Building Environmental Legal Advocacy Skills for Civil Society Leaders

MCRB and Vermont Law School are undertaking a programme of In-Depth Training on Environmental Legal Advocacy for civil society leaders, to support them in understanding Myanmar’s environmental policy and law framework and how it can be used to address the environmental issues that threaten Myanmar’s sustainable development.

20 CSO leaders (11 male, 9 female) from Shan, Kachin and Karen States and Tanintharyi, Magwe, Sagaing and Bago regions attended the training programme in two batches in late May and early June at Bula-Einn Villas Resort near Bago. The participants, who are actively engaged in supporting local communities concerned about the negative impacts of extractives, infrastructure and hydropower projects, and learned how to build skills for environmental legal advocacy.  The participants were selected through an open application process.

The 2 ½ day programme included training on the 2015 Myanmar EIA Procedure and the draft Public Participation Guidelines and how these could be used by communities to shape investment projects to minimise social and environmental impacts.  It included a role play exercise featuring the Mandalay-Muse railway project, in which participants took on roles as government departments, companies and communities during different stages of the process.  Vermont Law School received support from the USA Department of State to organise the programme.

MCRB and VLS have previously collaborated on a series of workshops with civil society organisations, and also worked with EIA consultants to strengthen Myanmar’s EIA process.

Read also

• Investors Need to Identify their Impacts on Myanmar’s Biodiversity and Ecosystems Early On, to Avoid Cost and Conflict Later
• Building Understanding of EIA and Responsible Business for Civil Society Groups in Southern and Eastern Shan State
• Working with Community Groups in Shan State on Responsible Business and EIA
• Join MCRB and Thant Myanmar in the Battle to Beat Plastic Pollution
• Our Biggest Challenge as Consultants is Companies Refusing to Admit Projects Could Have Negative Impacts

Share:

Previous article

4th National Conference on Communities and Tourism 2019

Next article

Businesses Have Many Opportunities to Support Myanmar’s Democratic and Peaceful Transition