Mbandaka, 28 April 2025 – Greenpeace Africa is excited to announce the launch of a pivotal community experience-sharing workshop dedicated to local forest initiatives focused on sustainable forest and food solutions. This significant event will take place from the 28th to the 30th of April 2025 in Mbandaka, bringing together Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to share their experiences, challenges, and innovative practices in forest conservation and sustainable food systems. This includes 20 community leaders from diverse regions across the DRC.

The primary objective of this workshop is to create a collaborative space where participants can exchange knowledge and amplify their local forest solutions. By addressing the challenges faced by these communities in implementing their sustainable initiatives, the workshop aims to enhance their voices both nationally and internationally.

“Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities play a crucial role in protecting forests and restoring biodiversity through their traditional knowledge. This workshop is an opportunity for us to understand the local initiatives they are implementing, to learn from their successes and challenges, and to identify their needs in promoting local forest solutions,” said Bonaventure Bondo, Greenpeace Africa Forest Campaigner for the Congo Basin.

In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are leading the way. 

Elizabeth Atieno, Greenpeace Africa Food Campaigner, stated, “We are no longer waiting for solutions from systems that have already failed us. Our forefathers and mothers lived in harmony with forests, they protected them while producing food. Today, indigenous knowledge and agroecology show us that it is possible to feed our communities and protect our forests at the same time. By securing land rights and investing in community-led solutions, we can build a future where people and nature thrive together.”

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Contact:

Raphael Mavambu, Communication and Media, Greenpeace Africa, [email protected]