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The Forest Governance Learning Group – India (FGLG -India) is
part of a wider international project**, with activities being
carried out in parallel in seven countries in Africa, as well as
in India, Indonesia and Vietnam in Asia, which aims at improved
governance of forest resources in these ten countries.
The FGLG – India will address the theme of ‘Governance tactics
for forestry enterprise’ by learning - “what good practice for
governing forest enterprise looks like”, and what is needed to
spread such good governance. The group will work principally in
the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh. These
States have been selected as focal states as they all have:
large forest areas, large tribal areas, significant populations
living in poverty, great dependence on NTFPs, conflicts over
natural resources, and yet much potential for poverty reduction
from improved governance of forest resources. Five products, viz
- Mahua, Tamarind, Beedi leaf, Bamboo and Sal seed, which are
important to both - the livelihoods of tribal & other
marginalised communities and to the forest ecosystem of the
central Indian states, are selected.
Whilst local and state initiatives to address forest governance
may differ, there is much scope for exchanging learning and take
the work forward from the existing level of debate by
intervening appropriately through - filling the gaps in
implementation and developing regional policy interventions.
Thus, the issues considered by the FGLG in the three selected
states will be relevant and useful to a broader area of central
India. The Group will spread learning by looking beyond the
focal states and making links to the national level.
The work of FGLG – India will be carried out in two Phases of 18
months each. During the Phase of first 18 months - Synthesis of
existing information and gap analysis will be taken up in each
of the states for the selected products and the same will be
used to produce one combined document and a set of briefing
papers. The final documents will look at inter-state issues and
differences considering each of the selected NTFPs in the three
states. Following completion of the combined synthesis and gap
analysis, the Group will host a national level workshop to
present and discuss the findings. Depending on the findings of
the initial synthesis and the outcome of the workshop, the Group
will design a further programme of work according to identified
needs.
Towards the end of the first 18 month phase, the Group and IIED
will meet - to review progress to date, to re-assess priorities,
and to develop a work plan for the second 18 month phase. |
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Dr. D. Suryakumari, Convenor
FGLG India
&
Elaine Morrison,
International Institute for Environment and Development,
Email:
Elaine.Morrison@iied.org
**Further information on the international project is available
on IIED’s website:
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Poverty reduction strategies, national forest
programmes, decentralisation programmes and related
processes enable improved forest governance |
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Illegal and corrupt forestry that degrades
livelihoods is reduced through the adoption and spread of
practical approaches to improve forest governance |
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Forestry enterprise initiatives and private
sector associations comply with the law and spread practical
approaches to improve forest governance |
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Ownership, access rights, policy and
management frameworks are improved to support local control
and benefit from forestry |
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The project will
also support regional exchange of emerging lessons between the
Asian FGLGs. The London-based International Institute for
Environment and Development (IIED) coordinates the international
project and the Bangkok-based Regional Community Forestry
Training Centre (RECOFTC) is a partner in implementing the Asian
component. The project is funded by the European Commission and
the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The international
project is taking place over four years, February 2005 to
January 2009, and the Asian component over the final three
years, commencing in February 2006.
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-
spread learning
about workable approaches to good forest governance
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make measurable progress in improving sustainable local
returns to livelihoods from law enforcement, private sector
responsibility and enhanced local ownership and access rights
and
build long-term capacity to spread these improvements.
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In all their
activities the Group members will follow the guiding principles
such as:
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To stand back from what may be their
conventional approaches
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To take an objective view
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To consider other tactics and methods of
influencing those charged with implementation, and
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To learn from each other’s experience and
from experience elsewhere
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The Group will
operate informally and flexibly and will not develop a visible
high-profile identity unless it becomes necessary in order to
achieve its objectives. Rather, the Group members will use their
current positions and experience to influence those with the
power to make decisions that affect poor and marginalised people
in central India. All the Group members have a substantial body
of experience and networks on which to draw, and establishment
of the Group will enable them to make better use of existing
knowledge as well as generating and spreading new information.
The Group will ensure that its own governance will meet the
standards it advocates, through transparency, participatory
decision-making and sharing of information.
For the first 18 month period (February 2006 to July 2007), the
Group will be convened by Dr. D. Suryakumari, Director of the
Centre for People’s Forestry (CPF) in Secunderabad. The CPF will
host the Group and provide support services.
Group membership may be expanded gradually as initial work
informs and sets the direction for further work, and the
specific skills and experience required can be better
identified. ‘Call-in’ members may well be invited to join the
Group for specific activities over short periods of time. The
Group will be an informal group of individuals who are able to
use their own positions, contacts and experience to represent
the interests of the poor and marginalised, and to influence
those who hold positions of power in terms of governance of
forest resources.
The Forest Governance Learning Group will strive to collaborate
and share information with other initiatives in the three focal
states where appropriate. |
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