GACF online http://www.gacfonline.com A Global Initiative Towards Comunity Forestry Wed, 16 May 2012 06:56:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Forest conservation campaigner severely injured http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/05/forest-conservation-campaigner-severely-injured/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/05/forest-conservation-campaigner-severely-injured/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 11:28:24 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=1050 Nanda Devi Kunwar Chairperson of the proposed Madhumalati Community Forest, Dhangadi Kailali district, Far West of Nepal was seriously injured by the group of forest encroacher. Under the leadership of Hari Bhat Nanda Devi was attacked in a planned way. Her hands were cut off while defending the attack on her neck. The group had been grabbing the land owned by the community forest by means of terror and threat. This incident had shocked the conservationist and forest activist. FECOFUN salutes the spirit of Nanda Devi Kunwar which still remains fearless and ever driven to conserve the community forest.

Under the leadership of Mr Ghan Shyam Pandey, team of FECOFUN met Nanda Devi to understand the incident and to observe her health condition. FECOFUN highly condemns this action and had organised  press conference.Press statement  was released by FECOFUN  and also wish to recover her health. Under the coordination of Apsara Chapagain Nanda Devi treatment support committee is formed for her further treatment process. In the support committee there is representation of federations, networks and human rights activists working in the sector of Natural resources. For her support current account is opened in Rastriya Banijya Bank New Baneswor (account number 3265). Everyone is highly requested to help the great forest conservationist.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/05/forest-conservation-campaigner-severely-injured/feed/ 0 Strengthening Inclusiveness in Natural Resource http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/04/strengthening-inclusiveness-in-natural-resource/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/04/strengthening-inclusiveness-in-natural-resource/#comments Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:17:44 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=1047 Forests are considered as the second most important natural resource after water globally. There is very little representation of Women, Dalits Madhesis Janajati and poor in representation, management, utilization, benefit sharing and decision making it is very important to ensure the inclusiveness in forest resources. In this context Global AllianForests are considered as the second most important natural resource after water globally. There is very little representation of Women, Dalits Madhesis Janajati and poor in representation, management, utilization, benefit sharing and decision making it is very important to ensure the inclusiveness in forest resources. In this context Global Alliance of Community Forest (GACF) along Federation of Community forest users Nepal (FECOFUN) and Rights and Resources Initiatives (RRI) jointly organized a half day interaction workshop on “Strengthening Inclusiveness in Natural Resource” on 27th march at Trade tower Nepal Thapathali with inclusive participation of the natural resource experts, forest activist, journalists, members of FECOFUN and other stakeholdersce of Community Forest (GACF) along Federation of Community forest users Nepal (FECOFUN) and Rights and Resources Initiatives (RRI) jointly organized a half day interaction workshop on “strengthening Inclusiveness in Natural Resource” on 27th march at Trade Tower Nepal Thapathali with inclusive participation of the natural resource experts, forest activist, journalists, members of FECOFUN and other stakeholders.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/04/strengthening-inclusiveness-in-natural-resource/feed/ 0 FECOFUN on the movement!!! http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/03/fecofun-on-the-movement/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/03/fecofun-on-the-movement/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:14:05 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=1040 Ensuring community forest right had been a great challenge always. Multipe factors threaten the community forest right which had continuously curtailed the community rights.   Ministry of forest and Soil Conservation is trying to amend the Forest Act 1993 which bears the high risk of weakening the community rights over Natural resources . Amendment of forest act, expansion of conservation and protected areas, accusations of CFUG corruption, administrative hurdles like the requirement of IEE and EIA etc are the major factors which pose constant threat to community rights over community forest. These issues present FECOFUN for continous advocacy efforts on behalf of its thousand CFUGs and forest dependent communities. In this context, FECOFUN   had put forward the  series of activities against the decision of Government and had already submitted the press release.

Date Activities Where
Till March 15 2012 Press release and inform about the movement In all Districts
Till March 28 Meeting of District and local level  federation and formation of forest movement fund In all Districts
Till April 2 Protest  meeting from CFUG and local level , expose name of corrupt forest bureaucrats In all Districts, Local level and in CFUGs
Till April 6 Remonstration  at district forest office of all districts In all Districts
Till April 13 Remonstration at Forest Department Centre
May 15 Mass meeting Centre

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/03/fecofun-on-the-movement/feed/ 0 National level meeting on CFR vs JFM http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/national-level-meeting-on-cfr-vs-jfm/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/national-level-meeting-on-cfr-vs-jfm/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:27:34 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=1028 National level meeting was organized by OJM in Odisha Bhubaneswor in 30th and 31st January 2012 on CFR vs JFM. Total of 83 participants including 15 female were actively involved in the meeting.District forest Federations and other federations from twenty districts were participated.

There was presence of different Networks and NGOs such as CSD Odisha chapter, Odisha Narisamaj, RCDC, Vasundhara, FES, MASS, Gramswaraj and SPREAD.VNC & SAHAYOG pariwar from Maharastra also took part in the meeting.GACF, FECOFUN & ASMITA Nepal also got chance to paticipate in the meeting. CFR issues &challenges of the state in the context of JFM was the main agenda discussed during the meeting. A tentative plan of action was prepared jointly with OJM and CSD to speed up the CFR process at Odisha level.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/national-level-meeting-on-cfr-vs-jfm/feed/ 0 Press release against amendment of Forest Act by FECOFUN http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/press-release-against-amendment-of-forest-act-by-fecofun/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/press-release-against-amendment-of-forest-act-by-fecofun/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:38:12 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=1023 Following the autocratic movement Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MOFSc) had incessantly attempted to curtail the rights of local community, CFUGs, women, poor, ethnic groups, Dalits and other forest dependent communities by amendment of Forest Act 1993. Interaction with different stakeholders is continuously going on to stop the process but MOFSc is solely trying to amend the Forest Act without consulting different stakeholders and organizations. Although MOFSc has been justifying the proposal on the grounds of enhancing the state revenue, experts say that the proposed amendment is merely trigerred by a few cases of irregurarity and overexploitaion of forest in some regions. FECOFUN, Usergroups and associated federations made a combine press release against this process. The associated organizations are NGO federation, NEFIN, COFSUN, Himawanti, DNF, Forest action   and Danar Nepal.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/press-release-against-amendment-of-forest-act-by-fecofun/feed/ 0 Protest against the illegal tree felling http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/protest-against-the-illegal-tree-felling/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/protest-against-the-illegal-tree-felling/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:45:28 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=1019 Villagers of Nayagarh district (Odisha) protested against the illegal tree felling by forest department in Indipata village of Gania block of Nayagarh district which is CFR applied village. But local forester is cutting tree for plantation purpose without the consent of the villagers. The villagers are now protesting the illegal work of Forest department and sent memorandums to various places.  To indentify the detail a joint fact findings team (CSD & OJM) is visiting Indipata village.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2012/02/protest-against-the-illegal-tree-felling/feed/ 0 Rally for faster recognition of community forest rights under FRA-2006. http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/12/rally-for-faster-recognition-of-community-forest-rights-under-fra-2006/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/12/rally-for-faster-recognition-of-community-forest-rights-under-fra-2006/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:03:46 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=1016 Press Release By OJM

The forest rights act 2006 creates the opportunity for legal recognition of the rights over the de facto sustainable use, conservation and management of the forest resources by the community. The process of recognition of community rights in Odisha is going with very slow pace without adopting the proper procedure laid down in the law. Though implementation of FRA started from 2008 only 794 community titles has been distributed till N0ovember 2011. In all the titles the rights claimed by the community as prescribed under act has not been reflected. There has been drastic shrinkage of the actually forest area claimed as reflected in the title. Largely the VSS areas is considered in issuing the titles as community forest resources, excluding vast areas of customarily used community forest resources areas, which indeed contradicts the act. Odisha Jungle Mancha putting forth the following demands with the government for speedy and proper recognition community rights in Odisha:

1. A time bound awareness program by the government need to be undertaken by the government with the forestry federations and civil society groups to educate the villagers on process of recognition of community rights.

2. The required documents such as maps, evidences, etc. for claiming the community right need to be supplied to the Gram Sabha and FRC by the SDLC which has already been mentioned in the act.

3. Immediate issue of titles to the villages where the joint verification has already been completed.

4. In all the villages process of the community right need to be started and title need to be issued with active support of the govt authority.

5. In CFR area all plantation and forest development activities need to be stopped till settlement of community rights.

6. Revise those titles already issued without mentioning all the types and nature of forest rights mentioned in the act.

7. All the titles issued should reflect the areas under traditional and customary boundaries and not only focusing only the VSS area.

8.Rights need to be recognized according to the local existing system of the protection and management.

9. JFM resolution 2011 and VSSs need to be scrapped and the management of forest by the Gram sabha, which is the prescription of the law, needs to be encouraged.

10. After implementation of FRA-2006, villagers are the owner of the bamboo and kendu leaf. The lease of bamboo by the govt need to be stopped. Monopoly on kendu leaf trade by the government need to be ended.

11. The guidelines for CFR determination and management which has been discussed in SLMC meeting on 24.10.2011 and submitted to Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt of India is contradicting with FRA-2006. So it needs to be withdrawn and CFR determination and management need to be under taken according to prescription of FRA-2006 and FR rule -2007.Press release
Rally for faster recognition of community forest rights under
FRA-2006.
The forest rights act 2006 creates the opportunity for legal recognition of the rights
over the de facto sustainable use, conservation and management of the forest
resources by the community. The process of recognition of community rights in
Odisha is going with very slow pace without adopting the proper procedure laid
down in the law. Though implementation of FRA started from 2008 only 794
community titles has been distributed till N0ovember 2011. In all the titles the
rights claimed by the community as prescribed under act has not been reflected.
There has been drastic shrinkage of the actually forest area claimed as reflected in
the title. Largely the VSS areas is considered in issuing the titles as community
forest resources, excluding vast areas of customarily used community forest
resources areas, which indeed contradicts the act.
Odisha Jungle Mancha putting forth the following demands with the government
for speedy and proper recognition community rights in Odisha:
1. A time bound awareness program by the government need to be
undertaken by the government with the forestry federations and civil
society groups to educate the villagers on process of recognition of
community rights.
2. The required documents such as maps, evidences, etc. for claiming the
community right need to be supplied to the Gram Sabha and FRC by the
SDLC which has already been mentioned in the act.
3. Immediate issue of titles to the villages where the joint verification has
already been completed.
4. In all the villages process of the community right need to be started and
title need to be issued with active support of the govt authority.
5. In CFR area all plantation and forest development activities need to be
stopped till settlement of community rights.
6. Revise those titles already issued without mentioning all the types and
nature of forest rights mentioned in the act.
7. All the titles issued should reflect the areas under traditional and
customary boundaries and not only focusing only the VSS area.Press release
Rally for faster recognition of community forest rights under
FRA-2006.
The forest rights act 2006 creates the opportunity for legal recognition of the rights
over the de facto sustainable use, conservation and management of the forest
resources by the community. The process of recognition of community rights in
Odisha is going with very slow pace without adopting the proper procedure laid
down in the law. Though implementation of FRA started from 2008 only 794
community titles has been distributed till N0ovember 2011. In all the titles the
rights claimed by the community as prescribed under act has not been reflected.
There has been drastic shrinkage of the actually forest area claimed as reflected in
the title. Largely the VSS areas is considered in issuing the titles as community
forest resources, excluding vast areas of customarily used community forest
resources areas, which indeed contradicts the act.
Odisha Jungle Mancha putting forth the following demands with the government
for speedy and proper recognition community rights in Odisha:
1. A time bound awareness program by the government need to be
undertaken by the government with the forestry federations and civil
society groups to educate the villagers on process of recognition of
community rights.
2. The required documents such as maps, evidences, etc. for claiming the
community right need to be supplied to the Gram Sabha and FRC by the
SDLC which has already been mentioned in the act.
3. Immediate issue of titles to the villages where the joint verification has
already been completed.
4. In all the villages process of the community right need to be started and
title need to be issued with active support of the govt authority.
5. In CFR area all plantation and forest development activities need to be
stopped till settlement of community rights.
6. Revise those titles already issued without mentioning all the types and
nature of forest rights mentioned in the act.
7. All the titles issued should reflect the areas under traditional and
customary boundaries and not only focusing only the VSS area.Press release
Rally for faster recognition of community forest rights under
FRA-2006.
The forest rights act 2006 creates the opportunity for legal recognition of the rights
over the de facto sustainable use, conservation and management of the forest
resources by the community. The process of recognition of community rights in
Odisha is going with very slow pace without adopting the proper procedure laid
down in the law. Though implementation of FRA started from 2008 only 794
community titles has been distributed till N0ovember 2011. In all the titles the
rights claimed by the community as prescribed under act has not been reflected.
There has been drastic shrinkage of the actually forest area claimed as reflected in
the title. Largely the VSS areas is considered in issuing the titles as community
forest resources, excluding vast areas of customarily used community forest
resources areas, which indeed contradicts the act.
Odisha Jungle Mancha putting forth the following demands with the government
for speedy and proper recognition community rights in Odisha:
1. A time bound awareness program by the government need to be
undertaken by the government with the forestry federations and civil
society groups to educate the villagers on process of recognition of
community rights.
2. The required documents such as maps, evidences, etc. for claiming the
community right need to be supplied to the Gram Sabha and FRC by the
SDLC which has already been mentioned in the act.
3. Immediate issue of titles to the villages where the joint verification has
already been completed.
4. In all the villages process of the community right need to be started and
title need to be issued with active support of the govt authority.
5. In CFR area all plantation and forest development activities need to be
stopped till settlement of community rights.
6. Revise those titles already issued without mentioning all the types and
nature of forest rights mentioned in the act.
7. All the titles issued should reflect the areas under traditional and
customary boundaries and not only focusing only the VSS areaPress release
Rally for faster recognition of community forest rights under
FRA-2006.
The forest rights act 2006 creates the opportunity for legal recognition of the rights
over the de facto sustainable use, conservation and management of the forest
resources by the community. The process of recognition of community rights in
Odisha is going with very slow pace without adopting the proper procedure laid
down in the law. Though implementation of FRA started from 2008 only 794
community titles has been distributed till N0ovember 2011. In all the titles the
rights claimed by the community as prescribed under act has not been reflected.
There has been drastic shrinkage of the actually forest area claimed as reflected in
the title. Largely the VSS areas is considered in issuing the titles as community
forest resources, excluding vast areas of customarily used community forest
resources areas, which indeed contradicts the act.
Odisha Jungle Mancha putting forth the following demands with the government
for speedy and proper recognition community rights in Odisha:
1. A time bound awareness program by the government need to be
undertaken by the government with the forestry federations and civil
society groups to educate the villagers on process of recognition of
community rights.
2. The required documents such as maps, evidences, etc. for claiming the
community right need to be supplied to the Gram Sabha and FRC by the
SDLC which has already been mentioned in the act.
3. Immediate issue of titles to the villages where the joint verification has
already been completed.
4. In all the villages process of the community right need to be started and
title need to be issued with active support of the govt authority.
5. In CFR area all plantation and forest development activities need to be
stopped till settlement of community rights.
6. Revise those titles already issued without mentioning all the types and
nature of forest rights mentioned in the act.
7. All the titles issued should reflect the areas under traditional and
customary boundaries and not only focusing only the VSS area.
]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/12/rally-for-faster-recognition-of-community-forest-rights-under-fra-2006/feed/ 0 State level demonstration by OJM http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/state-level-demonstration-by-ojm/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/state-level-demonstration-by-ojm/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:35:07 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=995 District level demonstration was organized by Kalahandi Jungle surakshaya Mahasangha against poor implementation of Community Forest Rights. 550 people were participated in rally demanding Community forest rights  under FRA 2006.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/state-level-demonstration-by-ojm/feed/ 0 India Nepal Community Forest Visit Program http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/india-nepal-community-forest-visit-program/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/india-nepal-community-forest-visit-program/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:11:46 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=988 Aiming with the objective of sharing experiences and expanding knowledge on community forestry practices in Nepal and India /Odisha state, 10 members of Odisha Jungle Manch (OJM) including participants form Regional Centre for development cooperation (RCDC) and Basundhara were taken to the eastern region of Nepal i.e. Jhapa Morang and Sunsari districts to have direct observation of FECOFUN district chapter activities and status of community forestry users group (CFUGs) in different district. Five CFUGs were visited, Thoplebiran and Jamunbari of Jhapa district, Graminsudhar and Janasewa of Morang district and Hariyali of Sunsari district.

The program trip was managed by GACF secretariat based in Kathmandu with support from FECOFUN central and district chapter, Nepal. Interaction/ meeting with the FECOFUN centre, government bodies and GACF was held in Kathmandu. The study tour created an environment to learn the opportunities and challenges of community forest and to the practices of economic empowerment, sustainable resource management, networking, capacity strengthening, gender balance and social justice .It also helped to exchange the ideas and build the capacity. Moreover, it helped to tie up and strengthen the relation of both the countries and within Nepal also.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/india-nepal-community-forest-visit-program/feed/ 0 Nepal’s community forest makes it to the top 12 list of BBC World Challenge 2011. http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/nepal%e2%80%99s-community-forest-makes-it-to-the-top-12-list-of-bbc-world-challenge-2011/ http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/nepal%e2%80%99s-community-forest-makes-it-to-the-top-12-list-of-bbc-world-challenge-2011/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:34:46 +0000 Gacf-online http://www.gacfonline.com/?p=983 Named as the “Herbal Remedy,” BBC World Challenge 2011 has short-listed the Shiva Community Forest’s project as one of the top 12 projects from around the world that demonstrate enterprise and innovation at the grassroots level and help in social and environmental benefits.
Shiva Community Forest is home to endangered species including tigers, Asian elephants and the Indian rhino. Local people have to contend with crop destruction by these wild species. Now, Shiva Community Forest has found a non-lethal way to keep rhinos away from farms by planting chamomile and mint.
In 2002, they discovered that mint and chamomile, both plants repulsive to mega herbivores like rhinos, drove them away with just their smell. Soon, they had the plants bordering their farmlands and the jungles. The farmers no longer needed to sit around in their tall bamboo towers and keep a lookout for these wild animals. They had earned themselves some leisure and a sense of security. More was to follow. The two plants not only made for an eco-friendly defense mechanism against wild animals, they also were highly valued cash crops.
In 2003, with technical support from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal, the Shiva Community Forest User’s Group (CFUG) set up a distillation plant to extract oil from their mint and chamomile harvest. Now they have 12 such distillation plants processing the essential oil which they sell at the nearest market in Nepalgunj, and from where it is brought to Kathmandu and then exported to Europe.
More than 60 percent of the families of the CFUG were below poverty line. Currently, the users group earns an average of US$13,500 per year. The economic benefits have further improved their livelihood and they’ve been able to invest in other sectors such as education, tourism and even in wildlife conservation.

Named as the “Herbal Remedy,” BBC World Challenge 2011 has short-listed the Shiva Community Forest’s project as one of the top 12 projects from around the world that demonstrate enterprise and innovation at the grassroots level and help in social and environmental benefits.

Shiva Community Forest is home to endangered species including tigers, Asian elephants and the Indian rhino. Local people have to contend with crop destruction by these wild species. Now, Shiva Community Forest has found a non-lethal way to keep rhinos away from farms by planting chamomile and mint.

In 2002, they discovered that mint and chamomile, both plants repulsive to mega herbivores like rhinos, drove them away with just their smell. Soon, they had the plants bordering their farmlands and the jungles. The farmers no longer needed to sit around in their tall bamboo towers and keep a lookout for these wild animals. They had earned themselves some leisure and a sense of security. More was to follow. The two plants not only made for an eco-friendly defense mechanism against wild animals, they also were highly valued cash crops.

In 2003, with technical support from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal, the Shiva Community Forest User’s Group (CFUG) set up a distillation plant to extract oil from their mint and chamomile harvest. Now they have 12 such distillation plants processing the essential oil which they sell at the nearest market in Nepalgunj, and from where it is brought to Kathmandu and then exported to Europe.

More than 60 percent of the families of the CFUG were below poverty line. Currently, the users group earns an average of US$13,500 per year. The economic benefits have further improved their livelihood and they’ve been able to invest in other sectors such as education, tourism and even in wildlife conservation.

]]> http://www.gacfonline.com/2011/11/nepal%e2%80%99s-community-forest-makes-it-to-the-top-12-list-of-bbc-world-challenge-2011/feed/ 0