The Central and West Africa Workshop on the Listening" Learning and Sharing Launch of the Rights and Resources Initiative was held in Douala" Cameroon from December 6 - 8" 2007. The overall objective of the workshop was to review and share progress and lessons learned about protecting the rights of forest peoples in Central and West Africa. The workshop was organized by IUCN" with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the Forest Peoples Programme.

Specific objectives of the workshop were to:

• Create or strengthen links between key players active in promoting forest tenure and policy reforms at regional" national and local levels;
• Capture new information and develop analysis about threats and opportunities" new ideas" and support for local strategies in Central and West Africa;
• Facilitate the expression of local voices from communities who are marginalized or disenfranchised by decision-making processes on land use" forest area gazettement" and forest management priorities; and
  
• Provide an opportunity to comment on and contribute to a regional review of how selected African countries are addressing the issue of rights and resources in their countries.
  

The workshop brought together 38 participants from West and Central Africa" including representatives from Burundi" Rwanda" Uganda" Burkina Faso" Mali" Ghana" Cameroon" Gabon" Congo-Brazzaville" the Democratic Republic of Congo" and Equatorial Guinea.

Resources

• Workshop Summary
• Workshop Proceedings
• List of Participants
• More on the Listening" Learning and Sharing Launch of the RRI (LLSL)