“I just love the sounds of the rainforest. Can you recognize this animal?” Sagong played a recording from his mobile phone and asked Joanna. She guessed right that it was the sound of gibbons. “Do you hear another sound at the back of the sound of the gibbon?” I can’t hear it, said Joanna… Sagong said that it’s a hornbill calling but he also said with a sound of regret in his voice that there’s fewer calls of the hornbill these days from the forest.

Sagong, a Penan village leader, accompanied his two daughters to a youth and leaders workshop organized by NTFP-EP Malaysia on subsistence and rights to forest and land.

He was both a participant and resource person at the workshop. He took many stories with him to the workshop and shared as well some of his fears and his own call for unity to save their home – forest.

The 2-days workshop began with a sharing of the 17 or so participants fears and dislikes about the forests. They then reflected on the benefits of some of the things they didn’t like about the forest such as the leeches and logging.. They also reflected on the things that they value about the forest and what is important about it to them and their livelihood.

They played a few games symbolizing some key message; one was about trust and unity in the community and the support of leaders for the youth.

In the afternoon of Day 1 was the game of the Web of Life… the interconnectedness of the forest, a healthy ecosystem with the the life of a Penan. Like a spider web , once the web is broken, the spider loses its bearings and….slowly dies?

On Day 2, they reflected about their experiences of protecting the forest. Sagong volunteered his and his community’s experience about organizing a blockade in the early years. He shared how the community came together to stop a big logging company from coming in and cutting their forest. Some of their attempts bore fruit but some actions were not well coordinated and prepared and so did not quite succeed in achieving their purpose. They learned a lesson from this about preparing well and about working and preparing together and not alone.

In the evening ,as the youth and leaders each shared their reflections of the 2 days, they felt good about the experience. A young girl from Long Kawa said she was not planning to attend but she came because her friends were coming. In the end, she was quite happy that she joined. She said that she learned a lot. Some discovered and now understand a bit about what their fathers and other elders in the village discuss about – about their concerns – and about the blockades and why they were carried out in the first place. They understood better now and they believe that their forests are worth fighting for.

They learned more about themselves and that they can come out of their shell, be active and speak more .

They enjoyed the games and the laughter and fun. They also appreciated the serious part.

“It is better than going to class” – a young Penan boy said, “because here we talk about the real life.”

“There is a sound of the forest that tells us that it is daytime. At midday we hear a different sound. Different kinds of birds and their sounds tell us a lot about how well the forest is.. It is a sign of life – of a good forest.

I want to live like a Penan. I don’t want to lose my forest. The identify of the Penan will be gone if we lose the forest. We must care for it and protect it.”

From the call of the birds to the call of Penan youth – I left Ba Puak village with a feeling of hope.

Green Intermediaries