. These are struggles that every human being is beginning to experience, and we must address it immediately.”

Watch the Films

To watch the trailers of some of the films shown at the festival and those sponsored by Global Greengrants Fund, follow the links below:

The Devil Operation: A real-life political thriller that follows the work of Father Marco, a humble priest from the mountains of Peru, who helps defend farming communities against the Yanacocha mine’s abuses from transnational corporations. http://www.guarango.org/diablo/menu-in.html

Tambogrande: An epic tale of ordinary people rising together in times of great crisis- Pioneers find a way to transform Peru’s northern desert into a fertile valley of mango and lime orchards until gold is discovered under their land and suddenly, everything is threatened. http://www.guarango.org/tambogrande/en/

 

(Courtesy of Global Greengrants Fund Grantee Oilwatch Africa)

 

 

Several members of Global Greengrants Fund Regional and Global Advisory Boards will be attending COP17.

Prior to the event, Bobby Peek, our Southern Africa Advisor, organized an event called, “The Dirty Energy Week – Challenging Climate Gangsters.” The gathering was meant to build solidarity among environmental activists and expose and challenge false energy solutions.  Several other Global Greengrants Fund advisors and grantees attended the pre-COP17 event.  Nnimmo Bassey, Global Greengrants Fund Board Member and Regional Advisor, opened the event with a keynote address, commenting on the climate crisis in Africa.

Global Greengrants Fund has also given several grants for organizations to participate in the COP17 events:

• Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development received a $5,000 grant to participate in climate change platforms and projects, including attending COP17 in Durban.
• The Center for Environmental Justice in Sri Lanka used a $3,000 grant to send a representative to COP17. The representative will share the results of a the organization’s study on climate financing.