At the XV World Forestry Congress in Seoul, South Korea a consortium of three organizations is taking the initiative to ensure that #WorldForestVoices include those of indigenous and local communities.

#CommunitiesSpeak is an advocacy agenda that weaves together the voices and experiences of a network of smallholders, community forest and farm producers and enterprises, indigenous peoples, and local communities living in forests and forested landscapes.

The Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), NTFP-EP formed and co-organized the consortium together with their networks to ensure that the indigenous peoples and local communities and their support group of civil society organizations are heard in relevant regional and global forestry events.

This year, the consortium continues its agenda at the World Forestry Congress 2021, building on the momentum gained by the consortium during the Asia Pacific Forestry Week 2016 in Pampanga, Philippines and 2019 in Incheon, South Korea.

Side Events and Interventions

The consortium is actively engaging in the weeklong congress. Specifically, a number of hybrid side events have been organized and specific interventions where the members are invited to deliver:

Side Event – Communities Speak About Forests and Livelihood: Enabling mechanisms for a successful community enterprise initiative in forested landscapes

This hybrid side event aims to (1) highlight emerging models and initiatives that have successfully led to value creation and redounding of benefits to community forestry members, forest-based artisans, and small scale harvesters & producers; (2) discuss the challenges/struggles they experienced; and (3) present enabling mechanisms and responses to effectively overcome these challenges.

May 4, 2022 – 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM KST (GMT+9)
Venue: Room 307B
More info and Zoom link:
https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/382466c9-2199-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

Side Event – Communities Speak: Indigenous Peoples’ Local Actions and Initiatives are vital to implement Paris Agreement and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework​

This hybrid side event will highlight local stories that are contributing to the fight against the climate crisis and to protect biodiversity; discuss the challenges and gaps in the national climate and biodiversity action plan; and present key recommendations for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Date and Time: May 5, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM KST
Venue: Room 318A
More info and Zoom link:
https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/372466c9-2199-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

Sub-theme 4 – Session 4: Forests for social cohesion

Femy Pinto, Executive Director of NTFP-EP Asia and Myline Macabuhay, Coordinator for Land Rights Initiative of the Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), will be part of the session that will discuss and exchange experience from practitioners on how different forms of social cohesion can help in achieving sustainable forest landscapes.

Date and Time: May 4, 2022 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM KST
Venue: Conference room 201+202
More info and Zoom link:
https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/439ce861-e792-ec11-a507-a04a5e7d20d9

Side event: Positioning civil society in forest governance: the rise from advising and facilitating roles towards legitimate influencing

In this side event programme officer Dazzle Labapis will discuss NTFP-EP’s experience in working with different stakeholders in the civil society on forest governance.

Date and Time: May 4, 2022. 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM KST
Venue: Conference Room 308B
More info and Zoom link:
https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/95aa3831-db99-ec11-a22a-a04a5e7cd2d9?fbclid=IwAR1WAZY-DH3Y_MfT1VK1YwQC2Pvr1heKqnlpqhpevtMAqEZevPO08n2cawk

Poster Presentation and Exhibition Booth

NTFP-EP’s Programme Officer, Diana San Jose and Executive Director Femy Pinto, will be sharing their poster presentation titled, “Wild Foods and the Way Forward: Insights from South and Southeast Asia” on May 3 and 5, 2022.

You can view their poster here:
https://programme.wfc2021korea.org/en/session/dcba1897-a9c1-ec11-997e-a04a5e7cf9dc?fbclid=IwAR04U-oaa83yUKSRkiVlcAqdHFmxkKAm5hQWo7O7kabTIvMpvrSPdwoX2kU

Exhibition Booth

The consortium’s exhibition can be found at Booth F15 in the Exhibition Hall.

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