A new advocacy strategy for the Non-State Actors of the Great Green Wall
Did you know that the Great Green Wall is about much more than just planting trees? In fact, it is a far-reaching initiative aimed at improving the living conditions of populations and the health of ecosystems in Africa’s drylands. The goal is to restore and increase the productivity of landscapes through a genuine mosaic of sustainable land-use practices. Its purpose: to preserve ecosystems, enhance the livelihoods of local communities, and strengthen their resilience to the challenges of desertification and climate change.
With such ambition, the Great Green Wall is primarily a collective project. It is led by national agencies and the Pan-African Agency, which rely on technical and financial partners, but also on Non-State Actors (NSAs), who play a vital role on the ground. To foster collective action, we have created a regional working group of NSAs for the Great Green Wall, with the objective of improving the involvement of all stakeholders in the governance and implementation of this significant initiative.
Indeed, we believe it is impossible to achieve this ambition without the support of all types of NSAs, including local governments, the private sector, producer organizations, NGOs, researchers, and all civil society actors. Their expertise, actions on the ground, and commitment are indispensable complements to the work of the Great Green Wall institutions.
Today, the NSA regional working group for the Great Green Wall is sharing the results of its efforts to establish multi-stakeholder, multi-sector dialogue mechanisms. These dialogues, which everyone agrees are essential, are not just an appealing idea; they are concrete actions, many of which are already in place, ready to be replicated and expanded wherever the Great Green Wall operates. These initiatives revolve around four key pillars:
Creating synergies of action: NSAs and state actors combine their roles and expertise for more effective actions.
Facilitating local dialogue: NSAs create discussion spaces at the local level to advance the Great Green Wall.
Forming alliances: NSAs work closely together to get to know each other better and coordinate, thereby creating strong coalitions.
Advocating internationally: NSAs mobilize on a global scale to develop common strategies and influence Great Green Wall institutions.
By highlighting these initiatives, our goal is clear: to inspire other stakeholders to join us and contribute to this movement in their own way. Because the success of the Great Green Wall depends on everyone's involvement.
We invite all stakeholders – both NSAs and Great Green Wall institutions – to familiarize themselves with this work. Together, let’s advance the Great Green Wall!
Follow our work each week on our communication channels and those of other Great Green Wall members.
