“Protest against JICA’s impacts on Mozambican society in relation to the ProSavana programme”, 1st March 2017

Open letter to the President of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency – JICA
…Maputo, 17 February 2017 Subject:  Protest against JICA’s impacts on Mozambican society in relation to the ProSavana programme…
 
This is the first letter that peasants and civil society organisations of Mozambique that are part of the “No to ProSavana Campaign” send to JICA. All the facts and primary sources collected by the No to ProSavana Campaign confirm that JICA’s interventions are destabilising the transparent and democratic process in ProSavana, whether through financing, functionaries or consultants. These interventions have negative impacts on the human rights, the right to land and the food security of peasants and their way of life, including their culture…[T]he No to ProSavana Campaign requested, without success, information about ProSavana,…still kept secret…The documents that the Campaign informally accessed reveal at least four JICA sub-projects in the sphere of the ProSavana-PD (Support Project for the Preparation of the Master Plan) for the financing, planning, implementation and initiation of the intervention in Mozambican society...[T]he first three projects were designed and implemented without any civil society’s knowledge...In the strategy, clear instructions are described for how to “discredit” and “reduce the importance” of Mozambican civil society…Demands of the...Campaign: The immediate stopping of all JICA activities related to ProSavana, for the above reasons...[And]...requests: 1. The release of all documents related to JICA’s contract with Solidariedade Moçambique...[NGO hired as JICA’s consultant]...2...[I]ndependent assessment...of that contract and the contracting process; 3. The suspension of the contract with Solidariedade Moçambique...[;]...4...[C]ancelation of...“community consultations”...; 5. Respect for the norms and principles...Sincerely, Anabela Lemos JA! Director, representing the organisations of the No to ProSavana Campaign... Associação Académica para o Desenvolvimento das Comunidades Rurais...Comissão de Justiça e Paz da Arquidiocese de Nampula...Comissão Diocesana de Justiça e Paz de Nacala...Fórum Mulher – Marcha Mundial das Mulheres Justiça Ambiental (JA!)...Amigos da Terra Moçambique...Liga Moçambicana dos Direitos Humanos...Livaningo...União Nacional de Camponeses...