World Affairs Webinar: Advancing Community Rights Through Peacebuilding

When a massive mine was built in the South Gobi Desert in Mongolia, the lives and futures of nomadic herders were forever changed. Access to precious land and resources needed to sustain their animals became even more scarce, and the traditional way of life of many herders was put at risk. Through a unique dialogue process, the herders fought to protect their futures––and won, with support from the nonprofit Accountability Counsel.

Though these internationally-funded projects––mines, agribusiness and wind farms––may be well intentioned, the results can be devastating: forced displacement of indigenous people, environmental contamination and sexual abuse of women and girls by foreign workers. The conflict that ensues between local communities and project stakeholders provides little hope for resolution and compromise.

Peacebuilding in these cases is not easy, but Accountability Counsel has identified a powerful and little-known tool to help communities protect their rights: the accountability offices of development financiers. Join us to learn more about how the nomadic herders in Mongolia and Indigenous communities in Mexico have used dialogue facilitated by these accountability offices to reach historic agreements with project stakeholders that provide hope for a more just path forward.

Learn more about the peacebuilding potential of accountability offices.