Training

1. Capacity building and community sensitization;
   We undertake research on environmental law issues with an emphasis on public participation in the enforcement, conversation, and management of natural resources. Our community sensitization and outreach programs comprise of dialogues with communities, workshop trainings, and seminars. These are meant to educate the participants on their environmental rights, obligations, and the prevalent issue of climate change. This initiative has involved the development of bylaws and ordinances on the environment which took place in different districts in Uganda like; Hoima, Tororo, and Masindi districts.

2. Training
   We work with communities, Government institutions like the Judiciary, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Police, the DPP, Local Government, and schools. In so doing, we train administrators, journalists, judicial officers, lawyers, policymakers, and communities. These trainings enable public participation and promote environmental awareness. We have conducted capacity-building training workshops for the judiciary, lawyers, environmental officers, state prosecutors, and police officers.  Some of these trainings include; judicial and journalists’ trainings on climate justice, and community and local government dialogues on the impacts of the EACOP on the environment among others.

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  Greenwatch uses advocacy as a tool in implementing its activities.
 

Advocacy tools used include:

1. Networking with Civil Society Organizations;

   Greenwatch has partnered with key stakeholders on matters relating to the management and utilisation of the environment. Greenwatch is a member of the Network for Civil Society Organisation in Environment and Resources Sector (ENR-CSO Network).

2. Using democratic mechanisms;

   Submissions to the Parliamentary Committees (Parliamentary forum for climate change and the parliamentary committee on natural resources), use of freedom of information, laws among others to achieve social justice.

3. Access to information

   Greenwatch in partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and International Development Research Council (IDRC) participated in The Access of Information in Africa Project (ATI in Africa Project). Access full report here

4. Information Dissemination/ Publications;

   Dissemination of information is aimed at providing the public and grass root groups with information on environmental rights, laws and policies that can help them participate effectively in decisions that impact on public health and environment in their communities. Greenwatch provides information on different environmental subjects/topics on a pro-bono basis to individuals, organizations etc.

   A Handbook on Environmental Law Volume I & II has been developed over the years to serve as a reference which we keep updating as new environmental laws and policies are amended and/or passed. An Environmental Law Casebook with recent environmental cases in Uganda and others from different jurisdictions in the region and outside in the field of environmental law has also been developed

5. Partnering with The Kenneth Kakuru Treeplanting Initiative

   The Kakuru Tree Planting Initiative is an organization born out of the profound dedication of Hon. Justice Kenneth Kakuru, who, in 1995, founded Greenwatch, a non-governmental organization committed to upholding the right to a clean and healthy environment in Uganda.