Call for Applications: Office Administrator for Natural Justice-India

Natural Justice (Lawyers for Communities and the Environment) is a pioneering international team of legal practitioners. We conduct comprehensive research on environmental and human rights law, support communities and local organizations, provide technical advice to governments and intergovernmental organizations, and engage in key international processes in pursuit of environmental and social justice. Natural Justice currently works in Africa, Asia and Latin America and has offices in South Africa, Kenya, Malaysia, India, and New York City.

What are we looking for?

Natural Justice has been working with communities, NGOs and government agencies in India since 2009. Due to an increase in the scale of work and an expanded team, we are seeking a full-time Office Administrator to assist in the coordination of our work in India. The successful candidate will be expected to begin work in mid-January and be based in Bangalore.

The key roles and responsibilities will include working closely with the core team in India and the finance team in South Africa on (among other things): project planning and logistics; developing work plans and reports for activities across India; assisting in the development of partnerships with civil society organizations and networks; financial and human resources management; monitoring, reporting, and communications; and fundraising.

Minimum skills and experience required:

• Tertiary education in management, law or an allied discipline;
• At least one year of experience with project management;
• Experience with organising and arranging events and/or community and multi-stakeholder workshops;
• Proven experience with financial management and/or fundraising;
• Experience with managing human resources;
• Some experience working with communities and/or civil society organisations or networks would be preferred;
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including through online platforms;
• Fluency in English; and
• Fluency in at least one Indian language (preferably Hindi).

Desirable traits and attributes:

• Keen interest in and commitment to work in a team that is motivated towards advancing the rights of tribal and traditional communities, particularly in relation to their territories, areas and natural resources
• Professionalism, strong work ethic, and personal initiative (“self-starter”)
• Critical and analytical thinking
• Reliability and attention to detail
• Ability to work both in teams and independently with little supervision
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and international settings
• Ability to engage with a range of stakeholders

What’s on offer?

Natural Justice is a close-knit and nurturing collective that places emphasis on facilitating opportunities for the professional and personal growth of its members. Natural Justice will offer a competitive salary commensurate with skill and experience, with the opportunity for a long-term contract, pending performance and available funds. Joining Natural Justice will also give the successful candidate a chance to work with a passionate and highly professional global team in a fast-paced environment and gain valuable experience.

Application process:

Deadline: 21st November, 2014

Please email your application to Arpitha Kodiveri (arpitha (at) naturaljustice.org) with the job title in the subject line. Include a motivation letter that indicates why you feel you are the best candidate for this position, a detailed CV with three references, and at least three samples of your past work (for example, research papers or reports). Please ensure that your application as a whole speaks to the required skills and experience and desirable traits and attributes listed above.

Capacity building of Forest Rights Committees, Kutch, Gujarat

Natural Justice India has been working with pastoralists in Kutch, Gujarat and collaborating with a local organization, Sahjeevan. At present, the pastoral communities are facing a range of issues especially with access to resources. The different objectives and priorities for the stakeholders involved, in particular the Forest Department and increasingly the emerging industries in the Kutch region pose a threat to the communities and their traditional livelihoods. In the face of such issues, Natural Justice has been working to secure land rights and traditional grazing routes through the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2008.

From the 11th to 22nd September, Revati Pandya, Sandeep Mudhar, Stella James and Alphonsa Jojan from the India team went on a field visit to meet with the communities and their newly formed Forest Rights Committees (FRC). These committees, under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) Rules, 2008 are to play a crucial role in claiming for rights over traditional resources, in particular the forested grazing lands. The aim of the visit was to build capacity of the FRC members and provide tools for them to better understand and effectively carry out their roles and responsibilities.

Workshop Design

The workshop consisted of three parts: a discussion on knowledge about the FRA to understand the current level of mobilisation; a mapping exercise to engage with the community and gain more information about community resources and identify any potential issues faced by members with regards to accessing these resources, and lastly; an overview of the claim-making process with the use of visual tools from the paralegal toolkit as well as the FRA “Claim” Game.

The workshop was conducted in 8 villages and, overall, was well received. The visual tools were effective for some individuals in communicating complex legalities. Visuals from the FRA puzzle game were also a good, interactive means to relate resource use to the nature of evidence required for the claim making process of the FRA. The mapping exercise and discussion on the FRA highlighted some essential aspects to be included into the work.

Current Status

From the discussions and mapping exercise it became apparent that initiating the claim-making process requires further research into the community dynamics and their traditional systems of resource management. Most villages use communal forest areas, known as rakhals. This sharing of resources amongst different villages complicates the initiating the claim-making process as the question of filing for joint claims over rakhals or independent community rights for each village arises.

Moreover, the impacts of the industries and the issues faced by the community as a result emerged in the discussions. This will be an interesting domain for Natural Justice as other legal options beyond the FRA can potentially be explored.

Next Steps

In order to move forward with the FRA claim-making process, deeper research on the specific aspects of communities and their resource use is required. Similarly, visual tools and outreach materials such as posters can be used to  increase the level of awareness and mobilization amongst communities, and to build capacity of the FRC members

Furthermore, it would be useful to discuss interests and capacities for identification of paralegals/community mobilizers when meeting with the community to create a direct information-sharing channel and strengthen the relationship with the community. Also, starting research on the legal aspect of industries will be highly relevant in Kutch and can be used to assist communities secure their rights over their lands.

Natural Justice Fellowship Program: Call for Applications - India

The Natural Justice Environmental Law Fellowship Program is designed for young lawyers and other committed individuals from different backgrounds to get a chance to engage in the exciting space of environmental law. The Program introduces Fellows to a broad spectrum of issues within environmental law in India through fieldwork and research in several different areas of work. The Fellowship offers an exciting opportunity to lawyers and others who are passionate about learning to use domestic and international environmental law to secure the rights of communities to their lands and resources. The Fellows will be exposed to a range of innovative ways of effectively using environmental law, ranging from community-based legal support and training to written submissions and advocacy. Over the year, the Fellows will also benefit from networks community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, legal practitioners, and others.

Duration of Fellowship: One year

Honorarium: Twenty thousand rupees per month, in addition to a modest travel budget.

Location: Bangalore

The selection process will involve two stages. At the first stage, applicants are required to send a letter of interest, a resume with two referees, and a writing sample. A Natural Justice panel will interview shortlisted applicants at the second stage before a final decision is made. Interested candidates are invited to send their applications to arpitha(at)naturaljustice.org and revati(at)naturaljustice.org with the subject line “fellowship application” by September 30, 2014.

What Skills and Qualities are We Looking for in the Fellows?

• Good research skills with the ability to critically analyse environmental law and policy issues;
• Willingness to innovate and experiment with the creative use of different disciplines and methodologies;
• A keen interest in advancing the rights of communities to their territories and natural resources;
• A passion for learning, networking with partners, initiating new work, and innovating on existing research and fieldwork;
• Good communication skills that can be used to effectively collaborate, share and exchange information with the extended Natural Justice team and its partners;
• A degree in law, humanities or other relevant disciplines with a keen interest in the law and a basic understanding of the Indian legal system;
• A willingness to travel on a regular basis and sometimes for extended periods;
• Fluency in Hindi and any other Indian language with an ability to engage in discussions with communities and run workshops where necessary, as well as a strong command of written and spoken English;
• Ability to engage in discussions and workshops with communities while being sensitive to the nuances of the local context; and
• Ability to engage in research, draft reports and legal documents;

What We Do and Where We Work

• Sariska Tiger Reserve: Working with the Gujjar community in securing their forest rights within the Reserve and investigating legal entitlements for relocated families.
• Kutch: Working with a pastoral community called the Camel Maldharis to secure rights over their grazing route which has been restricted by industries and forest department policies.
• Odisha: Working with the Paudi Bhuyan community with the aim of enabling them to assert their rights over the Khandadhar landscape.
• Guftagu: An initiative to encourage narratives from the field to be written in an accessible manner online.
• Environmental law education: Working with law colleges and students to expose and understand the complexity of enviro-legal contexts.

For more information on Natural Justice, see:

• www.naturaljustice.org
• http://natural-justice.blogspot.com
• www.community-protocols.org

Placing the reconstituted NBWL in the Regulatory Framework

There has been a hue and cry over the newly reconstituted National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) as the same has inadequate representation from NGOs, eminent conservationists/ecologists/environmentalists and States from what is stipulated in the law. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (Section 5A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972) mandates that 10 States (by rotation), 10 ecologists/conservationists/environmentalists and 5 NGOs need to be present in the 47 member body of the NBWL whereas the newly constituted NBWL has representatives only from 5 States, 2 ecologists/conservationists/environmentalists and  1 NGO.  

It is pertinent to note that the role played by the NBWL and the Standing Committee to the NBWL in regulating developmental and other activities in and around protected areas is crucial with the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (hereinafter the WLPA) vesting regulatory, recommendatory, advisory and consultative powers with the NBWL and the Standing Committee to the NBWL. The  Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forest on 19^thDecember 2012 on taking up non-forestry activities in wildlife habitats (hereinafter the Guidelines) states that to undertake any non-forestry activities in any wild habitats, the project proponents requires Environmental Clearance, Forest Clearance and NBWL Clearance, making NBWL clearance another clearance process.   

The details of the regulatory role of NBWL and the Standing Committee are provided below:

Regulation of Activities in protected areas

The NBWL is empowered under the WLPA, to

1. Recommend on matters relating to restriction of activities in national parks, sanctuaries and other protected areas (Section 5C(2) (b), WLPA,);
2. Carry out or cause to carry out impact assessment of various projects  and activities on wildlife or its habitat (Section 5C(2)(c), WLPA);
3.  Give prior approval  of NBWL is for undertaking construction activities for commercial tourist lodges, hotels, zoos and safari parks in sanctuaries (proviso to Section 33(a), WLPA);
4.  Recommend any alteration to the boundaries of national parks and sanctuaries. (Section 35(5) and Section 26A(3), WLPA);
5. Be consulted  before the Chief Wildlife Warden grants permit to use or divert the habitat of any wild animal or forest produce from national parks (Section 35(6), WLPA);
6. Give approval for diversion of tiger reserves (Section 38(O)(1) (g), WLPA);
7. Give approval for alternation boundaries of tiger reserve, de-notification of tiger reserve (Section 38W(1) and (2)).

The powers mentioned in (1) and (2) have been delegated to the Standing Committee of the NBWL by notification dated 4^th November 2003 

The Honorable Supreme Court of India by order dated 9th May 2002 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 337/1995 has directed that all projects in both national parks and sanctuaries require the Supreme Court’s approval based on the recommendations of the Standing Committee of NBWL.  

Hence, any project in national parks and sanctuaries requires the recommendation of the Standing Committee of NBWL and the approval of the Supreme Court which will be based on the recommendation of the Standing Committee.

Regulation of Activities within 10 kms of national parks and sanctuaries

As per the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India dated 4^th December 2006 in Goa Foundation v. Union of India, to undertake activities within 10 kms of national parks and sanctuaries, the recommendations of the Standing Committee of NBWL is required.

Procedure for consideration of proposals

Procedure for consideration of proposals is described in the Guidelines and it requires the project proponent to submit the performa as provided in the Guidelines. The procedure involves and includes comments from Chief Wildlife Warden and recommendations of State Board for Wildlife on the proposal which will be considered by the Standing Committee of the NBWL. The NBWL can also undertake site inspection in case proposal involves large scale diversion of forest/wildlife habitat or if impact of proposal is serious.  Based on the performa, comments of the State Board and Chief Wildlife Warden, site inspection, the Standing Committee may recommend the proposal. The user agency/State government, thereafter, has to approach the Hon’ble Supreme Court for its final approval.

Natural Justice holds BLINC Workshop in Bangalore

BLINC, a two day workshop-cum-exhibition organised by Natural Justice and designed by the LED Laboratory at the Srishti School of Art,  Design, and Technology, was held in Bangalore on June 27 and 28, 2014. BLINC’s vision is to bring Balance in the Landscapethough Imagination, Negotiation and Collaboration. The Workshop brought together NGOs, academics, activists, designers and individuals or groups interested in the overarching theme of ‘Asserting community rights over the environment’.

On Day 1, participants were introduced to a fictitious landscape called Ravalgaon, which is faced with several challenges that are commonly encountered by the participants at BLINC when they engage with local communities in their individual context areas. A visual representation of the landscape (the map) was then displayed. Participants were asked to pick a stakeholder from the map and put themselves in their shoes, in a process called ‘empathy walk’. 

Interestingly, participants picked stakeholders whose perspective they do not usually consider during the course of their work, such as the miners and corporations, in order to better understand their mindset. Some picked the represented communities, as they personally identified with the issues faced by them, and also in order to explore the push-and-pull relationship between the environment and the economy. One participant picked the forest because everything depends on it, while another picked agricultural land because organic farming is the future. The perspective of a priest in the local temple was picked to be an entry point into exploring the relationship between culture and religion with the environment.

The participants were then divided into three groups, and carried out an ‘affinity mapping’ exercise, whereby they identified stakeholder issues and clubbed issues together into broader themes based on similarities/affinities/consensus. 

The process was interactive and thought-provoking, and brought out some of the real-life dynamics of interactions between different stakeholders. The three groups then re-assembled, and discussed insights from their discussions, whereby several interesting pointers emerged, such as how addressing trust issues between different stakeholders is  key to productive dialogue, and how livelihoods can remain while culture can be dynamic and evolve through exposure to other environments, which may be a positive development, and the cathartic effects of migration.

Finally, the identified issues were brought within the three overarching themes of the BLINC conference:

• External and internal influences on communities
• Conservation and development desires
• Conflict transformation

New groups formed under each of these three themes, and proceeded to discuss each in detail. An exercise called the ‘five why’s’ was carried out, in order to arrive at the root of a specific issue under each theme. Groups were then asked to reflect on and critique the process followed by other groups, and their feedback was re-analysed by the original groups. After critical reflection, groups reflected on practical action steps that could be taken to address the issue identified, at the root.

On Day 2 of the workshop, the thematic groups reconvened and brainstormed further on solutions to specific issues faced in particular field contexts. Each group chose a specific issue in a particular context, and identified action steps to address it, using the approaches and themes identified at BLINC. Each group then presented their concrete action plans to all, along with realistic timelines, and legal and other tools to be employed, and gained feedback. This marked the end of the workshop.

The Natural Justice India team officially launched Guftagu, a website conceptualised as a platform to capture narrative pieces, photo stories, videos and interviews reflecting on the experiences of lawyers and other professionals working with communities. The website also has a separate tab dedicated to follow up articles emerging from the themes of the BLINC conference.

There was a public exhibition in central Bangalore where boards  were displayed to the general public, showcasing a short write-up and photos each, of the BLINC concept, the work of Natural Justice, the LED Lab, NJ’s local partner NGO’s, and other organisations which work with local communities.