A Message from RRI Coordinator, Solange Bandiaky-Badji
Dear friends,
I am delighted to present to you RRI’s 2023 annual report—a snapshot of our major achievements from last year.
There is an African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Indeed, across societies, collective power can play a vital role in challenging the status quo and bringing transformative change. In 2025, RRI will celebrate its coalition’s 20th anniversary. In preparation for this milestone, we must reflect now on how to redefine our shared vision for using the collective power RRI has cultivated in two decades.
Since 2005, RRI has grown into a global solidarity network that has the potential to transform social-economic relationships and help build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable planet. Despite geographic and cultural disparities, we have found many commonalities in the struggles of rightsholders across the world. We want to use this year to reflect on how we can leverage these commonalities and the incredible impact our members across the world have achieved.
Fostering Our Coalition: A Global Outlook
What does it mean to nurture a coalition?
In our case, it’s a coalition that’s grown from a handful of individuals and organizations in 2005 to over 150 members across five continents. With RRI’s 20th anniversary approaching in 2025, this question is more pertinent than ever before.
Two years ago, our Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local community members helped us inform our Blue Skies vision and current Strategic Program. And throughout 2023, the coalition came together—through national and global planning meetings, workshops, and regional conferences—to inform the strategies we must pursue to achieve this vision.
How We Deliver
Projects in 33 Countries
Africa
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Gabon
Kenya
Liberia
Madagascar
Republic of Congo
Sierra Leone
South Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Asia
Cambodia
India
Indonesia
Nepal
Philippines
Thailand
Latin America
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Peru
Suriname
Partnerships
projects were approved through RRI’s Strategic Response Mechanism in 2023, granting US$712,115
Countries
Collaborators
Partners
Donors
Secretariat Staff
Knowledge
Global Achievements
Regional Achievements
Metrics
Communications and Advocacy
Downloads 5 Languages
Readership 3 Languages
Viewership 3 Languages
watched 303% *
* Includes 51,945 views of Our Land, Our Life video of the Maji Moto group ranch as part of the #SolutionsInsideOut project with the Video Consortium and Skoll Foundation.
Highest Reaching Content
Publications
Blogs and Press Releases
Events and Initiatives
Videos
Blog Highlights
2023 Highlights from the RRI Blog
DRC National Assembly adopts landmark bill on land-use planning
Two big wins for Indonesia’s agrarian reform movement
Media Highlights
Check out some of our top media mentions in 2023!
Indigenous and local communities see big gains in land rights, study shows
A new RRI study shows that land legally designated for or owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities increased by more than 100 million hectares between 2015 and 2020—an area larger than the size of Egypt. These groups now own more than 11% of Earth’s terrestrial land.
Mongabay
Restoring the Congo Basin: Indigenous women leading the charge
In May, RRI helped gather 200 participants from 20 countries in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo to strengthen the role of the region’s Indigenous and local community women and girls in climate resilience and biodiversity conservation. Read an interview with Dr. Solange Bandiaky-Badji, RRI Coordinator, on the event’s significance.
Fair Planet Magazine
In Bali, ‘sea-sun-sand' tourists threaten ancient rainforest
The Adat Dalem Tamblingan Indigenous community, who have lived in northcentral Bali, Indonesia since at least the 9th century, are fighting for their land rights to help curb tourism and protect the Alas Mertajati Forest and Lake Tamblingan areas. This piece is a result of a media site visit organized by Badan Registrasi Wilaya Adat (BRWA), Wisnu Foundation, and RRI.
Thomson Reuters Foundation
Building relationships with Indigenous Peoples: A 5-step guide for companies
Ever since the Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted at CoP15 in Montréal, Canada in 2022, companies have been wondering about their role in engaging Indigenous and local communities and how can they become better allies. This piece summarizes key recommendations on how companies can rethink corporate-community partnerships to protect biodiversity and the climate.
Green Biz
Climate activism is becoming more dangerous for land defenders around the world
According to an RRI study, Mexico has the highest percentage of land collectively owned by Indigenous Peoples and local communities of any country in the Americas. Yet mounting effects from climate change and political and economic pressures are forcing some of the country’s Indigenous communities to pick up arms to defend their ecosystems and way of life.
Vox
Africa’s first-ever Community-led Conservation Congress ends on an impressive note
Over 300 participants gathered in Windhoek, Namibia in October 2023 under the banner “we are nature and nature is us.” The congress is considered a starting point for the continent to define its own conservation policy framework that is people-centered.
EnviroNews Nigeria
Financial Highlights
Funding
We secured nearly US$10.5 million in new and renewed funding for 2024–2027. This funding will be used to scale up direct support to Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities—especially the women and youth within these groups—in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Recruitment
After an extensive recruitment process, we hired two new members of RRG’s Executive Team. Makaria Reynolds joins us as Chief Operating Officer with years of experience leading human resources activities, financial operations, contracts and grants management, and donor relations. Keith Slack joins RRI as Senior Director, Programs to help guide our regional and global programs for long-term, strategic, and meaningful impact.
Audit
We concluded our 2022 annual audit, obtaining an unmodified opinion with minimal management comments.
Social Media and Web