The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) is a public interest law group which seeks to promote democracy, environmental justice, the sustainable and equitable use of Zimbabwe’s’ natural resources, and good governance in the environmental sector. The group’s mission is to use the law to protect the rights of local communities and conserve the environment and Zimbabwe’s natural resources. ZELA works to accomplish their mission through legal and policy research, advocacy, impact litigation, conflict resolution, and civic education. They work to help poor and marginalized communities assert and claim their economic, social, and environmental rights while ensuring that needs of these communities are met through environmental and natural resources management policies and legal framework. ZELA firmly believes that both the government and the private sector have a duty to uphold democratic values, human rights, transparency, and accountability to all people involved and affected by their work.