The Congo Basin is home to the second largest rainforest in the world. About 60% of this forest lies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) covering more than 90 million hectares. Forest cover in DRC stores 7% of the world’s forest carbon— making it one of the largest forest carbon stocks in the world. It is made up of vast peatland spread over five of its twenty-six provinces and is home to forest elephants, the okapi and over 1,000 bird species. DRC’s forests also host more primates than any other country, including three species of Great Apes: gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos.
More than 97% of the population in DRC identifies as having a religious faith. Across faith traditions is a common commitment to care for the environment, for people and for forests.
IRI DRC NATIONAL LAUNCH
The IRI DRC country program was launched during a 3-day event in Kinshasa from 3-5 December 2019 with the participation of more than 200 faith leaders, indigenous peoples and forest communities, NGOs, scientists, government leaders and representatives from the United Nations.
The program builds on a strong precedent of inter-religious cooperation in DRC in the fields of electoral transparency, education and health, and benefits from leadership, endorsement and engagement by all of the country’s faiths, including the Catholic Church (Conférence Episcopal National du Congo, CENCO) and the Protestant Church (Église du Christ au Congo, ECC), which together represent more than 90% of the population in the country.
Launch of the IRI DRC program included a high-level declaration of solidarity across faiths to protect forests.
“We have a collective and shared responsibility to act urgently and to find concrete and sustainable solutions to safeguard our common home. Beyond our respective confessions and beliefs, we are converging our spiritualities and cultures, to take up together the challenge of putting an end to deforestation in the DRC.”
IRI DRC PROVINCIAL CHAPTERS
IRI DRC is mobilizing action coalitions or “local chapters” in regions of the country where forests face the greatest threats. Each chapter is made up of Catholic and Protestant, Muslims, Baha'is, Kimbanguists, Salvation Army, Revivalist Churches, indigenous peoples, research institutions and academics, NGOs, UN agencies and various social organizations.
To date, provincial chapters have been launched in Ituri, Equateur and, most recently, North Kivu. The chapters in Ituri and Equateur have each developed strategies and action plans which outline how they will mobilize faith-based leadership and action to protect forests, including education and outreach, training and influencing laws, policies and legislation on forests and the rights of indigenous peoples.
TRAINING RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO BE RAINFOREST ADVOCATES
IRI DRC is working through its Advisory Council members and its provincial chapters to provide training to religious leaders from different faiths, equipping them with the tools to become effective advocates for the protection of rainforests and the rights of indigenous peoples.
Trainings have included workshops led by forest, climate and indigenous rights experts; theological training on the basis in different faiths for protecting forests; capacity building workshops on monitoring deforestation rates; and planning workshops to develop political advocacy strategies.
IRI DRC POLITICAL ADVOCACY
IRI DRC is committed to mobilizing the country’s religious leaders and organizations to advocate for legislation, laws and policies that protect rainforests and forest communities.
IRI DRC engaged in a months-long campaign advocating for the adoption of a new law recognizing the rights of Pygmy people in the country. Advocacy efforts included video spots of senior religious leaders calling for adoption of the law, as well as a policy paper and joint statement on behalf of IRI DRC and religious leaders in the country arguing for why securing the rights of Pygmy people is a shared moral responsibility. The videos can be seen here. The law was adopted in parliament on 7 April 2021, with several IRI DRC members present during the process. This is a milestone as DRC will soon become the second African country to have legislation in favor of indigenous peoples.
While launching the provincial chapters of IRI Equateur and IRI Ituri, IRI DRC held meetings with several government authorities, including the Governor and the Coordinator of Environment and Sustainable Development of the provinces. IRI DRC shared information about their four pillars of work and urged that a tangible action plan be put together to protect forests in the province. The Governor of Equateur agreed and IRI DRC was asked to be a part of the team and to work hand-in-hand with technical staff to implement projects that ensure the protection of the province’s forests. IRI DRC also secured agreement with the Provincial Coordinator of Environment and Sustainable Development to create a permanent working group or commission to regularly share information on forest protection and sustainable management programs, which will include representatives of IRI Equateur, the Provincial Coordinator and project/program implementers. The provincial authority agreed that IRI Equateur would be fully integrated into all provincial bodies concerning the protection of forests.
Thanks to the efforts of IRI Ituri, the military governor of Ituri has also promised to consider the fight against deforestation in his priorities. The coordinator of environment and sustainable development of Ituri is satisfied with IRI’s presence in his province and promised to support the implementation of their action plan.
ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS
