Tenure Under Pressure explores how communities sustain tenure and territorial governance amid conflict, political instability and public health crises. It also examines how funders and other partners can provide flexible and consistent support while managing risk responsibly. Find below information about the experts speaking at the event including their biographies, professional backgrounds, and areas of expertise.
Dominique Bikaba is the founder and executive director of Strong Roots Congo, a human rights, conservation and sustainable development organisation based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). For over 25 years, Bikaba has worked to design and manage conservation and sustainable development programs that aims to balance the needs of humans with those of forests and wildlife in the Congo Basin Region. One of the main goals of his work is to integrate traditional knowledge of local communities and Indigenous Peoples into the effective conservation and management of protected and conserved areas. Part of his expertise includes developing and managing great ape habitat connectivity projects for landscape and wildlife restoration in eastern DRC. He has contributed to long-term research on great ape ecology, community forest governance and management, and the management of protected and conserved areas. A defender of the integration of Indigenous knowledge into applied sciences, Bikaba has supplemented his long commitment with advice and work with other national and international organisations. He contributes to the boards of directors and advisory boards of several international organisations. Bikaba holds a master’s degree in forestry from Yale University.
Jane Meriwas HSC, is a Kenyan Indigenous women’s rights leader, feminist, and executive director of Samburu Women Trust (SWT), with over 20 years of experience advancing Indigenous women’s rights, climate and land justice, and community-led development.
She currently serves as chair of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples (UNVFIP) as well as on government and corporate boards, including the wildlife conservation and trust fund governance. Jane is a strong advocate for Indigenous-led leadership, equitable resource mobilisation, and trust-based, flexible funding that shifts power and resources to grassroots Indigenous women.
Adrien Sinafasi Makelo is a member of the Indigenous Mbuti Pygmy community from North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). For more than 25 years, he has worked to advance the unity, rights, and self-determination of Indigenous Pygmy Peoples. He is the coordinator and spokesperson of Dignité Pygmée and has co-founded several influential Indigenous Peoples’ and climate networks in the DRC. He was a principal drafter of the 2005 complaint submitted by Indigenous Pygmy Peoples to the World Bank Inspection Panel and represented Indigenous Peoples of the DRC in international climate negotiations from 2009 to 2017. He continues to advocate for equitable and accountable partnerships between Indigenous Peoples and technical and financial partners.