The participants and the organising committee coordinators gather for a photocall.
KUCHING (Sept 19): Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia), in collaboration with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Malaysia and FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF), has successfully held the ‘International Workshop on Indigenous Forestry and FSC Certification in Sarawak’.
FSC is an international standard for sustainable forest management and good practices.
Themed ‘Rooted in Responsibility: Strengthening Indigenous Forestry Management and FSC Compliance’, the three-day programme here brought together 25 participants, including representatives of indigenous communities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and also the FSC.
International speakers and participants from Panama, the Philippines, Indonesia and India were present to share with the participants their diverse experiences.
“Government agencies related to forestry were invited, but they were unable to attend,” said Sadia in a statement today.
“The workshop combined storytelling, traditional knowledge sharing, and dialogue on indigenous forest governance.
“The participants also learned more about other community-based forestry initiatives in Malaysia, and joined a field trip to the Bukit Bediri ecotourism project in Sebangan, Sebuyau, where local communities are conserving forests while creating sustainable livelihoods,” it added.
The workshop’s final day highlighted FSC certification standards through a participatory gap analysis, allowing communities to compare their practices with FSC requirements and identify next steps toward certification readiness.
“The programme successfully documented indigenous forest management practices in Sarawak, increased awareness of FSC certification among stakeholders, and strengthened both regional and international networks.
“It also improved the readiness of Indigenous forestry for stepwise certification while reinforcing collaboration for sustainable forest management,” said Sadia.
In addition, Sadia president Sidi Munan remarked: “This seminar shows that indigenous peoples are not only guardians of the forests, but also key actors in shaping global sustainability standards.
“By working together with FSC and indigenous partners worldwide, we can ensure that the indigenous voices, knowledge, and rights remain central in forestry management.”
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