Creating an indigenous long-term future in the remote forests of western Papua New Guinea
By Vanessa McQuarrie
Deep
in the remote forests of Papua New Guinea (PNG), volunteers from around
the world are living and working alongside indigenous landowners in a
joint boundary mapping initiative that will ultimately have long-term
benefits for the locals.
Greenpeace's Global Forest Rescue Station (GFRS) was created when the Kuni tribe invited the volunteers to camp at Lake Murray to help them save 300,000 hectares of tribal lands by identifying, marking and mapping clan boundaries. This demarcation helps each clan gain government or official recognition of their customary land.
At the same time, Greenpeace and the Foundation for People and Community Development (FPCD), among others, are training the clans in eco-forestry, forest management and small business operation, so that they can start their own forestry businesses. "Then if the commercial logging companies come in and try to offer what seems to the landowners a large sum of money to completely log their homes, they have the power to say 'No, thanks'," explained Australian volunteer Cally Shanton.
Boundary marking is hot and sweaty work. Walking long distances in the sticky weather through thick forest that's alive with insects and snakes can be dangerous. "There's no place for egos or impatience in the forest. You will certainly be 'cut down' if you are 'precious' and much laughter at your silliness will follow," said Cally.
Like the other 26 international volunteers, Cally jumped at the chance
to experience the traditional way of life in PNG. She is in awe of the
local people, their zest for life and love of laughter. "Although
the people here work tirelessly to support their community, they are
so full of happiness."
Most of the locals can speak some English and most of the volunteers are picking up a bit of the local languages. "They can speak my language, and I feel a little rude not being able to speak theirs. But I'm working on it, and they are very happy to help!" said Cally.
The accommodation at the GFRS is indeed traditional with the volunteers sharing a wooden hut. Food is caught by the local hunters and can include fish, deer and birds. The volunteers are encouraged to join the hunt, although it's not for the fainthearted.
The Kuni bathe and wash their dishes and clothes in the lake. The toilet facilities are basic and the only 'mod con' is a computer and internet connection so that the volunteers can post messages to their weblog. There is a satellite phone for emergencies.
"The volunteers stay in the forest for two to four weeks,
which is probably about as long as they could cope with the totally different
lifestyle," said Val Phillips from Greenpeace Australia Pacific. "Everyone
who has emerged from the forest so far has been totally inspired by the
project."
Some have even had life-changing experiences. Merel van der Mark, a volunteer from The Netherlands, when finishing her project in the forest, said she was moved by living with local communities while learning about their very different lifestyle, history, myths and traditions.
When their projects are over, the volunteers have an even more important role to play at home – that of 'spreading the word' by talking to the media and the public back at home. Some volunteers did interviews with the media while in the forest. Others are scheduled to do so when they return. Some journalists/film crews from different countries also stayed at the GFRS to cover the work of their local volunteers.
Volunteers from Australia, the UK, EU, USA, Japan and China were chosen because demand in these countries for cheap timber products is very high. Other volunteers come from Indonesia and Thailand, where ruthless logging companies are based. Several are from China, where illegally-logged timber is processed into cheap plywood, furniture and flooring and exported. Every year China imports enough timber to cover a football field, packed end-to-end with a pile of wood about twice the height of Mount Everest.
Without the natural resource of the forest, the indigenous people of
PNG can not survive. The forest is their 'supermarket, hardware
store and chemist rolled into one'. It provides food, materials
for housing, cooking utensils and boats, and bush medicines to treat
ailments. It is the source of their spirituality and their unique heritage.
This is why eco-forestry offers a viable alternative. Most importantly, the clans can earn four times the revenue that the logging companies can offer. They can use the forest, and save it at the same time. The landowners themselves fell the trees, milling them on the spot and carrying them manually so that only minimal damage is done to the rest of the forest. Trees are felled only when the community receives an order for timber. The money they earn is used wisely by the whole community to educate children and to buy goods such as outboard motors for boats.
When the GFRS initiative was launched in February 2006, about 10 clans expressed an interest in being involved in the project. By early May, 42 clans had decided to take part.
Some of the locals have been working towards this goal of boundary mapping for a long time. The Kuni tribe fought a logging company through the courts for several years. When the company finally pulled out, a huge stretch of pristine forest had been decimated.
Merel recalls watching an elder Kuni man become emotional during an eco-forestry demonstration. "He cried because he couldn't believe that their dream [of starting a community business] was actually coming true."
More information
Visit Greenpeace Australia Pacific
Look at the photos and read the volunteers' weblog
The
Centre for Volunteering [ABN 28 002 416 024]
Level 2, 228 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033 | E: info@volunteering.com.au
www.volunteering.com.au