SECTION 1. BASIC DATA
- Name of Organization – Foundation for the Conservation of the Earth (FOCONE)
- Contact person – Patrick Chiekwe
Chief Executive Office
- Address – 20 Joinkrama (Ogwa) Street, Diobu, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
- Contact Number – (+234) 8061162477
- Email Address – patrickchiekwe@yahoo.co.uk, focone2009@yahoo.com
- Website – foconenigeria.com
SECTION 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The aim of the project is to improve the accessibility and effective use of non-judicial grievance mechanism among the people of the Niger Delta in Nigeria.
The purpose of the project is that citizens are equipped with knowledge, skills and tools on non-judicial mechanism that will enable them to file complaints with appropriate tools to the right authority.
FOCONE aims to cover one (1) State in the Niger Delta area focusing on creating awareness on the effectiveness and accessibility of non-judicial grievance mechanism for communities who experience adverse human rights impacts as a result of business activities.
FOCONE will also focus on capacity building of selected persons from affected communities and individuals as well as civil society organizations seeking to address and prevent human rights abuses using non-judicial grievance mechanism governing business and human rights.
There will be media engagement and multi-stakeholder dialogue as to create critical mass awareness of non-judicial grievance mechanism among the media and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta.
The target audience of the project will include the following stakeholders:
- Negatively impacted workers.
- Community members who are victims who lack knowledge about the existence of the non-judicial grievance mechanism as well as the resources and capacity to use them in the oil-bearing communities.
- Community members and Individuals.
- Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) seeking to address and prevent human rights abuses and violations related to corporate activity of the IOCs.
SECTION 3. CONTEXT AND POLICY ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT
In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP).
Both the Framework and the UNGP rest on three Pillars – The State duty to protect against Human Rights abuses by third parties including businesses; The corporate responsibility to respect Human Rights; Access to Remedy for affected victims through Judicial and Non-Judicial grievance mechanism.
The aim of the UNGP is to guide Government, Corporate and other relevant stakeholders in ensuring that business operations around the world do not negatively impact and abuse human rights of citizens.
Since the adoption of the UNGPs, States from variety of regions around the globe have committed in principle to the UNGP and other business and human rights (BHR)frameworks, yet significant work remains to be done on the parts of the Third pillar as it relates to non-judicial grievance mechanism. This is the basis upon which this project is conceived.
In the Niger Delta region, the non-judicial grievance mechanism is being mildly applied.
In January 2011, Friends of the Earth International and Amnesty International filed complaint against Shell to the Dutch National Contact Point (NCP) for disclosing false, misleading and incomplete information about oil spill in Nigeria to avoid liability and having to pay compensation for harming people and their livelihoods. As of May 2013, Mediation have begun, known as Bodo Mediation Process facilitated by the Dutch Embassy in Nigeria and National Coalition on Gas flaring and Oil spill in the Niger Delta (NACGOND), a civil society coalition in the Niger Delta. . Appreciable progress had been made by both parties towards cleaning the environment and payment of compensation. In other communities of the Niger Delta area, there are complaints and concerns of land grabbing, legacy oil spills, improper remediation, refusal to compensate the people for damaged crops and livelihoods, improper stakeholder consultation, extrajudicial killings by security agents engaged by the multinational oil and gas companies (SPDC, NAOC, ELF/TotalFina, Chevron, Mobil etc.).
The communities are in dare need to file complaints in line with their concerns but lack knowledge and skills of non-judicial grievance tools and where to forward the complaints. It is imperative to equip the community members and the stakeholders with knowledge, skills and tools on non-judicial grievance mechanism that will address their concern and for sustainable peace in the Niger Delta area.
In October 2013, Foundation for the Conservation of the Earth (FOCONE), Nigeria participated in the Advanced African Regional Training Workshop on Business and Human Rights and Grievance Mechanism in Kenya, facilitated by SOMO of Netherland in collaboration with the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). The training was funded by the Dutch Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The knowledge, skills and practical tools obtained have to be relayed to communities to effectively file complaints using the right grievance mechanism available and douse the tension that is being built up.
SECTION 4. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND BUDGET
To achieve the above proposal, we must undertake the following activities:
- Mapping of communities and corporate organizations with human rights concerns and violations.
- Advocacy visit to traditional rulers and opinion leaders to introduce the project and ensure their endorsement.
- Organize public meeting to sensitize communities and explain the project and obtain their support for full participation of the entire community.
- Facilitate the selection of persons to be trained in target communities.
- Production of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials on non-judicial grievance mechanism and various tools to file complaints.
- Train – the – Trainer (TOT) for the CSOs, NGOs, FBOs and CBOs on non-judicial grievance mechanism.
- Capacity building for community members and Individuals on non-judicial grievance mechanism.
- Media engagement.
- Facilitate filling of complaints for selected communities and Individuals on acquired grievance mechanism tools.
SUSTABILITY OF THE ACTION
Judicial proceedings are often time-consuming and costly, it is envisaged that target beneficiaries are likely to embrace the non-judicial grievance mechanism as it can contribute to faster, potentially more effective and more direct remedy for victims of human rights abuse and violations.
Despite that the project is proposed for one year, we shall also create linkages for aggrieved communities to enhance its usage. We also believe that the success of this project and some trial cases will encourage other communities and individuals to continue with the usage of non-judicial grievance mechanism.
BUDGET
- Mapping of communities and corporate organizations with human rights concerns and violations. – 300 Dollars
- Advocacy visit to traditional rulers and opinion leaders to introduce the project and ensure their endorsement/ Consultation. – 700 Dollars
- Organize public meeting to sensitize communities and explain the project and obtain their support for full participation of the entire community/ Mobilization. – 1,300 Dollars
- Facilitate the selection of persons to be trained in target communities. – 200 Dollars
- Production of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials on non-judicial grievance mechanism and various tools to file complaints. – 1,500 Dollars
- Train – the – Trainer (TOT) for the CSOs, NGOs, FBOs and CBOs on non-judicial grievance mechanism. – 1,400 Dollars
- Capacity building for community members and Individuals on non-judicial grievance mechanism. – 1,900 Dollars
- Media engagement. – 1,000 Dollars
- Facilitate filling of complaints for selected communities and Individuals on acquired grievance mechanism tools.- 500 Dollars
- Personnel Cost – 1,000 Dollars
- TOTAL BUDGET – 9,800 Dollars