OUR LOCAL MOBILISATION
We organize from the ground up. We hold local meetings with the community at the village level to raise awareness, build solidarity, and empower one another. We believe in the power of peaceful mass mobilization gathering in the thousands to make our voices heard, to say no to fortress conservation models that displace pastoralists in the name of conservation. We also rise against extractive Soil carbon projects that commodify Maasai ecosystems. We reject imposed solutions that intend to erase Maasai traditional knowledge, and our sovereignty. We in MISA believe that pastoralism is not a problem to solve; it is a way of life that has sustained people and ecosystems for centuries. We stand in defense of it.
As the Tanzanian state attempts to push forward illegal land grabs and corporate-backed projects without Maasai consent, we are also turning to the law. Our movement coordinates community-based litigation, challenging violations of Maasai rights and demanding accountability in national and international courts.
This is not just resistance, it is a vision for a different future. A future where land is life, and life is respected. A future where development means dignity, not dispossession.
Join us. Stand with us. The struggle continues, and we are the land we defend.
In the face of mounting threats to the Maasai ancestral lands, livelihoods, and identity, we have risen not with weapons, but with unity, courage, and conviction. MISA is a community-led movement rooted in resistance and determined to defend Maasai ancestral lands from unjust encroachment. Women are at the forefront of our efforts to defend our rights and demand justice.
28 July, 2025. A member of MISA shares updates on our engagement at international fora to advocate for Indigenous Peoples, including land rights. This was important for MISA community champions to understand how the information they are is useful beyond our borders. Credit: MISA collaborator
Residents gather to discuss local mobilisation and strategies on how to restore important social services. One of the decisions made in the community meeting is to renovate all the roads within the Maasai villages in NCA using the community’s efforts. Credit: MISA
We monitor all the actions of the Tanzanian government against our Maasai community
To hold power accountable, we dedicate our time to monitor and document Tanzania government action and inaction that violate Maasai rights. Whether through law, policy, or silence, we believe state institutions shape our daily life, and we believe communities have a right to transparency, accountability, and justice from them.
We track policies, decisions, and operations that impact human rights, land, public resources, civil liberties, and livelihoods of the Maasai people in Tanzania. From the passage of laws or policies to the deployment of police forces, we follow how state power is exercised and who it benefits or harms.
We document cases of unlawful evictions, excessive force, surveillance, censorship, abuse of public office, and discriminatory policies. These reports often come directly from community members, activists, and whistleblowers on the ground.
How We Work
Community Reporting: We gather information directly from individuals and communities affected by government decisions. We verify and analyze this data to build a public record.
Public Documentation: We publish reports, timelines, and alerts that expose trendsand make state conduct visible and traceable over time.
Legal and Civic Response: In collaboration with the Maasai legal team, we support advocacy, litigation, and policy challenges aimed at defending community rights. See our strategic litigation page for more information.
Empowering Action: We encourage and support community mobilization to resist injustice on a belief that informed people can challenge power.
Our work is grounded in solidarity, guided by facts, and fueled by the belief that people have the right to participate in decisions that shape their lives. If you witness or experience any form of government abuse, contact us securely. Together, we build collective memory and collective power. We exist to hold power accountable.
