The struggle for a fair and equitable society in the Caribbean depends on the guarantee of effective, universal and safe access to justice. Although social transformation cannot only happen via courts, access to justice and adequate responses can play a crucial role in ensuring that historically vulnerable individuals and communities can swiftly and effectively address environmental injustices, hold state and corporate actors accountable, and advocate for their rights without fear of retaliation. By promoting judicial education, ratifying international agreements like the Escazu Agreement, and providing legal aid and budgetary support, we can empower communities to seek and obtain justice. Additionally, building local capacities and promoting transparency and access to information are crucial steps toward achieving true environmental justice in all its components.
Reform laws to allow easy access to injunctive relief without mandatory compensation, ensuring swift and effective justice. Best practices should circulate across the region and grassroot organizations should learn from each other’s experiences.
Implement strong protections against corporate and state retaliation to safeguard activists and communities advocating for environmental justice.
Promote courses and opportunities for judges and grassroot organizations to increase their knowledge of environmental matters and enhance their understanding and support of access to justice in these cases.
Ratify the Escazu Agreement and promote its effective implementation to strengthen environmental governance and public participation.
Provide budgetary support and legal aid to citizens bringing socio-environmental challenges to ensure they have the resources to access the court system and be protected by any form of legal and economic retaliation.
Empower communities to understand and utilize the Escazu Agreement, fostering grassroots involvement in environmental protection. For example, promote citizens’ guides, events and opportunities to educate people re the content and the implementation of the agreement.
Abolish the police and security systems that block access to justice, and reform them to be more supportive of community rights.
Guarantee transparency and access to information, ensuring that citizens can hold both corporate and state actors accountable.
Build internal and local capacities to demand change, promoting community-led initiatives and local leadership in environmental justice.
Work towards a Pan-Afro and Pan-Caribbean centric vision of justice, moving away from colonial institutions. Recognize and enforce the rights of nature, and deconstruct core legal concepts such as sovereignty and the individualism of rights to create a fair, just, and inclusive legal system that recognizes, enhances and celebrates diversity. Advance non-individual collective rights and ensure Indigenous, tribal, and Afro-descendant groups have access to international law protections and rights.
Showcasing stories of Caribbean organizations at the foreground of the struggle against disaster capitalism in the Caribbean. Our network of participants in the Greater Caribbean region connect, learn, share their hands on responses to the impacts of the twin threats of the climate crisis and disaster capitalism in our region.
Bernard Lodge Farmers Group
WAVE (Progressive Reform Movement)
Tèt Kole
Global Challenges Research Fund
Open Society Foundations
All Rights Reserved – strongercaribbeantogether.org 2022
All Rights Reserved – strongercaribbeantogether.org 2022
In the tumultuous aftermath of disasters, it is easy to feel isolated and alone, but you are not.
We, a network of Caribbean-wide community organizers who stand in solidarity with those affected the twin threats of the climate crises and disaster capitalism, a phenomenon that exacerbates the suffering of vulnerable communities.
We want you to know that your stories matter. We are here to listen, to support, and to amplify your voices.
We believe that together, we can challenge the forces of disaster capitalism and advocate for more sustainable, inclusive and equitable decision-making.
Join us in solidarity. Share your experiences and let’s build strong communities that thrive together.
As the wider world braces for the climate change, Caribbean communities are already struggling with its effects. Small local communities, small scale farmers and coastal communities are disproportionately affected. Political decisions, power dynamics and laws often compound the catastrophes and silence bottom up solutions.
There are ways in which you can help.