It is time to say your Vision for VCF!

Dear friends

On the basis of your discussion, I have put up a summary of all relevant issues in my earlier posting on this blog. We already have identified the major problems including some strategies and some doable actions. Yet I feel that we have a long way to go, and we need more discussion on VCFs issues from different perspectives – economic, political, legal, environment and cultural.

Photo: Ripan Chakma, Khagrachari

Today I am writing again to draw your kind attention to the two interrelated issues regarding VCF management in the CHT, Bangladesh. I look forward to your views on these issues:

a) A Vision for VCF: should we a vision for VCF? For how many years - for 5 years or10 years or any thought on it? Please share your vision for VCF in one sentence with us.

b) A Community protocol (CP): community people have been following the customary rules. However, to meet the need of time, should they have written rules (which I call community protocol)? Please note, these rules should be based on the existing customs and the best practices. A CP should look like a ‘constitution’ for the villagers to manage and protect their VCFs in a sustainable manner. If you agree with the idea of ‘community protocol’, please feel free to share your views about it, and what topics (e.g. management, control, access, prevention of encroachment and so on) should be included in the CP?

Let's have a collective dream, let's have a collective vision for VCF. Yours today’s participation will set in rays of hopes in people; your little idea can set in a big change in life, society and the world. Please share ideas for a social change.

Regards

Ashok

Tearsdrop of Karnafuli

A Summary of the discussions on VCFs

Dear friends
To facilitate a dialogue on VCF issues, I posted a write-up on 20 April 2010. Many have actively participated in this dialogue. I would like to extend my thanks to you all for your active participation in the discussion forum on this blog. Your feedback on the questions of Village Common Forests (VCFs) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, helps to understand the relevant issues. From your feedback, I have summarised the discussion points into the following areas.

1. THE MAJOR PROBLEMS FOR MANAGING VCFS IN THE CHT?
There are many problems, of which the major ones identified are:
a) No legal protection to VCFs (such as the Forest Act 1927 and 1994 forest law);
b) Lack of regulation
c) Disputes over VCFs between communities; and between the Bangladesh Forest Departments and VCF dwellers;
d) The duty bearers are not aware of VCFs
e) lack of awareness and/or lack of knowledge for conserving VCFs
f) Population pressures on VCFs
g) Lack of the government incentives for VCFs
h) Lack of participation
i) The unjust policies towards indigenous people of CHT

Message on Facebook, 22 May 2010

2. WHO AND HOW CAN HELP SOLVING THOSE PROBLEMS?
In general, the government has a major role to solve the problems related to VCFs. However, local communities, and institutions have to be involved in decision-making processes. In order to provide a legal protection and thereby strengthening local indigenous communities’ ownership over VCFs, the following are essential.
a) Recognition of indigenous land rights by the government. While recognition of indigenous land rights should be based on local customs and practices and international human rights laws. One participant expressed a view that UN (which body?) could create pressures on the government comply with international laws.
b) Recognition of community people’s knowledge in VCF management.
c) Recognition of women’s role in watershed management.

3. WHAT COULD BE DONE TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS?
From analysis of the participants’ views, the following actions have been identified.
a) Dialogues between policy-maker and community peoples on the issues of VCF and forest policy;
b) Raising awareness about the importance of VCFs through documentation and publications
c) Orientation with government officials on CHT cultures and practices.

4. THE BENEFITS/ POTENTIAL OF VCFS
Despite many problems on VCF management, a VCF has many benefits/potentials for the community as well as the country. These are
a) A VCF can a good model to combat the impacts of climate changes
b) A model of biodiversity conservation
c) Promotion of societal peace and harmony as VCFs encourages collectivism, not individualism
d) Given the land shortage problems, VCFs could provide maximum benefits in terms of supplying necessary forest resources.

I look forward to your feedback on this summary report.
Kind regards
Ashok

The project plan is open for comments

Dear classmates and friends!

My project plan is open for your comments. I would like to invite you all to drop into my blog. Your feedbacks and suggestions are most welcome. This project plan is not static, but a living document (although I have submitted it to my lecturer for assessment). This is an interactive learning process, where you and your friends can participate actively. I believe, your knowledge and ideas will guide us to taking the future course of collective action for social change.

Thank you very much for your kind participation.

Kind regards
Ashok  


BANGLA VERSION

প্রিয় সুহৃদ
একাডেমিক শিক্ষা চর্চার অংশ হিসেবে ব্লগ ব্যবহার করছি। আমাদের শিক্ষণ মূল্যায়নের জন্যে প্রত্যেককে একটা করে বিষয় নির্ধারণ করতে হয়েছে। আমাদের এ শিক্ষণ প্রকল্প কেবল একা করলে হবে না, সমষ্টিগতভাবে করতে হবে। সেখানে ক্লাশের সহপাঠীসহ যার যার এলাকার স্থানীয় জনগণ, উন্নয়নকর্মী, গবেষক ও আগ্রহী যে কোন ব্যক্তি এ ব্লগ আলোচনায় অংশগ্রহণ করতে পারবেন।
আমার শিক্ষণ প্রকল্পের বিষয় হিসেবে পার্বত্য চট্টগ্রামের গ্রামীণ বনভূমি’কে বেছে নিয়েছি। আমি কি করতে চাচ্ছি সে ব্যাপারে একটি নমুনা প্রকল্প পরিকল্পনা ইতোমধ্যে তৈরী করেছি। এ পরিকল্পনা সবার মতামতের জন্যে উন্মুক্ত করা হয়েছে (বামপাশে প্রকল্প পরিকল্পনা পৃষ্টা দেখুন)।আগ্রহী যে কেউ বাংলা বা ইংরেজীতে মতামত প্রদান করতে পারবেন। তবে বাংলায় মতামত দিতে হলে তা প্রথমে অন্য একটি ওয়ার্ড ফাইলে টাইপ করে পরে ব্লগে তা পেস্ট করতে হবে।ইংরেজীতে হলে সরাসরি মন্তব্য ঘরে লেখা যাবে।
আপনাদের সবার অংশগ্রহণ একান্তভাবে কামনা করছি।
ধন্যবাদসহ
অশোক

Questions on Village common forests: your ideas can make a big difference

I welcome everybody to my blog. No matter whether you are a student, academic, researcher, community worker or practitioner or whatever position you may hold, you are most welcome to share your ideas, experiences and thought on forestry as well as natural resource management whether it is in Chittagong Hill Tratcs of Bangladesh or any other parts of the world.

Bangladesh is a country, where the rate of deforestation is very high. According to some estimates such as Gain (2002) the forest cover in the country has shrunk to 6%. In spite of rapid deforestation, indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, have been able managing village forests commonly known as village common forests (VCFs) in and around their villages. Without government support, under the traditional leadership of mouza Headmen and Karbaries (village heads) indigenous communities have been managing VCFs since long time. However, with the increasing population pressure and privatisation of forests land, indigenous communities are losing control over forests.

VCF in CHT: A sustainable model of forest management

Climate change signifies the deforestation issue as a major development challenge. FAO estimates that 13 million hectares of the world's forests are disappearing annually, and that accounts for 20 per cent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. If deforestation continues at the present rate then the tropical forests may be lost by 2050. ...

Community Participation

This was a session on identifying potential community leaders who were or would be the most reliable and dedicated persons to the community cause. This was done through using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools. On the basis of the participants' preferences, the villagers would form a committee called Para (village) Development Committee (PDC). This PDC is considered as the main vehicle of village development planning and implementation of community actions.

In the end of the session, the community facilitators were presenting the findings of the participants' discussion. Participants had identified the most reliable and dedicated persons for village development. This exercise was done more transparently and decisions were taken democratically with active participation of males and females in the village.