The Bocas de Ceniza Waterkeeper foundation plans to involve 20 grassroots organizations across Colombia (minimum 30 members per organization) in the strengthen and enforcement of public participation mechanisms, on their right on environmental matters especially in the defence of their right to the access of clean water and basic sanitation, with the purpose to demand to the local and regional environmental authorities the natural resources conservation and the fundamental right to clean water.
Government policies and environmental authorities have been ignoring the fundamental constitutional right to safe drinking water and a healthy environment by giving licenses for industrial projects which ends up polluting the water resource and displacing people from their land. The most affected population is within the vulnerable communities that don't have the knowledge of their rights to access to clean water and don't have the skills to demand accountability to authorities and companies.
This project will help to strengthen the capacities of the grassroots organization within the vulnerable communities affected by the pollution of the water resources. Guardaguas de Ecosistemas Costeros Marinos y Costeros Bocas de Ceniza Foundation will provide public participation tools and legal, environmental knowledge to 600 affected people to protect the water resources and their right to quality of life, to get effective justice from the judicial and administrative authorities.
By starting with the training of 600 people, we expect to convert each of the assistants into a potential trainer to spread the knowledge and share the learned skills within their communities.
