The EARTH DEFENDERS TOOLKIT is a collection of tools and training materials for communities on the frontlines of the struggle to defend the world’s forests and critical ecosystems.

The Earth Defenders Toolkit will ensure that frontline communities have access to open-source, accessible tools that amplify local voices and strengthen community-led legal and media-based advocacy. The Earth Defenders Toolkit will provide training materials, based on tried and tested approaches to using technology in a way that supports local autonomy and ownership over data, and avoids creating dependencies on outside support.

• Document & understand rapid changes & threats to territory
• Create maps to communicate history & connection to land
• Document human rights & environmental abuses
• Reinforce local voices with concrete evidence

The Earth Defenders Toolkit is a collaborative space for local community organizations and their allies and partners to share the tools and approaches that have worked for them and to learn from others. It is stewarded by Digital Democracy and co-created by Amazon Frontlines, Forest Peoples Programme, Amazon Conservation Team and Open Development Initiative.

BLOG ENTRIES

• EDToolkit Seed bank 🌱: Training in digital tools should be accompanied by training in basic tech literacy (May 24, 2021)
• EDToolkit Seed bank 🌱: Figuring out how to get started: the territory as a point of departure (May 17, 2021)
• EDToolkit Seed bank 🌱: Mapping can be an effective way to teach and strengthen information technology skills (May 10, 2021)
• EDToolkit seed bank 🌱: Mapping projects can help revitalize processes of traditional knowledge transmission (May 3, 2021)
• EDToolkit seed bank 🌱: Mapping tools are among the most powerful technologies for earth defenders (April 26, 2021)
• EDToolkit seed bank 🌱: Technology introduced during a project may have unexpected impacts (April 19, 2021)
• EDToolkit seed bank 🌱: Successful technologies build upon a foundation of existing practices and problem-solving (April 12, 2021)
• EDToolkit seed bank 🌱: The importance of an open-ended and adaptive approach to project design (April 5, 2021)
• Populating an earth defender seed bank 🌱: updates from our research (March 29, 2021)
• Co-creating an Earth Defenders Toolkit with the Indigenous Mapping Community at #2020IMW (December 11, 2020)
• Coming soon! The Earth Defenders Toolkit (November 18, 2020)

Acknowledgment: Earth Defenders Toolkit is being built in solidarity, consultation, and co-creation with Indigenous and marginalized communities in Latin America, Asia, and Sub-Saharan African at every point of the way. We are deeply grateful to our partners who are working to achieve transformative change, and help us understand how we can best serve their needs.