RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests
RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests is the only international not-for-profit organization that specializes in capacity building for community forestry and devolved forest management. Our mission is to help more communities actively and successfully manage forests in the Asia-Pacific region. In the past two decades, we have trained more than 4,000 people from 20 countries in devolved forest management. Working to ensure clear and strong rights, good governance, and a fair share of benefits, we complement our training services with on-the-ground projects, critical issues analysis, and strategic communication. RECOFTC delivers innovative solutions for people and forests.
WORK UNDER RAFT
REDD+ & Forest Conflict Media Outreach
In late 2010, RECOFTC collaborated with the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) to raise awareness among Asia-Pacific journalists about REDD+, why it is worth covering, key questions to ask, and things to watch for. Three media briefs were launched at a press event at the October 2010 UNFCCC meetings in Tianjin, and were key resources at a regional 2-day journalist training in early November.
By emphasizing the potential REDD+ presents both as a source of conflict, as well as an incentive to address longstanding conflicts and prevent future ones, the media engagement activities tie together RECOFTC’s work under RAFT coordinating the REDD Learning Network and Conflict Learning Network.
Contact: Celina Yong (celina.yong@recoftc.org), REDD Learning Network Coordinator – Bangkok, Thailand
REDD Learning Network
In 2009 and 2010, RECOFTC together with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) established a regional REDD Learning Network and held a series of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) ‘distillation workshops’. These have helped government delegates and civil society
representatives from the Asia-Pacific region prepare for UNFCCC negotiations on REDD and related national planning. Five workshop briefs capture the learning from these events and have been translated and disseminated throughout RAFT countries.
At the latest workshop, April 2010 in Sabah, Malaysia, government and civil society from eight Asia-Pacific countries shared experiences with forest certification and discussed lessons to be applied in the development of equitable, efficient and sustainable REDD methods.
Stay up to date about the UNFCCC process and what the latest developments and outcomes mean for people and forests in Asia-Pacific at RECOFTC’s UNFCCC blog
Contact: Celina Yong celina.yong@recoftc.org, REDD Learning Network Coordinator – Bangkok, Thailand
Conflict Learning Network
Managing conflicts is a central part of improved forest management, and a requirement for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Planners and decision-makers are increasingly realizing the need for conflict management skills in order to design and implement effective forest programs including those emerging in the context of REDD. Since 2006, RECOFTC has conducted a series of trainings involving nearly 60 staff from over 30 institutions in seven countries in the region. As part of this long-term capacity building process, a regional training in April 2010 brought together conflict learning network alumni from Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea to develop their skills in training design and methodology. These practitioners have taken these skills to the national level, using localized training materials and approaches developed under RAFT to expand the natural resource conflict management skill base in the three countries.
In 2010-2011, RECOFTC will work with trainers to develop natural resource conflict management guidelines to be applied in future national trainings and accreditation processes via trainings institutions in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.
Contact: Toon de Bruyn (toon.debruyn@recoftc.org), Senior Program Officer – Bangkok, Thailand
Photo credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © RECOFTC (REDD Learning Network participants on a field trip in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia) Photo © Celina Yong/RECOFTC (REDD Learning Network participants listening to explanations about the markings on certified logs, Deramakot Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia); Photo © Toon de Bruyn/RECOFTC (Participants analyzing conflict in a regional conflict management training, Bangkok, Thailand).
