From May 7th to May 9th a workshop on community management of forest resources took place in Lomié" in the department of Haut Nyong" Eastern Province" Cameroon. It was organized by the Trinational Agroforestry Cooperative" in collaboration with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Commission of Central African Forests (COMIFAC)" and with the support of the Global Alliance of Community Forestry (GACF)" the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and the Ford Foundation.

 

The workshop was attended by representatives from forest communities in the Department of Sangha of northern Congo" the Bandudu Province of the DRC" and the East" South and Littoral Provinces of Cameroon" and by leaders of community forestry networks such as the Cameroon Network of Community Forestry (RFC)" the Network of Managers of Community Forests in Boumba and Ngoko (REGEFOC) and the Network of Producers of Non-timber Forest Products (ONEPCAM). Representatives from the Cameroon Ministry of Forests and Wildlife and local government as well as from international and local non-governmental organizations were also present.

They gathered to analyze the challenges and opportunities of community participation in the management of forest resources" with the goal of strengthening their capacity to influence decision-making processes towards advancing the interests of people living in forest regions. The meeting had the specific objectives to:

• Contribute to regional community dialogue on the issue of community forestry and its clear links with good forest management and poverty reduction.

• Sollicit the attention of regional political and administrative decision-makers to the challenges encountered in the establishment of community forestry in particular" and of community management of forestlands and wildlife in general.

• Promote communities' interest in and awareness of good practices of agroforestry in forest regions" with the goal of obtaining greater official recognition of the questions of land and forest tenure and their impact on good local forest governance.

Read about the formation of the Central African Community Forestry Network (REFOCAC) here.

Workshop Documents

• Conference Agenda
• List of Participants
• Final Communiqué
• Background Paper: Mission d'Evaluation et de Caracterisation de la Foresterie Communautaire en Afrique Centrale" Patrice Pa'ah

Workshop Presentations

Reseau de Foresterie Communautaire au Congo: Appui aux Initiatives Locales pour le Developpement Communautaire

Célestin Nagahuedi Mikomo and Jeannette Amanakou" Members of RENAFOC/AILDECO- Congo

Valorisation des PFNL par l'Entreprenariat Communautaire

Sa Majesté Bruno Mvondo" Director of ONEPCAM

Role du Reseau de Foresterie Communautaire (RFC) dans la Promotion et la Mise en Place Effective des Forets Communautaire au Cameroun et dans la Sous-region Afrique Centrale

Jean Abbe Abessolo" Central focal point of the Community Forestry Network (RFC)

Présenatation de la Coopérative Agroforesterie de la Trinationale (CAFT)

Patrice Pa'ah" Director General of CAFT

Politique de Foresterie Communautaire au Cameroun

Anicet Minsouma Bodo" Sub Director of Community Forests" Ministry of Forests and Wildlife.

Photographs

Workshop participants gather for a group photograph.

Workshop participants listen closely to a presentation.

Patrice Pa'ah" Director General of the Trinational Agroforestry Cooperative (CAFT) tells of his research trip to Congo" DRC" Gabon and Central African Republic to research community forestry" link with community forestry organizations and exchange experiences in agroforestry.

Joseph Payong" the President of the Association des Villages Solidaires (AVILSO) outlines the history and activities of AVILSO community forest before a field visit.

Workshop participants pose for a group photograph during their field trip to AVILSO community forest" during which they discussed the concern of disgarded wood and shared ideas of ways to transform and sell wood remains from logging for the profit of local communities.