ACT NOW! has launched a new video toolkit, titled Giraun Emi Laif, to assist rural communities to better understand the benefits of customary land and the threats they face to their livelihoods, natural environment and culture.

The toolkit shares stories of resistance, resilience and hope from communities around the world whose territories are central to their way of being but who have found themselves on the frontline of the global rush for land.

The toolkit features communities:

• that are facing large-scale development projects;
• that have already lost part or all of their territory; and
• communities that have secure rights to their territory. 

The aim of the toolkit is to share these stories with other groups whose land is under threat and to build the capacity of NGOs and community-based organisations to assist them.

The videos can also assist government officials and other people whose work relates to or affects indigenous peoples their land and forests, and the videos can be screened in schools, universities and at public events.

The Giraun Emi Laif toolkit was originally developed by the Scottish based charity, LifeMosiac, and has already been shared with thousands of communities around the globe.

Now, the videos are available for the first time in Tok Pisin for use in Papua New Guinea and other Melanesian countries.

The re-dubbing of the videos by LifeMosaic was commissioned by ACT NOW! and the recording was carried out in conjunction with the Bismarck Ramu Group and FORCERT.

What are the videos about?

Benefits of Territory - What are the benefits of secure tenure for indigenous peoples, for the environment and for wider society?

Land Grabs - What are land grabs? Why are they happening, and what are their impacts?

Company Tactics - What are the tactics that companies use to convince communities to accept and support their land grabs? These tactics are used across continents and industries.

Communications - Looks at the ways three communities in Indonesia, Tanzania and Ecuador are using radio, internet, mainstream national and international media and video to bring the stories of their struggles to both the wider world and their local areas. 

Using the Law - Learn from communities that have used national and international law to defend their rights.