Right now, a delegation of Maasai pastoralists from Tanzania are meeting with Church and government leaders in Europe to ask for support in protecting their ancestral lands from trophy hunting and tourism. Under the pretext of conservation, the government of Tanzania is pushing Indigenous Maasai pastoralists from their land where their cattle graze and their families live.
We covered some instances of the governmental privation in News Notes articles, and Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Director Susan Gunn joined some of the delegation virtually.
Pastoralists in Tanzania delivered a letter detailing their struggle to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris when she visited Tanzania in April 2023.
Send your own letter to Vice President Harris now.
Dear Vice President Harris,
Thank you for your March visit to Tanzania in support of democracy. As a person of faith, I believe that an important aspect of a just society is the protection of the rights of Indigenous minorities.
Right now, the Tanzanian government is involved in the systematic seizure of Indigenous people’s land. We urge you to help end the situation and restore land to the Maasai peoples.
It is our hope that the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of the Maasai communities over land use decisions is respected and that livelihood restrictions are immediately lifted.