It could be recalled in 2023, Green Scenery Sierra Leone, and Land for Life approached one of it development partner,  Food and Agricultural Organocation (FAO), for  supports to  strengthening  the  existing structures of  Districts Multi Stakeholders Platforms (DMSPs), established by Green Scenery and Land for Life, to adequately respond to  issues relating to natural resource governance (Land), and other related matters at Districts  ,Chiefdoms and Community levels in Sierra Leone. (for more information See website like https://greenscenery.org/faogreen-scenery-and-land-for-life-kick-strat-three-days-stakeholders-engagements-with-district-multi-stakeholders-platform-in-sierra-leone/). 

On Thursday , 7 March 2024, at Wusum Hotel, Makeni, Northern part of Sierra Leone,  FAO, Green scenery(GS) ,and Land for Life Sierra  Leone, concluded  a three  Days  Multi Stakeholders Engagements with the Districts Multi Stakeholders Platforms (DMSP) on Land governance in  Sierra Leone, with representatives  from six strategic districts :Pujehun, PortLoko, Kenema, Tonkolili ,Bombali, and Kambia districts. The action was supported by food and agriculture organization(FAO) with technical support from GIZ.

The engagements   brought together representatives  from different sectors(CSOs, CBOs, media, Government Institutions, Academicians, Religious groups, Women’s groups, Youth groups, Persons with disabilities ),discussing  wide rage of issues relating to natural resource governance reform(agri-business and Extractive),and developed strategies that will  adequately respond to the emerging  issues on natural resource governance.

The main objective  of the engagements(workshop),  is to  deepening and strengthening the existing  structures of the District Multi-Stakeholder Platform(DMSP), making them more  efficient  and effective, to address   issues relating to natural resource governance(Public policy reforms and implementation on Land governance),   social justice, tenure security ,human rights and conflicts related issues on land  in Sierra Leone. The engagements further  aim at increasing   mutual understanding on the works of the  DMSPs in  six districts, develop governance structures, clearly defined  priority issues and objectives , conduct Stakeholders mapping and engagement plans , create a common vision,   and develop a short and medium term work plan of the Districts Multi Stakeholders Platforms (DMSPs)in Pujehun, PortLoko, Kenema, Tonkolili ,Bombali, and Kambia districts .

At the begging of sessions, Statements were made by  different speakers,  followed by an introduction of a dramatize short interview , depicting  the conceptual frameworks ,purpose and  relevance of the DMSPs work. The  interview  was actioned  by Joseph Rahall, Executive Directors Green Scenery  and Bearns Komba Lebbie,  National Coordinator Land for Life Sierra Leone,  moderated by Jacup Willison ,media expert Land for Life Sierra Leone. The interview  gave participants  an insights  on the purpose, legitimacy, relevance  and sustainability of the DMSP.

Given  an overview on the conceptual framework and evolution of  the Districts Multi stakeholders Platform, the Executive Directors, Green Scenery , Joseph Rahall said,  the  idea behind  the establishments of  Green Scenery  District Multi-stakeholder platforms (DMSPs), was envisaged in 2020,due to  challenges  relating   to land governance  processes ,human rights, social injustice  and conflicted related issues   on land  in Sierra Leone. He said, the DMSP was established to strengthening and  complements existing structures on land reform processes,  facilitates the establishment of proposed  structures as enshrined on the two land laws(Town/Village Area Land Committee, Chiefdom Land Committees and Districts land Committees),leverage synergy, explore opportunities, networking and collaborations, fill in  gaps where the need arises and monitoring compliances on the implementation of the Customary Land Rights Act 2022,and the National Land Commission Act 2022(See website on the enactments of the two land laws (https://greenscenery.org/executive-arm-of-government-approved-the-land-bills/ ).

Its a holistic problem solving mechanisms  involving different actors and expertise working together as a group, aiming  at addressing social issues  affecting local peoples. The platform  perform an interlocutory functions,   serving  as an intermediaries between government, powers holders and local citizens aim at addressing wide rage of issues affecting local citizens. The Director  further said, the platform bring together  different  actors with diverse expertise and power influence working together as a group  to influence changes  at MESO(Districts) and MICRO (Local or Community levels). (For more information on the evolution of Green scenery DMSPs visit the website https: https://greenscenery.org/green-scenery-established-the-district-multi-stakeholders-platform-dmsp-to-improve-the-governance-of-tenure-on-land-in-pujehunport-loko-and-bombali-districts/).

The  alternative dispute resolution officer, Legal Aid Board Bombali district (Makeni), gave a rundown on additional   relevance of the  DMSPs .She said, the establishments of  DMSP is relevance because it  creates the platform where different actors with diverse   powers and  expertise interacts together as a group  to  influence change on   issues affecting local peoples, primarily issues  relating to  boundary  and family land  conflicts , conflicts between harder’s and farmer, genders’ discriminations, social injustice , power imbalance,  poverty, environmental protection and climate change, capacity building , and monitoring the implementations and compliances  of the new land laws (Customary Land Rights Act 2022,and the National Land Commission 2022)(see the enactment of new land laws https://greenscenery.org/executive-arm-of-government-approved-the-land-bills/)

Francesca from FAO and Dr .Tunis from GIZ, are the  lead facilitators  on  the three days engagements .After the introduction of the agenda , the facilitators   too participants through  the following thematic areas : Who are we(DMSP)and  Why do we want to work in DMSPs?,  Who are the Stakeholders in the DMSP ?  who is there now as a stakeholder  and who is not there that relevant to the DMSP work? Building a common vision of all DMSPs, Identify the DMSP priority issues, DMSP governance structure, develop work plan, Define DMSP priority objectives, Stakeholder  analysis and Sustainability plan, legitimacy and formalization  of the DMSP.

DEFINED DMSP IN A BROADER CONTEXT: The  facilitators  defined   DMSP; as a  platform or partnership that comprises of  at least three different sectors (Public sector, Civil Society, Private Sector and academic), working together as equals, through an organized platform and a long term engagement in order to contributes to the common good. The facilitators further took the participants  through a plenary on, why   working with   the DMSP. After series of deliberations through plenary , it was agree that ,the DMSP perform the following functions and relevance:

• Mediates and Resolve land conflicts issues at all levels
• Its an inclusive platform that captures the views and opinions of every body and work collectively to address land governance issues
• A platform that  settles land disputes out of court  through alternative disputes resolutions mechanisms.
• A  space  that provides   capacity building  through   learning  and experience shearing to leverage opportunities to  addresses land governance issues that undermines peace, stability and social cohesion,
• Its   facilitates the recognition, promotion and protection of women’s  rights to  access, ownership and control over land.
• It a problem solving platform that put together different perspectives, and  collaborates with different actors  on land  governance issues.

IDENTIFIED SATKEHOLDERS THAT  ARE RELAVEANT TO THE DMSP WORK:

In identifying stakeholders that are relevant to the DMSP platform, participants were divided into groups, per districts, each   group, mapped and analysis their existing stakeholders  ,including their powers, influences and   relevance  to  the   work of the DMSPs. After  through deliberations  through  plenary, the following stakeholders  shared commonalities to  the DMSPs  work in the six  districts.

1. Government Representatives/MDAs
2. Traditional Authorities/leaders
3. Media institutions,
4. Civil Society Organizations(CSOs)
5. Community Representatives
6. Religious groups
7. Private companies (agric- companies)
8. Persons with disabilities .
9. Youth groups and
10. Women’s group
11. Academicians

At the end,  Stakeholders  that are relevant  to the DMSPs work were mapped and powers analyzed and plans were developed to bring in stakeholders that are relevant to the DMSPs work.

GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OF THE DMSP: For  DMSP to  be efficient and  effective in carrying out it mandates, there is the need for a  body machinery, Governance frameworks or  structure in nature,   that delineates interrelated relationships and communication  between and among different powers. Hence, the facilitators presented a  proposed  DMSP governance structure, which  they  asked   DMSP members in the six districts to examine and see , if applicable  in  their context. There were no concessive conclusion  at the end, as to whether the proposed governance structure presented could be used or not. The governance structure presented was not finalized and adopted.

COMMON VISION OF THE DMSP: After series of deliberations, the DMSP vision was tentatively  agreed  to be :  “To create an inclusive, peaceful, sustainable future through effective land governance, where   youths are empowered with opportunities for meaningful participations, whiles holding ourselves accountable for justice and environmental stewardship ,hence Women’s land rights are central to our work”. The proposed vison was subjected to scrutiny due to  incompatibility, complexity  and incomprehensiveness. The vision was not finalized and adopted due to been elaborates and  lacks  key elements. The facilitators therefore,  asked the institutional heads (Green Scenery and Land for Life), to work with DMSPs member in the six districts as a follow up actions,  to frame and finalized the DMSPs common vision within the shortest possible time, as FAO and GIZ experts will do a follow up to assert   DMSP  progress in  months.

PRIORITIES OBJECTIVES OF THE DISTRCITS MULTI STAKEHOLDERS PLATFORM: The Districts Multi-stakeholders Platform (DMSP), response to diverse and emerging issues affecting societies at local levels. The lead  facilitator asked DMSP members to identify priorities issues and objectives. After series of deliberations and discussions, Priorities issues were identified , hence formulated to priority objectives.  The six priorities issues or objectives identified by DMSP members in six districts are:

1.  Establishments and strengthening Local Structures
2. Conflict Resolution approach through alternative dispute resolution processes
3. Community Legal Empowerments through awareness razing on the two land laws and other legal frameworks,
4. promote access and control of land by women and vulnerable groups. 
5. Climate Change and environmental protection
6. community led agriculture for food security

Objective  one(1) to objective four(4) are the  priority  issues that are common or cut across  the six districts. The latter’s (5-6) objectives are not common, but categories as complementary to objective (1 -4)

THE WORK PLAN OF THE DISTRICTS MULTINSTAKEHOLDERS PLATFORM(DMSP): The facilitators put DMSPs member into groups , per district, and asked groups members to  develop work plans based on  priority issues identified and objective formulated. At the end, tentative District work plans were developed, but not thoroughly dealt with  due to limited time. The facilitators asked DMSPs members to develop final work plans upon their returns to their respective districts, which  could be possibly used in the DMSPs proposal  development.

At the end of the three days engagement  ,participants  were able  to broaden and deepening  their knowledge  on  what DMSP is all about,  platform purpose and relevance , conducted stakeholders mapping, analysis and  identified  stakeholders that are relevant to  the platform  works,   identified priority issues , define  priorities objectives, bulled a proposed common vision, developed proposed work plans,  conducted stakeholders analysis and sustainability pathway .

Going forward, the actions below  are the decision  reached, after the three days engagements. The decisions reached  requires   follow up actions by the lead institutions(Green Scenery and Land for Life) in the six districts.

1. Review  and finalize priority issues and objectives
2.  Examine  and finalized  DMSP Work plan per District
3.  Re -examination and Adoption of DMSP common vision
4. Conducts stakeholders mapping
5. Review existing  and identify potential stakeholders that are relevant to DMSP work at district levels
6. Developed DMSP governance structure and
7.  Sustainability plan,
8. Facilitates the establsument of a national Watsap forum
9. Assess the feedbacks from the DMSPs meetings at district level as agree upon  to relay discussions and agreed actions on the three days engagement.
10. Developed and sign MOU between Partners organizations and DMSPs members at district levels.

Participants  appraised and characterized the three days engagements as  laudable, efficient and effective. They thank FAO,  GIZ, Green Scenery and Land for Life for  the initiative which they describe as laudable and timely.

NOTE:

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT GRREN SCENETY@

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