Advocacy & Social Sustainability
VOSIEDA’s Advocacy and Social Sustainability program fosters partnerships with private sector establishments to integrate human rights, labor, anti-corruption, and environmental principles into their operations. Our approach involves advancing wider societal goals, including those encapsulated by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Why and how we work with the private sector to align their strategies and operations with the university’s principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, and take strategic actions to advance broader societal goals?
In Liberia and the West Africa subregion, we advocate for social sustainability and work with governments and companies (public and private) in three areas. (1). To improve the lives of the people they affect by creating decent jobs, goods, and services that help meet basic needs and more inclusive value chains. (2) To make strategic social investments and promote public policies that support social sustainability. (3) Partner with businesses to make good quality positive impacts on communities.
Why do we work with the private sector, and how do we ensure responsible operations and positive impacts on local communities in Liberia and the West African region?
In Liberia and the West Africa subregion, social sustainability is an often overlooked aspect of sustainability in governments’ development projects and private companies operations. Sustainable development efforts often focus on the environmental or economic aspects of sustainability. Poverty reduction and economic development programs and projects must address environmental, social, and economic sustainability together to attain the most sustainable outcome possible.
We advocate and work with governments and private companies to carry out development programs and businesses to benefit society and protect people and local communities. The governments and private sector companies must identify and manage business impacts (positive and negative) on people. For example, they must minimize risk, maximize transparency, ensure effective stakeholder participation, maintain or improve prosperity, reduce the use of nonrenewable resources, etc.
Our goal is the creation of inclusive societies, enhance the empowerment of vulnerable people, and foster more resilient and peaceful communities.
The list of our priorities is provided below
Social Sustainability
Do business in ways that benefits society and protects people
While it is the primary duty of governments to protect, respect, fulfill and progressively realize human rights, in today’s world, society demands that companies (public and private) serve a social purpose. To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance but also on its positive contributions to society.
We advocate for social sustainability and work with governments and companies (public and private) in three areas. (1). To improve the lives of the people they affect by creating decent jobs, goods, and services that help meet basic needs and more inclusive value chains. (2) To make strategic social investments and promote public policies that support social sustainability. (3) Partner with businesses to make a good quality positive impact on communities.
Human Rights
Respect the dignity and equality of all human beings
While Liberian and West African governments must protect their citizens and individuals against human rights abuses by third parties, companies and businesses operating in these regions must recognize their legal, moral and commercial need to respect human rights.
We work with businesses to fulfill their minimum responsibilities to respect human rights. We train the government and company staff to act with due diligence to avoid infringing the rights of others, which includes addressing any human rights impacts related to their business. We empower them to abide by international standards and avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their activities and relationships. Companies and businesses today are subject to closer scrutiny of their impacts on people and the planet.
Communities relations
Obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous peoples
Extractive companies’ operations have a far-reaching impact on society. Most negative impacts often result in environmental damage, pollution, human rights abuses, land grabbing, loss of local livelihoods, conflicts, etc. Most of these challenges around concessions in Liberia are never addressed because there is no platform to engage stakeholders.
We advocate and create platforms for business executives, indigenous peoples, landowners, governments, business partners, and civil society groups to come together to find shared solutions and a shared future. Our goal is to empower local communities in affected concessions areas to feel safe, respected, and included while helping companies avoid or mitigate adverse impacts of their operations and respect connections to the land.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Accelerate actions to defeat poverty, defend the planet, and demand equity to reach the SDGs by 2030
The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership.
The Volunteers for Sustainable Development in Africa is a regional platform supporting civil society and citizen action in Liberia and the West African sub-region to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We mobilize volunteers and campaign for achievements of the goals.
Innovative solutions & capacity development in West Africa
VOSIEDA is committed to showcasing examples of how civil society is delivering on the sustainable development agenda, not just to highlight good practice and innovation, but also to hold ourselves accountable. We will share ideas and resources and train on and scale up alternative solutions grounded in local needs and sustainability.
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THE POWER IS IN OUR HANDS
We are a civil society platform driving progress towards sustainable development. We come together to support each other in achieving the prosperous, healthy, secure, and peaceful world we urgently need in Liberia and West Africa.
Our campaign aims to highlight different approaches and actions for a healthy, green, and just future for all. We call on everyone to keep challenging what they think and to keep pushing what they believe and what we can do together. To seize the opportunities and solutions in our communities and invest in them to solve our global challenges. We believed everyone has the power in his/her hands to reimagine their communities, catalyze positive change and achieve the SDGs through recommitments, rethinking, and changing prevailing narratives.