And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: From: "Preston D. Hardison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Fw: Community Forestry Movement Launched Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 From: Barkin David -CE <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: ENVIRONMENT IN LATIN AMERICA NETWORK <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Fw: Community Forestry Movement Launched for listserves (fwd) Visit the new website http://www.forestsandcommunities.org/ Please circulate the webpage address and this press release to all of your contacts and listserves. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FORESTRY MOVEMENT LAUNCHED MARCH 17 1999: A new international community forestry movement was launched this month with the release of an International Statement on community forestry supported by over eighty individuals from eighteen countries. The "Saanich Statement" was developed by top community forestry experts from around the Asia-Pacific region during an international meeting held last October on the Saanich Peninsula, British Columbia, just north of Victoria. The Statement lists key principles necessary to sustain forests, communities and cultures around the world. "This declaration sets out the needed actions and policy reforms at the local, national and international levels if we are to sustain the world's forests and the people that depend on them," says Cheri Burda, of the University of Victoria’s Eco-Research Chair of Environmental Law and Policy, who has coordinated the project. Organizations around the world are being invited to sign onto the Statement and join the international network and movement. "This new network will work to support community forestry locally and globally in a similar way to the Forest Stewardship Council's support for ecologically-rigorous forest certification", says Dr. Michael M'Gonigle Professor and Eco-Research C hair of Environmental Law and Policy at University of Victoria, which hosted the meeting. "As the participants agreed, the network will act as an advocacy organization to support and promote policy change for community forestry here and around the world". While many community forestry networks currently exist around the world, they remain focused in the South, particularly Asia and Latin America. "There is a lot to be learnt from the tropical forest regions where many communities have successfully struggled for their right to manage forests to be recognized by regional and national authorities", says Patrick Anderson, Forest Campaigner for Greenpeace International. "This new network will provide an opportunity for Canada where community forestry is in its infancy to learn from these models." In regions such as Papua New Guinea, the international network is needed to support local initiatives. "There are many Community Forestry activities in PNG which make it very difficult for the State to control and suppress traditional land rights", says Sasa Zibe Kokino from Village Development Trust. "Through the network we will be able to gain support and awareness for these initiatives on an international level." "This International Statement and the Network are two very important international strategies that with time will promote and achieve objectives for sustainable development within forest communities", says Lujan Alvarez, Professor and Researcher at the University of Autonoma de Chihuahua in Mexico. "The Network and The Saanich Statement bring together common paths to support actions for sustainable forest communities at international, national and local levels." A new Network Web Site invites organizations to participate in the network by signing onto the Statement. The web site highlights community forestry solutions from around the world that are ecologically and socially sustainable. "Some community forestry models exist here in BC and elsewhere which are oriented towards short-term revenue generation or simply emulate the industrial model", says Rami Rothkop director of Harrop-Procter Watershed Protection Society, a community forestry initiative in British Columbia. "Community forestry, rather, should be a vehicle for more ecologically sustainable forestry and healthy, diverse, value-added local economies. It is the directive of the network to link and promote these types of alternatives". As well as linking North and South, the network links many sectors including NGO’s, academics, policy makers, foresters, government, consultants, community groups and aboriginal groups. "With the recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling, BC Aboriginal communities have a unique opportunity to legally require ecologically sound forest management principles in modern treaties", says Russell Collier a Land and Resource Planner with the Gitxsan Nation. "Through the network we will be able to advocate policy change on an international level as well as share our lessons, experience and expertise" WEB SITE: forestsandcommunities.org &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
