The Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP) through the National Platform of the Global Convergence has began a two-day capacity building workshop for the struggle of land and water in West Africa.
Speaking Tuesday in Monrovia, Deputy National Coordinator and a member of the Regional Coordinating Secretariat, Abass J. Kamara challenged civil society actors to remains focus on advocating for proper usage of land in the country.
Coordinator Kamara stated that concessions companies are occupying huge portion of land in several African countries without actual benefits to the communities dwellers especially farmers which poses serious threat food insecurity.
He stressed that concessions companies and African Government officials should be responsible for depressing their people of farm land and good water body in their communities
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He maintained that convergence platform seek to build capacity of civil society organizations in the West African Region to understand the land rights of communities where concessions companies are operating and their social responsibilities to the areas.
Coordinator Kamara asserted that advocating for the right things to happen cannot be easy,but it is critical to ensure that farmers have access to farm land.
According to him, concessions agreements should involved the active participation of communities dwellers to understand the negative and positive impact of the companies operation in their areas.
He noted that if communities dwellers are not directly involved with the agreement process, it would lead to some confusions between the communities and companies which are not for investment agreements.
Coordinator Kamara pinpointed that it is essential for investors of concessions companies to consider the priorities of communities and getting communities dwellers, local leadership, representatives of people at the National Legislature and the Central Government at the agreement table for the betterment of all parties to play their part accordingly.
The workshop which is funded by SOS FAIM bring together civil society organizations from Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Bong Counties among others.
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