The Maasai International Solidarity Alliance (MISA)
MISA – of which the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns is a member – is an international alliance standing in solidarity with the Maasai of Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Loliondo in northern Tanzania. It brings together faith-based organizations, human rights groups, international aid and development organizations as well as researchers. The alliance includes the Africa Europe Faith Justice Network (AEFJN), Agrecol Association for AgriCulture & Ecology, Coalition of European Lobbies for Eastern African Pastoralism (CELEP), Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité (CIDSE), Food First Information and Action Network (FIAN), Koordinierungsstelle der Österreichischen Bischofskonferenz (KOO, Coordinating Office of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference), Misereor, and Welthaus Graz.
MISA’s main objective is to end to the human rights violations facing the Maasai of northern Tanzania.
In May–June 2023, it organized a lobby tour in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Italy, which enabled a Maasai delegation to voice concerns to European decision-makers.
In April 2024, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns hosted a Maasai delegation in Washington, DC to share their concerns with the State Department, USAID, Office of Vice President Kamala Harris and various Congressional offices.
MISA supports the voices of grassroots organizations representing the Maasai at the local level, such as PINGOs Forum and Pastoral Women Council (PWC), which are in regular contact with affected communities and their representatives, including traditional leaders, women, youth and councilors / village chairpersons. MISA is also supported by Tanzanian lawyers representing the Maasai in several court cases that have been launched to address violations of their land rights.
Maryknoll Missioners Solidarity with the Maasai of Tanzania
Watch this 7 minute video explaining the history of the Maryknoll missioners accompanying and service the Maasai people in northern Tanzania.
Read our Statement of Solidarity with the Maasai of Tanzania released on World Heritage Day, April 18, 2024.
MISA Newsletters
MISA produces a newsletter to provide updates on what is happening to Maasai communities in the Ngorongoro and Loliondo areas and in other parts of northern Tanzania. These are areas from which the Maasai have been or are being forcibly evicted by the Tanzanian government for “development” of wildlife conservation, hunting and tourism. This newsletter brings background information and news about community actions and legal progress, as reported by Maasai members of MISA in and from northern Tanzania.
The first two issues of the newsletter were published in September 2023; one appeared at the beginning of September in English and German and the second in late September in English and French.
The 3rd issue covered developments in the month of October 2023: see the English version.
The 4th issue covered developments in November and December 2023: see the English version.
The 5th issue, covered developments in January and February 2024, see the English version.
The 6th issue, covering developments in March and April 2024, is now available: see the English version.
Photo by Bertrand Lacote, A Maasai herder gazes at vehicles coming down from Ngorongoro, CC January 2, 2020