Latin America

This report examines how forestry projects under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) initiative affect pre-existing structures of power, economy, fairness, safety and wellbeing in Brazil, Indonesia and Uganda, and how they may exacerbate pre-existing conflicts over land and resources. The report also looks at how REDD+ funds could provide the opportunity to diversify livelihoods, encourage sustainable development and enhance the adaptive capacity of local populations in the face of a changing climate.

Full report

The purpose of this document is to give guidance to those interested in initiating or supporting a national‐level process to implement the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. The Fund for Peace (FfP) and International Alert (IA) have joined in this effort as two of the participant NGOs in the international‐level dialogue of the VPs, with funding from the Government of Norway and support from the Government of the Republic of Colombia, two of the governments formally involved in the process.

Guidance note

With funding from the European Union, International Alert has been coordinating since 2010 the Red Andina project in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. With the support of three local partners in each of the countries, the project is aimed at strengthening the capacities of civil society organisations to better understand and address conflict issues resulting from the presence of large companies, national and multinational, from the extractive and agribusiness sectors.

This publication makes the case that the local business community in conflict-affected countries can and should play a role in building peace. Linking up with other peacebuilding actors, and taking advantage of their own resources and skills, business communities should address socio-economic, security, political and reconciliation dimensions of peacebuilding. Section 1 is divided into 5 thematic chapters, and Section 2 contains 19 country case studies. Executive Summaries are also available in Spanish and French.

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

Introduction

Section 1: Thematic Chapter 1

Section 1: Thematic Chapter 2

Section 1: Thematic Chapter 3

Section 1: Thematic Chapter 4

Section 1: Thematic Chapter 5

Section 1: Conclusions

Section 2: Overview of Case Studies

Section 2: Afghanistan Case Study

Section 2: Bosnia and Herzogovina Case Study

Section 2: Burundi Case Study

Section 2: Colombia Case Study

Section 2: Democratic Republic of Congo Case Study

Section 2: El Salvador Case Study

Section 2: Guatemala Case Study

Section 2: Israel and Palestine Case Study

Section 2: Kosovo Case Study

Section 2: Nepal Case Study

Section 2: Nigeria Case Study

Section 2: Northern Ireland Case Study

Section 2: Philippines Case Study

Section 2: Sierra Leone Case Study

Section 2: Somalia Case Study

Section 2: South Africa Case Study

Section 2: South Caucasus Case Study

Section 2: Sri Lanka Case Study

Resumen ejecutivo: Las empresas locales y la paz: el potencial de construccion de paz del sector empresarial nacional

Résumé: Entreprise Locale, Paix Locale: Le potentiel du secteur privé national pour la construction de la paix

This publication is one of the chapters of the book 'Human Security and Business' (Ruffer & Rub, 2008) which includes the papers highlighting important considerations concerning business and human rights. This publication points out the interconnectedness of severe human rights abuses in violent conflict with certain corporate practices, drawing on examples from Africa, Asia and Latin America, and shows that voluntary initiatives alone are not enough to ensure that companies, particularly in the extractive sector, act as per the law or best practices.

Chapter