Exchange News
Around the Region from April – October 2005

Indigenous Peoples’ Sustainable Management of Land and Forest Resources
Organized by the NTFP-EP,  in collaboration with Persatuan Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (POASM) and Borneo Resources Institute (BRIMAS), two separate seminars were held in Kuching and Kuala Lumpur from 21-23 April. They were designed to facilitate the sharing of experiences on sustainable forest management amongst participants from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) chairperson, Atty. Reuben Lingating, was the keynote speaker at both occasions. He shared the experience of Philippine indigenous peoples struggling for recognition prior to the Indigenous peoples Rights Act was passed into law in 1997. Since then, the NCIP, which is mandated to implement various programmes for IPs, had experienced both successes and challenges. Now, it is confronted with issues on conflicting management prerogatives over ancestral domains and the need for harmonization of laws.

Other speakers included Stephanus Djuweng (SEGERAK, Pontianak) and attorneys Baru Bian and Harrison Ngau,  both based in Miri. Djuweng inspired the audience with concrete examples of how indigenous communities can drive their own economic agenda, while the legal experts explained the concepts of native Customary Rights and native customary land based on the Land Code of 1958.

It was stressed that under section 66 of the Code, native rights to forest land are explicitly recognized. This even applies to land that is ‘pulau ulit’ (sacred forest), where under customary law the only activities allowed are hunting and the gathering of NTFPs. Examples were given and the speakers/lawyers advised the audience not to believe claims made by certain quarters that the natives don’t have any rights at all!

India NTFP Plan
The collaboration between NTFP-EP main partners in India is getting more intensive. In June, the organisations composed a plan of action covering five states in the Western and Eastern Ghats.  The plan, while dealing with such products as wild mango, mahua, tamarind, honey (of course!) as well as various medicinal plants and ingredients for cosmetics, addresses issues of
– securing sustainability of the harvest
– product development and marketing
– policies affecting their trade

It is further envisaged that the strengthening of initiatives on the ground will offer a platform for a future lobby campaign. The campaign will be directed  at convincing policy makers to work on an overhaul of the obsolete institutions and regulations, which obstruct efforts to improve the (often dire) income situation of tribal NTFP collectors in The Ghats.

A Future Beneath the Trees
Philippine partners Perla Espiel of AnthroWatch and Marvin ‘Bong’ Geolina of Father Vincent Cullen Tulugan Learning and Development Center (Bukidnon) represented the NTFP-EP at an international symposium from 25-27 August. The conference was organized by the Centre for Non-Timber Resources of Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC, Canada. {For more, see article in Not By Timber Alone, October 2005}

Buzzz in Banjarmasin
Updates during the second meeting of the Forest Honey Network Indonesia from 21-23 September revealed that the network has grown in a short time to eight sites in Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra. Further extension is foreseen in 2006.

Together, the network partners now deal with a potential volume of an estimated 200 tonnes of Apis dorsata honey.

Keystone honey technician Robert Leo contributed much appreciated advice.

And some real exciting news was brought by Bogor-based BioCert, represented by Pak Agung Prawoto. He announced that his organization had selected the network for a pilot for organic certification. The best part of the story is that the certification will come free of charge.

On-the-job in Manila
Sales staff of Keystone and Riak Bumi spent 10 days (August 5-17) at the Upland Marketing Foundation (UMFI) and CustomMade Crafts Center (CMCC) in Manila for on-the-job training in marketing.

Regional Meeting in Lambir
The annual EP Regional Meeting this year took place in Lambir National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia last 4-8 October.

More than 50 participants from Malaysia and the region attended, most of them for the first time. The meeting turned out to be a real morale booster and confidence builder for many.

Fair Trade of Indigenous Crafts
This year’s crafts conference gathered over 50 indigenous craft makers, NGO supporters and government representatives in 20-22 October in Manila.  NTFP-EP partners Tran Thi Hoa (TEW/CHESH/CIRD/CIRUM, Vietnam), Ibu Patmawati (P3R, Indonesia) and Tri Renya Altaria (Dian Niaga, Indonesia) joined Philippine partners in learning the concept of fair trade, particularly of handicrafts. Among the inspirations of fair trade in practice was Salay Handmade Paper Industries of Misamis, whose handmade paper and pressed flower creations – now exporting to Europe and the USA for over a decade  – provides employment to an entire community.  Among the most heatedly discussed issues was that of Intellectual Property Rights of indigenous peoples and their traditional designs.

Green Intermediaries