From the 1st to the 2nd of July, SIVIO Institute was part of the Zimbabwe partner’s workshop that was convened by Southern Africa Trust (SAT) in Harare. The workshop was put together to bring together partners working on issues related to climate justice, gender justice, and economic and care justice to get to understand some of the issues that are arising amidst the shifting in space in terms of funding and other issues.
Day 1 kicked off with the SAT team presenting and officially launching their 6-year plan titled SERITI, derived from a Sotho language meaning “integrity” to the Zimbabwean partners. The strategy gives focus to making sure that the activities and initiatives by the SAT and their partners adhere to a code of conduct that upholds feminist principles and makes sure that they are caring, respect the integrity and dignity of those they are working with, and are inclusive and hold each other accountable. The strategy also stressed the importance of collaboration as the Trust is looking to do away with the model of funding just projects, but invest in movements rather. The SERITI strategy is based on 3 principles, namely
- Economic Justice and Social Protection,
- Gender Justice and Climate Justice
- Natural Resource Governance.
The goal is to help uplift marginalised groups in society to give them a fair voice through change that is dignified and respectful.
The workshop also gave partners a platform to discuss the prevailing context in the country, including recent changes in the legal, regulatory and fundraising spaces and how it has impacted their work. Organisations also got the opportunity to share their work with others, highlighting the achievements and the challenges that they are facing in their work, and the stories shared were a true testament of the impact ranging from women in Mashonaland taking a stand against extractive mining activities, the reclaiming of land from illegal mining activities to communities mandating and holding to account illegal miners to use and maintain sustainable mining practise to eliminate risk of water and land pollution.
On day 2 of the meeting, SIVIO facilitated a session around collaboration, and partners agreed on the need for co-creation of ideas and a need for strategic collaborations to amplify interventions and as a coping mechanism for the shrinking funding and civic space. Partners agreed to set up mechanisms for collaboration, including setting up online platforms for engagement and sharing, and also working together on research, advocacy, and community engagement on key legislation, starting with the Mines and Minerals Bill 2025.
