Participation needs to be more than a box-ticking exercise. It means ensuring that people can express their views or raise concerns without fear of being attacked for doing so.

👇Join our hybrid session on the impact of reprisals at the @adb.org #ADBAnnualMeetings on May 4: bit.ly/AM59CSP

Breaking: Ugandan Court jails eight Anti-EACOP activists as crackdown on dissent deepens. By the Witness Radio team. KAMPALA, Uganda—The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court sentenced eight environmental activists to 11 months in prison for “public nuisance.” The court ruled that their pr...

Breaking: Ugandan Court jails eight Anti-EACOP activists as crackdown on dissent deepens.
#StopEACOP
@stopeacop.bsky.social @hrcberkeley.bsky.social @rightsindevt.bsky.social @just-stopoil.bsky.social @stopcorpabuse.bsky.social @hrw.org
Read more: witnessradio.org/breaking-uga...

Global Peasant Movement calls for action against escalating land grabs and repression. - By the Witness Radio team. For more than eight years, the landscape of Kiryandongo district in western Uganda has undergone significant changes, shifting from being occupied by local farmers to a viol...

Global Peasant Movement calls for action against escalating land grabs and repression.
#Landgrabs
@hrw.org @rightsindevt.bsky.social @fundhumanrights.bsky.social
@viacampesinabe.bsky.social
@gmwatch.bsky.social
@amnesty.org

Read more: radio.witnessradio.org/global-peasa...

The flag of Sierra Leone gently blowing in the wind against a blue sky background.

I’ll be closely following tomorrow's hearings in the case against human rights defenders Prince Tommy Williams & Mohamed Turay from Lifeline Nehemiah Projects in #SierraLeone. Their prosecutions appear directly linked to their peaceful human rights work. The charges should be dismissed.

Building the tallest dam in the world and displacing 60,000 people in one of the world's most repressive countries is a recipe for disaster.

Last week we joined the #SpotlightOnCentralAsia podcast to speak about the #Rogun dam in #Tajikistan, listen here👇 bit.ly/3PFTrVO

Communities file second complaint against World Bank-funded project over failed redress in Tanzania. - By Witness Radio Team In southern Tanzania, a conservation project supported by one of the world’s most powerful financial institutions has caused violence, fear, and ruined livelihoods. The project, ...

Communities file second complaint against World Bank-funded project over failed redress in #Tanzania.
#LandRights
@rightsindevt.bsky.social @bothends.bsky.social @humanrightswatch.bsky.social @hrcberkeley.bsky.social @fundhumanrights.bsky.social
Read more: radio.witnessradio.org/communities-...

Unmasking the Hypocrisy Behind Kazakhstan NGO Foreign Funding Law Foreign capital is celebrated as a driver of progress by the state, while foreign-funded civil society is painted as a threat.

Burying their head in the sand, they think economic growth will be a magic wand solving all problems. But economic growth – without a solid democracy, respect for human rights, and an open civic space – will not lead to any progress.

Read more👇https://bit.ly/46SVjAv

In our new op-ed for @thediplomat.com we explore this contradiction, focusing on the role of #development banks. On paper, devt banks commit to public participation. But then they invest in countries where critical voices are silenced, failing to use their leverage to protect human rights.

(3/4)

Yet, in a stark display of hypocrisy, Kazakhstan is increasingly courting foreign investments from development banks and multinational corporations: foreign capital is celebrated as a driver of progress, while foreign-funded civil society is painted as a threat.

(2/4)

Next week #Kazakhstan will hold a national referendum to adopt a new constitution. The controversial reform imposes burdensome requirements on NGOs receiving foreign funding.

(1/4)

This op-ed for @asiasentinel.com.web.brid.gy - by our partners Rhoda Viajar, Sukhgerel Dugersuren & Robie Halip - presents cases from #Philippines #Pakistan & #Mongolia, showing how @adb.org's recent pivot toward critical minerals risks exacerbating human rights violations & conflicts.

ADB’s New Approach to Mining Risks Fueling Conflict Bank shifts stance to greenlight to extraction of critical minerals

Framed as essential for the energy transition, #CriticalMinerals are also indispensable to the global arms industry, creating a vicious cycle where extractivism fuels conflict and conflict drives further extractivism.

www.asiasentinel.com/p/adb-new-ap...

Suku Bajo di Kurisa: Krisis Ruang Hidup di Lingkar Industri IMIP - Jaringan Jaga Deca Di pesisir Desa Fatufia, Kecamatan Bahodopi, Kabupaten Morowali, Sulawesi Tengah, terdapat sebuah dusun kecil bernama Kurisa. Bagi warganya—mayoritas masyarakat adat suku Bajo—laut bukan sekadar benta...

For the Indigenous Bajo (#Indonesia) the sea is home. But since Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park began polluting and impacting seawater, their way of life has been under threat. Read this blog by our CRE partners👇jagadeca.org/suku-bajo-di-kurisa-kris...

Our new #CommunityResourceExchange (CRE) bulletin is out!

Check it out to learn how our partners are standing up to development banks and international investors, defending their rights, and building solidarity with others facing similar challenges 👇

Very concerned by news of charges brought against human rights defenders Mohamed Turay & Prince Tommy Williams from Lifeline Nehemiah Projects in #SierraLeone. The charges, which follow periods of arbitrary detention, strongly appear to be baseless & should be dismissed.

UNDP-funded project in Sierra Leone leads to land-grabbing, violence and criminalization of local activists | The Coalition for Human Rights in Development In Sierra Leone, a UNDP-funded project has led to a series of appalling human rights violations, including the death of a two-day old baby, illegal land-grabbing, physical attacks, and criminalization...

👉 Join us in calling the Sierra Leone authorities to immediately release Mohamed, and in calling UNDP to suspend now their project which has led to land-grabbing, police violence, and criminalization of local activists. rightsindevelopment.org/news/undp-si...

We keep receiving worrying updates from our partners in #SierraLeone: Mohamed Turay, Finance director of community organization LNP, is still behind bars. He has been detained since last Saturday with no charges, in squalid conditions, and has started having health issues.

bsky.app/profile/mary...

The flag of Sierra Leone gently blowing in the wind against a blue sky background.

Receiving very disturbing news about the arrest & detention of Mr. Mohamed Turay, Finance Director of the community organisation Lifeline Nehemiah Projects, in Freetown, #SierraLeone. He has been arbitrarily held since Saturday with no clear charge & should be immediately released.

“Farmers Have No Freedom”: Abuse and Exploitation of Cotton and Wheat Farmers in Uzbekistan The Uzbek government is violating the human and labor rights of cotton and wheat farmers through a coercive state production system, including penalties such as land seizure for not meeting quotas.

👇 Check out this new report by @uzbekforum.bsky.social & @hrw.org, exposing how cotton & wheat farmers in #Uzbekistan face coercion, abuse, penalties (e.g. land seizure for not meeting quotas) and are at risk of #ForcedLabour, despite years of proclaimed reforms. www.uzbekforum.org/uzbekistan-c...

This week we're at the #AlternativeMiningIndaba #AMI2026, where through poems & videos we're amplifying the stories, demands & aspirations of mining-affected communities across #Africa!

Explore the multimedia exhibition "The future we want" on our website👇 rightsindevelopment.org/news/ami-exh...

Indigenous communities’ complaint against World Bank-linked Nepal Cable Car Project declared eligible for investigation. - By Witness Radio team Indigenous Yakthung (Limbu) communities in eastern Nepal have fought hard for recognition after the World Bank Group’s accountability mechanism acknowledged a complaint about rig...

Indigenous communities’ complaint against World Bank-linked Nepal Cable Car Project declared eligible for investigation.
@rightsindevt.bsky.social @hrw.org @worldbank1.bsky.social
Read more: radio.witnessradio.org/indigenous-c...

Our #AnnualReport is out!

Explore our 2025 Annual Report & join our collective journey to advance community-led, human rights-based development, and to imagine a future rooted in justice, dignity, and community power👇
rightsindevelopment.org/news/annual-...

Last year, we joined our 1st #G20.

In this blog, we share our reflection on the distance between global policy and lived realities, and on the importance of building spaces where we can share experiences, exchange learnings & imagine new realities 👇
rightsindevelopment.org/news/when-gl...

Children in Teluk Sepang (#Indonesia) are struggling to breathe and fisherfolk are losing livelihoods due to pollution from a Chinese-financed coal plant. Learn how communities are resisting & calling for accountability 👉 rightsindevelopment.org/news/chinese...

Joint statement: Urgent Call on the IFC and the EBRD for Remedy and Accountability at Indorama Agro, Uzbekistan We, the undersigned civil society organizations, call on the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to take urgent and concrete action…

Joint statement: Urgent call on @ifcorg.bsky.social and @ebrd.bsky.social for remedy and accountability at Indorama Agro, #Uzbekistan
@ceebankwatch.bsky.social @rightsindevt.bsky.social
bit.ly/4pFexRq

Hidden iceberg: A new report identifies large scale industrial agriculture, livestock, and mining sectors as leading sources of attacks against land and environmental defenders worldwide.
#HiddenIceberg
@rightsindevt.bsky.social
Read more: witnessradio.org/hidden-icebe...

“When disaster strikes, solidarity saves.”

Deadly #floods in #Indonesia have killed 940 ppl & survivors are now facing worsening illness.

As we stand with our partners in Aceh leading emergency response, we ask all our partners to donate (BSI 7221812926) & share their appeal👇

For years, #Africa has been portrayed as a continent full of Vacant land ripe for industrial farming or carbon market expansion.Today on Witness Radio, we unpack this misleading narrative with insights from experts and key findings from this report.Tune in at exactly 5 PM EAT @afsafrica.bsky.social

Are you in #Geneva at the UN Business & Human Rights Forum?

Join us today at 14:30 (Room V) to discuss the challenges faced by communities impacted by DFI-funded projects & what accountability mechanisms should do to ensure remedy and justice.

forumbhr2025.sched.com/event/29a0p/...

#PODCAST G20 Leaders' Summit: The African Civil Society Organisation demand "real action" on climate justice #sabcnews - Newsbreak - Lotus fm By Newsbreak Producer Taliesha Naidoo - As G20 leaders gather in South Africa this week, the African Civil Society Organization is demanding real action on climate justice. The ACG20 Network - represe...

"We need to make sure that whatever replaces fossil fuels is justice-oriented and community-led; if not, we’re just replicating the extractivist status quo.”

👇Interview w Charlize Tomaselli (our Research & Learning Facilitator) at the #G20: omny.fm/shows/lotus-... #JustTransition #StopFossilsFuels