A resource guide to unleashing the knowledge, passion and power of frontline communities to know and defend their human rights and natural resources.
The LEAD toolkit brings together guidance, participatory methods and strategies used by EarthRights and our partners to support community-led campaigns. It recognizes and facilitates communities’ inherent strength and ability to gather information, develop a position, and advocate on their own behalf in defense of their human rights. The approach focuses on three pillars: building trust, building community, and building a campaign.
LEAD and Human Rights
The LEAD approach aligns with three interrelated human rights relevant for communities facing potential impacts of large-scale business activities and development projects:
- The right to information – This basic right is one that communities are often not sure how to access, and do not have much understanding of where they can go for information and who should be providing it. They have a right to properly understand what is happening at each stage of a process that could impact them directly. Without this understanding, they cannot exercise their right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
- The right to participation – This is about meaningful participation, where communities can engage early and can give input to shape the project or refuse to accept project implementation.
- The right to remedy – In the case of project that is already implemented, fair and adequate compensation and a safe and trusted space to raise grievances and issues with the project must be in place. The community should play a leading role in developing grievance processes.
Community Leadership Is the Goal
Success with LEAD is defined by contributing to the community’s power to create and lead their own campaigns. A successful LEAD approach helps community members to:
- Understand their rights;
- Collect the information they need to create and support their position;
- Identify actions they can take to protect and defend their rights;
- Implement strategies to build strong, community-led campaigns;
- Have the confidence to speak out about the issues facing them;
- Lead their own advocacy, with community members serving as the spokespeople;
- Continue to protect and defend their communities independently, and for the long-term.