Becario de intercambio global viaja a Kinshasa

“The climate crisis is real,” says Mamadou Alpha Diallo, a Guinean attorney who helps communities understand what’s at stake and participate in decisions being made about projects that threaten the climate and sacrifice community well being.

Alpha says the communities he is working with in Guinea are facing a significant decline in their agricultural production due to the effects of the climate crisis, deforestation, and unsustainable production models. He says mining sector activities pollute an already fragile environment, threatening water resources and the livelihoods of local communities.

Mamadou Alpha Diallo aprovechó la experiencia de colegas congoleños en Kinshasa este mes durante una Beca de Intercambio Global. Este nuevo programa permite a los socios de ELAW participar en intercambios Sur-Sur para fortalecer su capacidad de ayudar a las comunidades a afrontar los desafíos ambientales.

Alpha serves as monitoring and evaluation program officer for CODEC Guinea, a coalition of 10 organizations that protect natural resources and defend human rights.

In Kinshasa, Alpha was hosted by ELAW partners at Centre Congolais pour le Droit du Développement Durable (CODED). ELAW Attorney Érick Kassongo and CODED’s Victorine Kilembe developed a three-day  program to help Alpha dig deep into energy law and policy, and litigation strategy, to advocate for a just energy transition. ELAW Attorney Jennifer Castello joined the program, traveling from her home office in France.

CODED arranged meetings for Alpha with lawyers, university professors, officials from the Ministry of Energy, representatives of the United National Development Programme, and Congolese civil society leaders.

“I learned a lot about the energy sector and energy laws in Congo, and how our colleagues use legal tools to protect communities and the climate,” says Alpha. “I returned home better equipped to advance national energy policy that moves us away from fossil fuels and ensures that electrification plans benefit communities.”

While in Kinshasa, Alpha also met with 2022 ELAW Fellow Jimmy Munguriek and 2020 Fellow Oliver Ndoole. “Sharing our experience and strategies was invaluable,” says Alpha.

We will keep you informed as we expand our Global Exchange Fellowship Program.

Maggie Keenan
Director de comunicaciones y coordinador del programa de becarios
Alianza Mundial de Derecho Ambiental

P.S. Earlier this year, Sri Lankan attorney Samadhi Hansani participated in a Global Exchange Fellowship in Bangladesh. Leer más.