For generations, the Gar¨ªfuna and Afro-Honduran communities in the departments of Atl¨¢ntida, Col¨®n, and Gracias a Dios along the Caribbean coast of Honduras have lived in deep connection with their ancestral lands. But for years, their lands have been a source of profound insecurity.
Lacking legal recognition of their territories, small-scale fishers, farmers, and community leaders watched as land titles were granted to outside actors and large-scale development projects were approved without their consent. The result was a cycle of conflict, vulnerability, and marginalization.
For those who stood up to protect their land, daily life was marked by fear. Community leaders and human rights defenders faced threats, harassment, and criminalization. Forced evictions were a constant looming threat, and with state institutions lacking the capacity to resolve these disputes, trust in authorities evaporated.
Photo above: A Garifuna leader shows how ancestral territories were divided. Credit: OHCHR Honduras
A shift toward dialogue and empowerment
Through a comprehensive UN Peacebuilding Fund-supported initiative, Gar¨ªfuna communities started reclaiming their voices, reducing territorial tensions, and helping to build a more inclusive, rights-based system of governance.
Women at the forefront of change
Rather than isolated interventions, the initiative took a structural approach¡ªintervening simultaneously at the community, legal, and institutional levels. Communities that previously felt isolated in their advocacy had access to legal support, dialogue spaces, and stronger networks.
Women leaders, who traditionally balanced caregiving with informal livelihoods, stepped to the forefront. Supported by livelihood initiatives, they participated in local dialogue and territorial planning spaces, advocating for food security, environmental protection, and their ancestral rights.
A Gar¨ªfuna woman community leader from Atl¨¢ntidaBefore, many of us felt that nobody listened when we spoke about our territory or our fears. Through meetings and training, we understood that we are not alone and that we can defend our rights without giving up dialogue.¡±
Transforming the system
The courage of these communities, combined with targeted legal empowerment, began to generate systemic changes in State practices.
A landmark development was the adoption of Law 18-2024 which allowed for the cancellation of mining concessions in protected areas¡ªa massive victory for the environment and land rights.
Moreover, new governance mechanisms were established, including a high-level intersectoral commission designed to implement international court rulings on ancestral land rights.
State institutions, from the Ministry of Environment to the judiciary, began reforming their protocols. Environmental licensing systems started to integrate indigenous rights, and new guidelines were developed to investigate crimes against human rights defenders.
At the community level, the legal victories translated into tangible relief: forced evictions were halted, detained community members were released, and the criminalization of defenders dropped.
Santos Crisanto, a local community leaderNow we have a better quality of life. That process made us stronger and more united. We have been trained, and now we know how to manage our own projects.¡±
The long road to lasting peace
While the deep structural challenges linked to land rights in Honduras have not been completely erased, the landscape of the conflict has fundamentally changed.
For the Gar¨ªfuna and Afro-Honduran communities, peacebuilding is no longer an abstract concept. It meant having a voice in the decisions that shape their home, and being able to organize safely, proving that when communities are empowered to defend their rights, they can lay the foundation for a more just, peaceful, and resilient future.
Our partners in peacebuilding in Honduras
For 20 years, the UN Secretary-General¡¯s Peacebuilding Fund has empowered people to rebuild their communities and countries in the aftermath of conflict and crisis, working with them to build the resilience needed to prevent the recurrence of violence and secure lasting peace.
Led by and the , the peacebuilding initiative to support people¡¯s land rights in Honduras was supported by several national authorities as well as local women and youth-led civil society organizations.
UN Peacebuilding initiatives are made possible by the generous contributions of Member States and the indispensable support of implementing partners, including UN agencies and local organizations.