We, the undersigned, call on governments, decision-makers, health researchers and practitioners, donors, civil society and communities to undertake the following urgently needed measures to protect the most vulnerable among us during this pandemic, and to find ways to implement the longer-term measures needed to put all societies on a more sustainable basis that will protect the health and well-being of humankind.
1. The poor, homeless, and workers must have access to hygienic protection as needed.
2. The poorest people must either be provisioned as needed if they are required to stay home and self-isolate, or they must be allowed to go out each day to gain money and food, with needed protections.
3. Marginalized people are most likely to suffer human rights abuses in the enforcement of community protection orders, and must be protected from these abuses.
4. People must be protected from losing access to food due to disrupted supply chains or rising prices.
5. Poor people often have more predisposing conditions (disease, malnutrition or air pollution), and must be provided access to adequate health care.
6. Marginalized and poor people must be protected from losing their homes or income.
7. The health, populations, cultures, lands and autonomy of Indigenous peoples must be protected.
8. People susceptible to misinformation, identity-based attacks, fear and trauma must be protected.
9. Those experiencing domestic violence during “stay at home” orders must be protected, and provided with safe shelter if needed.
10. People in prisons, detention centers, IDP camps and refugee camps are at great risk and must be given adequate protection and health care, and released if appropriate.
11. Powerful actors must be prevented from using this crisis as an excuse to circumvent rule of law, dismantle protective laws and structures, grab resources, and commit other abuses.
12. Governments must find ways to access adequate resources to implement the recommended solutions to protect poor and marginalized people of all kinds.
13. Over the upcoming years, all societies must redistribute financial resources and adopt approaches that will put governance, economic systems, and societal structures on a more sustainable basis that will protect the health and well-being of humankind
Signatories
Abibiman Foundation (Ghana)
Abinsroma Foundation (Ghana)
Abubaker Kawalya Foundation (Uganda)
Academics Stand Against Poverty (Global)
Action Nepal (Nepal)
Action rapide d’aide aux vulnérables (ARAV) (RD Congo)
Action Sociale Pour la Paix et les Droits Humains (ASPDH) (RD Congo)
Actions pour la Promotion et la Protection des Peuples et Especes Menaces (RD Congo)
Actions pour le Regroupement et l’Auto promotion des Pygmées (ARAP) (RD Congo)
Actions Sociales de Développement de l’Equateur (ASODEQ) (RD Congo)
Actions Solidaires d’Appui au Développement Intégral (ASADI) (RD Congo)
Africa AHEAD (South Africa)
Africa Youth Disabled Initiative for Sustainable Developpment (AYISD) (RD Congo)
African Freedom Coalition (United States)
African Initiative for Mankind Progress Organization (AIMPO) (Rwanda)
AFROAMERICAXXI (Americas)
AFVMC Assistance to Families and Victims of Clandestine Migrations (Cameroon)
AGAPE Hauts-Plateaux (RD Congo)
Agro-Forestry Development Consultant (Lao PDR)
Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities (AERC) (Ghana)
Alliance for Global Justice (United States and International)
Alliance nationale d’appui et de promotion des aires et territoires du patrimoine autochtone et communautaire (ANAPAC) (RD Congo)
Alzheimer Community Support of Burundi (ACSB) (Burundi)
ANPPCAN (Liberia)
Asociacion de Micro, Pequeños y Medianos Empresarios Afro Hondureños (CAMAFROH) (Honduras)
Association Communautaire pour la Promotion et Protection des Droits de l’Homme (ACPDH) (Burundi)
Association Congolaise debout et fier (ACDF) (RD Congo)
Association des amis du Pere Vincent (A.A.P.V) (RD Congo)
Association des Femmes Autochtones Engagées dans la protection de l’environnement et la Lutte contre la Pauvreté Féminine (RD Congo)
Association des guides du Congo (RD Congo)
Association des Jeunes Chrétiens (AJECA) (Burundi)
Association des Scientifiques Environnementalistes pour un Développement Intégré (Togo)
Association du Développement et de la promotion de droit de l’Homme (Mauritanie)
Association For Promotion Sustainable Development (India)
Association Paysanne pour la Réhabilitation et Protection des Pygmées (PREPPYG) (RD Congo)
Association Sénégalaise pour la Promotion des Energie Renouvelables (KOKKIENEREGIE) (Senegal)
ATTAC Hungary Association (Hungary)
Baruch Initiative for Transformation (Nigeria)
Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC) (United Kingdom)
Bureau d’Appui aux Programmes d’Education et de Développement (BAPED) (RD Congo)
CEAMUJER (Nicaragua)
Centre Africain pour l’Education aux Droits Humains (Senegal)
Centre d’action communautaire pour le developpement integre (CACDI) (RD Congo)
Centre for 21st Century Issues (Nigeria)
Centre National d’Appui au Développement et à la Participation Populaire (RD Congo)
Centro Para El Desarrollo Comunal (CEDECO) (Honduras)
CIFDH (RD Congo)
Civil Bridge (RD Congo)
Collectif pour les Peuples Autochtones au Kivu (CPAKI) (RD Congo)
CollectiveChange (Australia)
Community Initiative for Social Enhancement (South Africa)
Community Transformation Foundation Network (COTFONE) (Uganda)
Conseil consultatif de femme africaine (RD Congo)
Dalit Alliance for Natural Resources(DANAR) (Nepal)
Developpeurs sans frontieres (RD Congo)
Eglise du Christ au Congo 17eme communaute evangelique du Christ de l’Ubangi (RD Congo)
El-meela Heritage Support Foundation (ELMHDF) (Nigeria)
Encadrement des Femmes Indigènes et des Ménages vulnérables (RD Congo)
Ensemble Luttons Contre le Sida (ELCOS) (RD Congo)
Environnement, Ressources Naturelles et Développement (ERND) (RD Congo)
Fairhaven Lantern Center (United States and international)
Fédération des Femmes pour le Développement Intégral au Congo (FEDICONGO) (RD Congo)
Fédération Internationale pour le Développement de l’Enfant Africain (FIDEA ) (RD Congo)
Femmes et Éducation des Adultes (FEDA) (RD Congo)
Fonds pour les femmes Congolaises (FFC) (RD Congo)
Forum des Organsations Nationales Humanitaires et de Développement en RD Congo (RD Congo)
Foundation for Conservation of Nigerian Rivers (Nigeria)
GADHOP (RD Congo)
Golden Change for Concerned Youth Forum (GCCYF) (Nigeria)
Gram Vaani (India)
Greenspring Development Initiative (Nigeria)
Groupe d’associations de defense de droits de l’homme et de la paix (GADHOP) (RD Congo)
Groupe de travail climat REDD (GTCR) (RD Congo)
Grupo Tacuba (Mexico)
Human Health Aid in Burundi (HHA BURUNDI) (Burundi)
Initiative for Equality (IfE) (Global)
Initiative pour la Promotion des Femmes Autochtones et Vulnérables (IPROFAV) (RD Congo)
Institute for Economic Justice (South Africa)
Institute for Economic Research on Innovation (South Africa)
Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) (South Africa)
Institute of Development and Humanitarian Assistance (Sierra Leone)
International Institute for Monetary Transformation (United States)
International Presentation Association (Global)
Justice Development and Peace Commission (Nigeria)
Kenya Community Development Group (Kenya)
KOTHOWAIN (Bangladesh)
LIFE ACTION (RD Congo)
Ligue des Volontaires pour la Défense des Droits de l’homme et d’environnement (LISVDHE) (RD Congo)
Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) (South Africa)
Mouvement populaire pour la santé au Gabon (MPS Gabon)
Movimiento Pan Africano America Latina (Latin America)
Mungu ni Jibu (RD Congo)
Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation (Nigeria)
Nepal Nepal Rural Development & Environment Protection Council (Nepal)
New Restoration Plan (Malawi)
NGO Network (Nigeria)
Noble Delta Women for Peace and Development International (Nigeria)
Observatoire pour la defense des droits des personnes handicapées (ODDPH) (RD Congo)
Orissa State Volunteers and Social Workers Association (India)
OSIENALA (Friends of Lake Victoria) (Kenya)
PATHIKRIT (Bangladesh)
Peace Society of Kenya (Kenya)
Peoples Health Movement – Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka)
Permaculture for Refugees (Global)
PIDP Shirika la Bambuti (RD Congo)
Presentation Sisters Union Justice Network (Global)
Rabt Development Organization (Pakistan)
Radio Nepali AWAJ FM (Nepal)
RDC Solidarite pour la protection de l’environnement et le developpement integral et homogene (SDIH) (RD Congo)
Reach The Youth Uganda (RTY) (Uganda)
Reformed Open Community Schools (ROCS) (Zambia)
Reseau Congolais des Forestiers de la RD Congo (RCF) (RD Congo)
Reseau d’encadrement des pygmees de l’equateur (REPEQ) (RD Congo)
Réseau d’Experts et Journalistes pour l’Environnement et les Peuples Autochtones (REJEPA) (RD Congo)
River Ethiope Trust Foundation (Nigeria)
Rupantar (Bangladesh)
San Jose Peace and Justice Center (United States)
Sisters of Charity Federation (United States)
Social Awareness and Development Academy (SAADA) (Nepal)
Sociedade Sinhá Laurinha (Brazil)
Society for Women Development and Empowerment of Nigeria (Nigeria)
Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries (Global)
Suma Veritas Foundation (Argentina)
Susanne Moser Research & Consulting (United States)
Sustainable Innovation Initiatives, Inc (United States)
Terra-1530 (Moldova)
The Schumacher Institute (United Kingdom and International)
UDYAMA (India)
Union d’entre aide pour les ressortissants de lemera et ses environs (URELE) (RD Congo)
Union des Associations des Pygmées de Mbandaka (UAPM) (RD Congo)
Union des Organismes d’Appui au Développement Durable (Cameroon)
Union for Promotion / Protection, Human Rights Defense and the Environment-UPDDHE/GL (RD Congo)
Union for Promotion, Protection, Human Rights Defense and the Environment (UPDDHE) (RD Congo)
Unissons nous pour la Promotion des Batwa (UNIPROBA) (Burundi)
Utthan (India)
Vinoba Bhave Univ (India)
Zimbabwe Women in Politics and Peacebuilding (ZimWiPaP) (Zimbabwe)