The Network for Environmental Justice in Colombia

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Photo: Representatives of network member organizations at our first meeting.

For many years, our Colombian colleagues dreamed of a network to improve coordination among environmental lawyers and avoid "reinventing the wheel" as the saying goes. After discussing the idea with colleagues in universities, organizations, and independent practices, we decided to move ahead and create a forum in which we can work together to more effectively solve environmental problems. In February 2010, AIDA and our colleagues at ILSA, Dejusticia, Indepaz, the Interecclesiastical Commission on Justice and Peace, Rosario University, Caldas University, and Los Andes University launched the Network for Environmental Justice in Colombia.

At this moment, the Network has more than 80 members working to advance solutions to environmental conflicts in Colombia and achieve effective and fair application of national and international environmental laws. In the Network's first year, members have already designed joint strategies to work on cases and topics of common interest and in this way, have avoided duplicating efforts and saved valuable time and resources.

One great example of this is how members designed a joint legal strategy in the case of Indigenous and Afro-Colombian Peoples vs. The Muriel Mining Corporation, which concerns the mining project Mande Norte. In this case, the Constitutional Court of Colombia issued an historic precedent in defense of the rights of ethnic groups and the right to a healthy environment in Colombia. The Colombian government and the corporation requested that the decision be overturned. AIDA and Network members submitted petitions to the Court requesting that it stand firm in its decision and reject all appeals. We are waiting right now for a decision in response to our requests.

Beyond legal strategies on specific cases, the Network has shared information about members' work, distributed invitations to environmental events of common interest, and discovered new allies and support for our work. In 2010, the Network had five meetings during which we analyzed topics and cases that affect environmental protection throughout Colombia. Our goals for 2011 are to strengthen the Network, further develop our joint work, and invite participation from organizations in all regions of Colombia.