The idea behind Well Grounded came from the experience of our two founding members, Cath Long and Iola Leal, who had both been working for over a decade with civil society organisations focussing on community rights and the sustainable management of natural resources in tropical countries. Although they both met many inspirational and dynamic individuals and groups doing extraordinary work, they realised that these same people and groups kept encountering barriers preventing them from having the impact they hoped for.
In 2010, Well Grounded was established with the aim of helping African CSOs to overcome the barriers they were encountering. Having a key role to play as a complement and a counterweight to government and the private sector, Well Grounded works with CSOs so that they are able to realise their objectives and vision thereby making a positive change to community rights and natural resource governance in their home countries and the wider world.
Pressure on natural resources
Natural resources are central to the lives and livelihoods of the poorest and most marginalised people.
However, all too often these resources aren’t managed in a way that benefits the communities who depend on them or that ensures that they’ll be available to future generations.
The situation is becoming more urgent as the international appetite for natural resources, including minerals, timber and land for crops such as palm oil, becomes ever greater, putting communities and natural habitats under severe pressure.
Working with civil society organisations
Well Grounded works with African civil society organisations (who can be any group, formal or informal, that brings people together for a purpose.
They can include, among others, non-government organisations, community-based organisations, networks, platforms, coalitions and social movements), because they have a key role to play as a complement and a counterweight to government and the private sector.
Well Grounded works with these organisations so that they are able to realise their objectives and vision and make a positive change to community rights and natural resource management in their home countries and in the wider world.
Where we work
Well Grounded works in Africa, with a strategic focus on three Congo Basin countries:
1 Democratic Republic of Congo
2 Republic of Congo
3 Republic of Cameroon
4 Gabon
The Congo Basin is one of the richest regions in natural resources while being significantly poorer in terms of social and environmental justice. The vision for natural resource exploitation is very short-term with little of the profits derived filtering down to the level of the communities who depend on these same resources. The level of agency amongst the worst affected and most marginalised is next to non-existent, yet these are the very people whose voices need to be heard most.
Well Grounded will continue to take on opportunities outside the Congo Basin where they can offer opportunities to explore new issues or to experiment with a new approach bringing new learning to our organisation and our clients.
