AREAS OF FOCUS:

1. Sustainable natural resource use and management
Forests, wetlands, extractives, energy and land use – driving towards ecologically sound management of the environment so as to have a balance between plants, animals, people and their environment as the rights of both nature and human beings are respected – ecological balance.

2. Food sovereignty
▪ Promoting food sovereignty through agro-ecology farming and promoting of indigenous foods and tree planting
▪ Supporting women’s efforts as custodians of food and seeds in the contributions to the sustainability of community food as a key to food sovereignty
▪ Mitigation and adaptation to climate change through planting of indigenous foods and trees that are resilient to the weather in respective landscapes through cultural and indigenous knowledge and values.

3. Gender and HIV
i) Gender:
▪ Mainstreaming gender through capacity building, inclusion and participation of both men and women in policy formulation and decision-making processes as key to achieving the desired goals in the development processes.
▪ Building a women’s movement to defend their rights against the impacts of development processes
ii) HIV:
▪ Most people are either infected or affected by the stigma. To positively involve them in any development process, the issue of HIV/AIDS has to be put into consideration through minimal psychosocial counseling by qualified personnel – This is a way of psychologically alleviating the impacts on people infected and affected by HIV and thus preparing them to be fully involved in community development processes – a human rights need.

4. Water Governance
Ensure access to safe and clean water, sanitation, and hygiene for all through negotiated and rights based approach.