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RECOFTC – THE CENTER FOR PEOPLE AND FORESTS

PEOPLE AND FORESTS E-NEWS

March 2014 

Greetings from RECOFTC!

International Women’s day was celebrated this past Saturday across the globe. RECOFTC marked this occasion with a blog on the importance of woman’s empowerment as a key to sustainable forest management. Coming up later this month are the International Day of Forests (IDF), which will be celebrated on 21 March, and Water Day, on 22 March. Stay tuned for more to come later this month on how RECOFTC and partners are celebrating these events.

RECOFTC and our partners are in the midst of a series of National Forums for People and Forests. In February, there were forums in Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR. We look forward to the upcoming forums in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand in the coming months. RECOFTC has also signed two important agreements, a five-year MOU with The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR and a three-year MOU with The ASEAN-Korea Forest Cooperation Secretariat (AFoCo).

In addition to these important events, this newsletter contains many other exciting opportunities, resources and much more.

Until next month,

Nicholas Wilder

Editor, People and Forests E-News

Nicholas.wilder@recoftc.org

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Conflict and Cooperation in REDD+

RECOFTC's latest blogs

FROM THE PRESS

Lao PDR: Forum assesses progress of village forestry management

Vientiane Times, 7 March 2014

A national forum for people to share their forestry experiences, from ground level to overall support for policy on local forest management, took place from March 6-7, hosted by the Forestry Department and supported by RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests.

Global: Madagascar sells first forest carbon credits to Microsoft

Wildlife Conservation Society, 12 February 2014

The Government of Madagascar has approved carbon sales with Microsoft and its carbon offset partner, The CarbonNeutral Company, and Zoo Zurich. The carbon credit sales will support the Government of Madagascar's REDD+ Project (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation "plus" conservation) in the Makira Natural Park and mark the first sale of government-owned REDD+ credits in Africa.

Global: Forests - time to reclaim the 'wastelands'?

The Guardian, 14 February 2014

Though often perceived as free space, forests provide billions of people with income, food and medicine. So how do policymakers ensure new development goals don't leave them out?

Cambodia: Waiting for the deluge

Phnom Penh Post, 24 February 2014

The Lower Sesan II dam project is a microcosm of the carving up of Cambodia. In one of the world’s most diverse river ecosystems, the ground burns. Whole forests are felled with scant regard for the law, while the project is backed by the country’s politically connected business elite.

Indonesia: Indonesia's giant pulp companies go green

The Nation, 16 February 2014

As big players in Indonesia's forestry sector come under increasing pressure to show that they are not damaging the environment, some are pledging to change their ways.

Indonesia: Clash with palm oil company leaves one indigenous community member dead in Sumatra

Monga Bay, 6 March 2014

A member of the Suku Anak Dalam indigenous community was killed and five others were injured during a clash with security forces on an oil palm concession owned by PT Asiatic Persada in Sumatra, reports Mongabay-Indonesia.

Malaysia: New forest map for Sarawak reveals large-scale deforestation, encroachment on indigenous territories

Monga Bay, 24 February 2014

A new online platform released by the Bruno Manser Fund reveals large-scale destruction of Sarawak's rainforests, peatlands and traditional lands.

Lao PDR: Illegal logging persists in Laos

Vientiane Times, 6 March 2014

Illegal logging continues to be widespread despite the government's efforts to crack down on such activities.

OPINION

Making forestry work for woman

Bhawana Upadhyay, RECOFTC’s Gender and Rights Program Officer

To celebrate women’s important contributions to community forestry, RECOFTC’s Gender and Rights Program Officer, Bhawana Upadhyay, discusses women’s empowerment as one of the key components of sustainable forest management.

FULL TEXT BACK TO CONTENTS

PUBLICATIONS

Training module for facilitators: Strengthening forest tenure systems and governance

RECOFTC and FAO, February 2014

This training module provides practical guidance for people involved in forest tenure reforms and those reflecting on the effectiveness of existing tenure systems. The module is meant to complement existing training modules produced by FAO and other organizations. It focuses on strengthening specific competencies to help stakeholders advance forest tenure reform in line with the guiding principles. The module also offers tools to address challenges.

Community forestry and REDD+ in Asia: Lessons learned and ways forward

USAID and FCMC, 2014

The Forest Carbon, Markets and Communities (FCMC) Program commissioned a series of four reports – three regional and one global synthesis – on Lessons Learned from Community Forestry and their relevance for REDD+. This brief summarizes key points from the report on Asia.

Transforming conflict in plantations through mediation: Lessons and experiences from Sumatra, Indonesia

Forest Policy and Economics, 2014

The further expansion of plantations in Indonesia is expected to exacerbate existing and create new conflicts over land and forest resources, which can have detrimental impacts on local communities, plantation companies and government. Mediation facilitated by a third party is widely considered an effective method in transforming conflict over natural resources. This study analyses the application of mediation in transforming two conflicts in Sumatra, Indonesia involving oil palm and pulpwood plantations. The paper suggests that the plantation projects in Indonesia and beyond must include carefully devised conflict transformation mechanisms, including mediation, as an integral part of their management.

Video: International Day of Forests 2014

FAO, 21 March 2014

Forests and trees sustain and protect us, providing clean air and water, safeguarding biodiversity and acting as a buffer against climate change. For many people, they also offer food, shelter and employment. It is up to us in turn to sustain and protect our forests -- our future is at stake. Join us in celebrating the International Day of Forests on 21 March.

Global Forest Watch

WRI

This mapping application unites satellite technology, open data and crowd sourcing to guarantee access to timely and reliable information about forests.

The Gender advantage: Women on the front line of climate change

IFAD, 2014

This publication illustrates IFAD’s experience in closing the gender gap and mobilizing the ‘gender advantage’ in climate change adaptation through 10 case studies from across the world. The case studies show that gender-sensitive adaptation results in better livelihood options and incomes, improved yields, more food security and reduced workloads for women and their families. They also show that women and men are better able to make informed decisions about their lives, thus balancing their human development priorities when giving attention to sustainable natural resource management.

Independent review of the social impacts of golden agri resources' forest conservation policy in Kapuas Hulu District, West Kalimantan

Forest Peoples Programme, 2014

Plantation companies seeking to avoid destroying forests and contributing to climate change have been advised to set aside forests and peat lands within their concessions. But what are the implications for forest peoples? Do they benefit or does this further curtail their rights? This field study looks at how Golden Agri Resources (GAR) is piloting this approach in the centre of Indonesian Borneo, in Kapuas Hulu, an upland area famous for its large lakes, extensive forests and peat swamps, and productive inland fisheries.

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Photo Competition: Forest landscapes in Southeast Asia

CIFOR
Submission deadline: 15 April

In the lead-up to the Forests Asia Summit, the Center for International Forestry Research and its partners will host a global photographic competition to highlight the importance of forests for Southeast-Asia’s communities, economies and nature. All photos submitted will be uploaded to www.forestsasia.org and a global online audience will vote for their favorites.

International Photo Competition ‘Forest-Agriculture Interface: Gender Lens’

CIAT
Submission deadline: 31 May

CIAT’s Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) Gender Integration Program is taking the initiative to do science with a difference – publishing a photo book as an output of the International Photo Competition 2014 on ‘Forest-Agriculture Interface through Gender Lens’.

International Conference – Forest Change 2014

IUFRO
2-4 April 2014, Freising, Germany

FChange 2014 is an IUFRO conference on forest resources inventory and monitoring.

JOBS

Supporting Forests and Biodiversity (SFB) Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Application deadline: 26 March 2014

Intern - Securing community forestry, RECOFTC

Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Application deadline: 16 March 2014

Intern - People, Forests and Climate Change

Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Application deadline: 16 Mar 2014

Intern - Transforming Forest Conflict

Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Application deadline: 16 March 2016

RECOFTC UPDATES

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, RECOFTC hold national forum for people and forests in Lao PDR

More than 80 representatives of government, civil society organizations, local communities, NGOs, academia and international organizations came together in Vientiane, Lao PDR on 6-7 March 2014 for the Laos National Forum for People and Forests.  

Taking action for community forestry in Cambodia

More than 150 representatives from government, communities, NGOs, donors, the private sector and academia came together in Phnom Penh on 25-26 February for the unprecedented First National Forum for People and Forests 2014. The Forum culminated in a Call for Action on the theme ‘Pathways to Sustainable Forest Management and Livelihood Innovations.’

Village forestry in Lao PDR gets a boost

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR and RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests signed a five-year memorandum of understanding in Vientiane. The agreement aims to develop capacity for sustainable community-based forest management in Lao PDR.

UN conference a success for forests and climate change, but how to implement agreements still unclear - Asia-Pacific experts

Climate change experts from around the Asia and the Pacific region came together in Thailand recently to assess major agreements reached on forests and climate change at the COP19 conference in Warsaw, and their implications for the region.

Partnership for regional sustainable forest management formed

The ASEAN-Korea Forest Cooperation Secretariat (AFoCo) and RECOFTC signed a three-year memorandum of understanding  today at RECOFTC headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand.

In memorium

Yati Bun, Papua New Guinea

Mr Bun was a founding member of FSC and a close friend of RECOFTC. Over the years, Mr Bun played an indispensable role in using FSC certification to change the ground rules of forestry in Papua New Guinea. He passed away while in the field in Oaxaca, Mexico last month. Please join is in commemorating Mr Bun and his many groundbreaking contributions to the field of forestry.

CONTACT US

For more information contact:

Nicholas Wilder
Editor, People and Forests E-News
Strategic Communication
nicholas.wilder@recoftc.org

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