grantees » Mohamed Coulibaly

“My name is Mohamed Coulibaly. I am an environmental lawyer from Mali, West Africa.” Following in his father’s guidance, he has been dedicated to law and human rights from a young age. He stumbled unto environmental issues somewhat accidentally – and yet he’s never stopped since.

After completing his second Masters from the University of Limoges, France, in International and Comparative Environmental Law, Mohamed immediately started working in sustainable development. Since 2007 he has been a Campaign Officer for the Institute of Research and the Promotion of Alternatives in Development (IRPAD/Afrique), “where I focus on legal and policy aspects of sustainable development in West Africa.” His nominator, Mamadou Goita, said, “he has proven how beneficial he is many times”.

“I used my JWH initiative grant to cover the living expenses linked to [doing] my Masters of Laws at American University Washing College of Law in Washington DC, [from which] I earned a scholarship.” Mohamed feels there were many benefits to his experience; “I considerably improved my English, [which] positively impacted my access to knowledge.” He also “gained a tremendous amount of experience” and extended his network by attending professional seminars. His development allowed his resolve to shine, and he took the lead at IRPAD by proposing an information campaign about land grabbing affecting local farming communities. “I’ve been more proactive, more knowledgeable in the field, and was accordingly given more responsibility within my organization.” Currently he fights for the rights of “family farmers”, the indigenous Malian farmers who have to deal with land grabs and compete with international corporate land grabbing and human rights abuses in agricultural development. In future, he hopes to do a PhD, and to continue to contribute to the building of capacities in sustainable development in Mali and the continent. “I hope we can continue to make the world a better place.”