Community Protocols Toolbox

The Community Protocols Toolbox (Booklet 1) outlines five key elements facilitators must consider when supporting community-led protocol development: the facilitator's own perspective, the community's background, the development process, the intended outcomes, and the legal landscape. It emphasizes that protocols are living documents driven by internal community goals, which may range from defensive actions against harmful activities to proactive benefit-sharing agreements. The guide stresses the importance of inclusivity, particularly for women, youth, and marginalized groups, and highlights the role of customary law and legal empowerment in ensuring the process respects local realities.

• The facilitator's role is critical, particularly when they are external to the community; in such cases, they must identify internal 'community catalysts' to lead the process and remain aware of how their own worldviews may influence the outcome.
• Community identity and governance must be defined by the community itself to avoid exacerbating conflicts, and facilitators should map power dynamics to ensure meaningful participation from marginalized groups, including women, youth, and elders.
• Community protocols serve diverse purposes, ranging from 'defensive' uses to stop harmful activities to 'proactive or aspirational' goals such as seeking recognition of territorial relationships or establishing benefit-sharing agreements.
• The development process requires significant time—often several years—and must balance inclusivity with the community's specific goals and any external pressures, such as the start date of a development project.
• The final form of a protocol (e.g., document or video) should be culturally appropriate and may require different versions if the community wishes to keep certain information, such as maps of sacred sites, confidential.
• The legal landscape for protocols involves both customary law, which governs internal decision-making and engagement, and broader legal frameworks, including international policies like the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). Community Protocols Toolbox. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/toolbox_1.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Community Protocols Toolbox. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/toolbox_1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=Community Protocols Toolbox |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/toolbox_1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendcommunity, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Community Protocols Toolbox}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/toolbox_1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }