Appendix - Recommended organisations

Recommended organisations working on environmental justice and sustainability

The following list of organisations working on environmental issues was compiled through recommendations from APC members and authors who contributed to this edition of GISWatch.

This list is obviously not exhaustive and should be seen as a starting point for exploration and for possible advocacy alliances and project partnerships.

Although some organisations are listed under countries, they may also have a regional or global reach (they were nevertheless identified as important in those countries).

Environmental justice (global)

The World Social Forum (WSF)
https://wsf2021.net
A forum dedicated to discussion and proposal of alternatives for anti-globalisation activists working towards the construction of a better world. Its yearly summit attracts an average of 100,000 people from around the world. The WSF casts itself as an alternative to the World Economic Forum organised in Davos (Switzerland).

Friends of the Earth International
https://www.foei.org
A highly decentralised environmental and social justice grassroots environmental network. It has several focus areas, including climate and economic justice, food sovereignty, forests and biodiversity, human rights defenders and gender. It has 73 member organisations around the world.

Greenpeace
https://www.greenpeace.org/global
A global network of 27 independent national and regional Greenpeace organisations, with Greenpeace International as a coordinating organisation. Key focus areas include sustainable and renewable energy, dismantling collusion between corporate power and governments, oceans, forests, sustainable farming, supporting Indigenous peoples, women, children, people living in poverty, workers and environmental defenders.

Oilwatch
https://www.oilwatch.org
A network that builds solidarity and promotes a common identity in the peoples of the global South seeking to stop the expansion of fossil fuel extraction activities that degrade territories, socially and environmentally.

ETC Group
https://www.etcgroup.org
Works to address the socioeconomic and ecological issues surrounding new technologies that could have an impact on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

ESCR-Net
https://www.escr-net.org/environment
A collaborative initiative of over 230 organisational members working to secure economic and social justice through human rights. Engages in collective advocacy, campaigns, member-to member capacity building and litigation. Has an environmental track.

Indigenous people’s groupings (global, regional and local)

Via Campesina
https://viacampesina.org
An international movement bringing together millions of peasants, small and medium-size farmers, landless people, rural women and youth, Indigenous people, migrants and agricultural workers from around the world.

International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)
https://www.iwgia.org/en
A global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting, protecting and defending Indigenous peoples’ rights.

Indigenous Environmental Network
https://www.ienearth.org
An alliance of grassroots Indigenous peoples whose mission is to protect the sacredness of Mother Earth.

Asia

Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)
https://aippnet.org
A regional organisation that promotes and defends Indigenous peoples’ human rights, including land rights and cultural rights.

Cordillera People's Alliance in the Philippines
https://www.cpaphils.org
A federation of progressive peoples’ organisations, most of them grassroots-based organisations among Indigenous communities in the Cordillera Region in the Philippines.

Amazon

Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon River Basin (COICA)
https://coica.org.ec
Represents Indigenous organisations from nine Amazon countries and over 500 Indigenous peoples’ groups.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz)
https://portal.fiocruz.br/en
The biggest public organisation for health research in Brazil. Works with Indigenous communities, helping them to protect their land.

Niger Delta

Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)
http://www.mosop.org
Formed by the Indigenous people of Ogoni in 1990 to campaign for greater control over the oil and gas resources on their land.

Country and regionally specific organisations

Argentina

Taller Ecologista
https://tallerecologista.org.ar
Considered a strong organisation with a wide spectrum of work, from waste issues such as contamination, to food sovereignty and ecofeminism. They are active on issues of fires and the pollution of rivers, which are two big issues in the region.

No a la Mina
https://noalamina.org
Organisation focused on fighting extractivism and mining in small communities near the Cordillera de los Andes. They started in Esquel in the south of the country, but have expanded to several other communities.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)
https://namati.org/network/organization/bangladesh-environmental-lawyers-association-bela
A group of lawyers with the broad objective of promoting environmental justice. Focus on access to information, environmental justice, land and natural resources.

International Centre for Climate Change and Development
http://www.icccad.net
One of the leading research and capacity-building organisations working on climate change and development in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA)
https://www.bapa.org.bd
Launched in 2000 to create a nation-wide, united and strong civic movement to protect Bangladesh’s environment.

Brazil

FASE
https://fase.org.br/en
Since 1961, FASE has worked to strengthen social groups so they can achieve rights, democracy and sustainability. It works on issues such as the “right to the city”, as well as environmental justice, women and food sovereignty.

Articulação Nacional de Agroecologia
https://agroecologia.org.br
A space for the convergence of Brazilian civil society movements, networks and organisations engaged in the promotion of agroecology and sustainable alternatives for rural development, among other areas of work.

Articulação no Semiárido Brasileiro (ASA)
https://www.asabrasil.org.br
One of the most important organisations working in the semi-arid region of Brazil. They are an important reference on Brazilian agroecology and created a programme responsible for constructing more than one million water cisterns.

Caribbean

Rare/Centre for Behavior and the Environment
https://behavior.rare.org
International organisation focused on translating science into practice and leveraging the best behavioural insights and design thinking approaches to tackle some of the most challenging environmental issues. Active in Saint Lucia on projects such as the campaign to save the Saint Lucia parrot or “Jacquot” (Amazona versicolor).

Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)
https://canari.org
Active in “direct” environmental projects, such as the protection of the West Indian sea egg (Tripneustes ventricosus, at type of sea urchin) and mangroves, and more recently, in activating the human response through supporting the growth and spread of active, empowered civil society organisations.

PANOS Caribbean
http://www.panoscaribbean.org/en
Focuses on the human element of the whole environment; the home of the “1.5 to Stay Alive” campaign.

Saint Lucia National Trust
https://www.slunatrust.org
Active in amplifying the human response to environmental challenges locally; also an active part of regional and international conservation networks.

Colombia

Aida Americas
https://aida-americas.org/es/ubicaciones/colombia
A Latin American regional organisation with a significant number of activities in Colombia. Uses law and science to protect the environment and communities affected by environmental damage.

Red Colombiana de Formación Ambiental (Colombian Network for Environmental Education - RCFA)
https://redcolombianafa.org
Aims to promote the creation of spaces for cooperation, exchange and communication among the members of the network through information, training, research, participation and management processes for sustainable development and environmental conservation. Colnodo is member of this network.

European Union

Justice and Environment
http://www.justiceandenvironment.org
A network of environmental justice lawyers.

Global e-Waste Monitor
http://ewastemonitor.info/
Collaboration between UN and other bodies and organisations. Several key actors in terms of international organisations are listed here: http://ewastemonitor.info/about-us. The contact person for the Global E-Waste Monitor report is Cornelis Peter Baldé (scycle@unitar.org).

India

Centre for Science and Environment
https://www.cseindia.org
A public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi. Researches, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.

Environmental Support Group
https://esgindia.org
Works with a variety of environmental and social justice initiatives across India and the world. It proactively addresses environmental and social justice issues, collaborating across sectors and disciplines, keeping the interests of local affected communities and voiceless ecosystems at the centre of projects.

Thanal
https://thanaltrust.org
Works on sustainability campaigns and programmes, knowledge development and mentoring, among others.

Indonesia

JATAM - Mining Advocacy Network
https://www.jatam.org/tentang-kami
Works on environmental and human rights issues related to mining in Indonesia.

Auriga Nusantara
https://auriga.or.id
Works on conserving Indonesian natural resources and the environment to improve the quality of life for humankind. Involved in research and legal advocacy. Also part of Indoleaks, in its work to expose corruption related to the environment.

Pikul
https://www.perkumpulanpikul.org
Its aim is to strengthen local capacity and resilience in East Indonesia, especially with respect to the environment and food.

Kenya

Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network
https://youth4biodiversity.org
A youth-founded and led organisation. Founded in 2017, they have been able to strengthen the voices of the youth in national and international policy spaces.

Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FoKP)
https://www.fokp.or.ke
A community-based organisation with over 1,500 members that has been empowering local members to take part in the conservation of the Kinangop Grasslands since 1997. The grasslands are listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and host a variety of endemic bird species such as the Sharpe's Longclaw.

Latin America (regional)

Terra de Direitos
https://terradedireitos.org.br/en
A human rights organisation that works on economic, social, cultural and environmental issues.

Malawi

Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA)
https://cepa.org.mw
A think tank and advocacy institution promoting sustainable environment and natural resource management.

Civil Society Network on Climate Change
https://www.cisoneccmw.org
A network organisation for coordinating civil society initiatives for climate change management and disaster risk reduction.

Nigeria

Nigerian Environmental Society (NES)
https://www.nes.org.ng 
Committed to advocacy and actions towards environmental protection, sustainable environmental development and promotion of environmental professionalism within Nigeria and in the global arena.

Friends of the Environment (FOTE)
https://fote.org.ng
Through awareness campaigns, among other strategies, its primary goal is to initiate and undertake programmes and activities that address the needs of identified groups that impact on the environment.

Women Environmental Programme (WEP)
https://wepnigeria.net
Formed in April 1997 by a group of women in Kaduna State, WEP envisions a world where the lives of women and youth are positively transformed. Although WEP emerged in response to the environmental pollution by industries in Kaduna State, over the years it has expanded its interventions to conflict transformation, climate change and governance issues.

Environmental Rights Action (ERA)/Friends of the Earth Nigeria
https://erafoen.org
The Nigerian chapter of Friends of the Earth International (see above). Also the coordinating NGO in Africa for Oilwatch International, the global South network of groups concerned about the effects of oil on the environment of people who live in oil-bearing regions (see above). Dedicated to the defence of human ecosystems in terms of human rights, and to the promotion of environmentally responsible governmental, commercial, community and individual practice in Nigeria through the empowerment of local people.

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF)
https://homef.org
An ecological think tank organisation advocating for environmental/climate justice and food sovereignty in Nigeria and Africa at large.

African Centre for Climate Actions and Rural Development (ACCARD)
http://accard.org
Established under the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to promote environmental and climate activities, including in the Niger Delta. Linked to the Centre for Environment and Sustainable Livelihood Projects (CESLP).

Pakistan

National Forum for Environment & Health
http://nfeh.org.pk
Aims to facilitate, promote and help create environmental, healthcare and educational awareness among people in general, and among the youth and children in particular.

Philippines

Foundation for the Philippine Environment
https://www.fpe.ph
Envisions itself as a dynamic, relevant and growing organisation leading actions for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development towards healthy ecosystems and resilient communities.

Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
https://www.facebook.com/ClimateJusticePH
A broad coalition in the Philippines working with vulnerable sectors and communities to campaign for climate justice.

Senegal

Enda Tiers Monde
https://endatiersmonde.org
An international organisation based in Senegal. Describes itself as a network of decentralised nodes worldwide. Works on environmental development, among other issues.

Nebeday
https://www.nebeday.org
Its main objective is the participatory management of natural resources by and for local populations in Senegal.

Seychelles

Terrestrial Restoration Action Society of Seychelles (TRASS)
https://www.facebook.com/TerrestrialRestorationActionSocietyofSeychelles
Set up in 2002, it works on reforestation on the hilltops of Praslin (the second largest island of the Seychelles) where forest fires occur periodically, and is also involved in anti-poaching efforts (seabirds). While the organisation is led by a few environmentalists, the work is done by volunteers who come from all the inhabited islands.

Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF)
https://www.sif.sc
A non-profit charitable organisation established as a public trust. Responsible for all the major protected sites in Seychelles, including the Vallée de Mai (where the endemic coco-de-mer grows) and the Aldabra atoll.

South Africa

Natural Justice
https://naturaljustice.org/countries/south-africa
Rooted in the struggles of communities in Africa. As a team of lawyers and legal experts, they specialise in human rights and environmental law in pursuit of social and environmental justice.

Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA)
https://wessa.org.za
Well known for the implementation of effective environmental, sustainable tourism, education and youth development programmes.

Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) South Africa
https://www.wwf.org.za
Has strong programmes that look at preserving natural resources.

Spain

Ecologistas en Acción
https://www.ecologistasenaccion.org
Important because it covers many environmental areas and represents about 300 different environmental groups. The group is very active in Spain.

Turkey

Ecology League
https://ekolojibirligi.org
The Ecology League consists of multiple ecology-focused NGOs and social movements across Turkey, and serves as a strong collective of activists and civil society organisations that can take decisions rapidly to mobilise in the face of emerging issues. The League also serves as an information hub sharing the relevant information from the networks and informing the ecology society concerning all activities in the field.

Polen Ecology
https://www.polenekoloji.org
Polen Ecology Collective is an organisation that creates a memory space through written and visual archives against ecological destruction while promoting an ecology, science and labour agenda based on volunteer efforts. Polen Ecology brings together the public views and the academic perspective in its fieldwork activities, which are then analysed through a theoretical framework.

 

Notes:
This report was originally published as part of a larger compilation: “Global Information Society Watch 2020: Technology, the environment and a sustainable world: Responses from the global South"
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) - Some rights reserved.
ISBN 978-92-95113-40-4
APC Serial: APC-202104-CIPP-R-EN-DIGITAL-330
ISBN 978-92-95113-41-1
APC Serial: APC-202104-CIPP-R-EN-P-331