International Accountability Project

Results: At its core, IAP leverages community-level expertise and experience to reinforce campaigns supporting community-led development. IAP works primarily in two ways. 1. IAP creates technology platforms and training tools to support communities and civil society to monitor and respond to development projects likely to cause human rights and environmental abuses. IAP exchanges expert advice, trainings and materials with communities likely to be affected and civil society groups. When assisting specific frontline struggles, IAP supports the community-led priorities and recommendations directed towards the financial institutions, governments and project proponents connected to the project. 2. IAP identifies the development financial institutions and standard-setting processes with the greatest impact on people’s ability to shape their own development and provide remedies when rights are violated. To influence the policy and practice of development, IAP assists communities to gather their own community-led research on their development priorities, their experience in the development process and the potential impacts of development projects to advocate for community-led and evidence-based practices to change how development is designed, funded and implemented.

Geographic areas served: Globally

Programs: The Global Advocacy Team IAP's Global Advocacy Team Initiative brings together incredible community organizers to conduct community-led research and mobilize their communities to change how development is designed, funded and implemented. During its first stage, the community-led research and mobilization process in 8 countries led to a report written by the Global Advocacy Team and strengthened advocacy campaigns directed at those determining and funding development. The first of its kind, IAP's report Back to Development -- A Call For What Development Could Be shows how community-led research on development and human rights can both document abuses and also recommend alternatives in policy and practice. After consulting with the existing members, in the initiative’s second stage, the Global Advocacy Team will build on its achievements and add new members and a new collective advocacy goal. Read the latest report: bit.ly/IAP_GAT Community Action Guides The people who live in communities affected by forced eviction should play a leadership role in changing the rules of development. Their first-hand experience equips them with perspectives and expertise to create policy solutions and development plans that truly work. IAP, with community organizers, produces Community Action Guides for trainers to use locally. The Community Action Guide series use straight-forward language and illustrations to open discussions and share proven tactics for advocacy especially towards development finance institutions. The Community Action Guide series is creating training and mobilization materials for communities to conduct community-led research and strengthen their campaigns for the development they want. Read the latest Guide: bit.ly/IAP_Action Early Warning System The Early Warning System ensures local communities, and the organizations that support them, have verified information about proposed bank-funded projects likely to cause human and environmental rights abuses and clear strategies for advocacy. The project exchanges advice, tools and resources with communities and the local organizations supporting them. The information collected includes critical and accessible information about projects at development-finance institutions and local research for advocacy. It includes the first web-based tool to centralize information on development projects that have the highest likelihood to impact human and environmental rights. In 2016, our team in 5 countries conducted outreach on more than 850 proposed development projects and supported 8 community-led campaigns. The Early Warning System exposes trends in development finance by sector, bank, geography and community response. Review the webpage: rightsindevelopment.org/ews