TRAINNING WORKSHOP REPORT
CONVENTION ON BILOGICAL TRAINING FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE MANAGERS IN MADANG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
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SOME PARTICIPANTS POSING WITH mnd'S
EDUCATION OFFICER MRS. ADOLPHINA LUVONGIT ( standing RIGHT FRONT ROW). SEE NAMES IN ANNEX II. PHOTO: ADOLP LILAI
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Report prepared by Adolphina
Luvongit and Wenceslaus Magun for MAKATA Incorporated,
February 2015
POB 1312, Port Moresby, National
Capital District, PNG
Ph. +(675) 3440591 or + (675) 71959665
magun.wences@gmail.com
• maskagintapani.blogspot.com
Acknowledgements
We thank The Nature
Conservancy (TNC) for its funding support to Mas Kagin Tapani Inc. (MAKATA),
which enabled us to conduct the first Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Training for 30 indigenous local community resource managers at Mur, in Madang,
Papua New Guinea (PNG). This workshop would not have eventuated without the support
from Mahonia Na Dari’s Education Officer. We therefore thank MND’s Education
Officer, Mrs. Adolphina Luvongit in successfully assisting Mr. Wenceslaus Magun
in delivering a three days training to our indigenous local community resource
managers.
This will be the
first CBD training in PNG for indigenous local community resource
managers. As such we thank the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for supporting
Adolphina Luvongit from Mahonia Na Dari, Edward Yamai, from Mt Hagen Archdiocese
and Wenceslaus Magun from MAKATA, representing NGO’s in PNG in 26-28 August, 2014,
to attend the Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for the Pacific Region on
Traditional Knowledge and Customary Sustainable Use under the Convention on
Biological Diversity. With support from
the World Indigenous and Local Community Land and Sea Managers Network (WIN),
managed by the Equator Initiative (EI) United Nations Development agency
(UNDP), we remained in Apia, Samoa and participated in the Small Island
Developing States Summit (SIDS), as community ambassadors for biodiversity in
the SIDS process from the 29 August to 5 September 2014. We therefore
acknowledge the support from WIN, EI, and UNDP.
We extend our
gratitude to the Community Based Organisations (CBO) of Kimadi and Magubem for
releasing two of their executives, namely Peter Bunam, president of Gildipasi
Planning Committee, and Peter Kes, executive secretary for Kimadi CBO. We also thank the Karkum villagers for
releasing their Duergo CBO executives namely, Mr. Mark Khonn, Mrs. Edna Khonn,
Mr. Adolph Lilai (also MAKATA’s CF) and Mrs. Christine Ibilo to join the
indigenous resource and local community managers from Mur, and the neighboring
villages in this training.
The Mur villagers
played a pivotal role in coordinating and assisting in this training. We therefore thank them for their
hospitality, generosity, and support throughout the days we ran this training
at Dawang Primary School.
Finally, we thank
God for His continued grace and blessings to us all!
Table of Contents
Annex IV.
EVALUATION33-34
1. Introduction
In 2014, 26-28 August, Adolphina Luvongit,
Edward Yamai, and I representing NGO’s in PNG attended the Regional
Capacity-Building Workshop for the Pacific Region on Traditional Knowledge and
Customary Sustainable Use under the Convention on Biological Diversity. With support from the World Indigenous and
Local Community Land and Sea Managers Network (WIN), managed by the Equator
Initiative (EI) United Nations Development agency (UNDP), we remained in Apia,
Samoa and participated in the Small Island Developing States Summit (SIDS), as
community ambassadors for biodiversity in the SIDS process from the 29 August
to 5 September 2014.
The CBD Workshop’s and SIDS Summit’s,
Outcomes calls us to implement the Samoa Pathway. In order to do that, I planned a CBD workshop
in Madang using TNC grant.
One of the primary reason I chose to do
that is because, I saw the need for indigenous local community resource
managers especially in Madang where Mas Kagin Tapani (MAKATA) Inc. a local Community
Based Organisation has been taking a very active role in turtle conservation
efforts, to be better equipped with knowledge and skills on CBD and related
topics. I believe that this information is relevant for them to manage their
resource effectively. I am convinced that once they understand the bigger picture
of what they do, they will appreciate their efforts in conserving, managing,
and sustainably using their natural resources in ways that also help improve
their lives, add economic value to their habitat and biodiversity and promote
their cultural and traditional values and practices. The training also hopes to build their
capacity to realize that CBD does acknowledge and recommend the use of
traditional knowledge to achieve CBD’s three objectives which are: Conservation
of Biological Diversity; The Sustainable use of its components; and the fair
and equitable sharing of its benefits arising from the utilization of genetic
resources.
The CBD workshop was also conducted in parallel
to the review of Mur Resource Management Plan.
Most of the sessions on Mur Resource Management Plan were conducted in
the evenings by Mr. Magun and Adolph Lilai.
These sessions, touched a bit on their vision, and objectives but much
of the time was spent on discussing their external and internal land boundary
issues. We realized that their resource management plan covered both the land
and sea resources. In order to ensure
that all their resources are mapped out well and thoroughly, it was necessary
that land issue disputes needed to be dealt with first, before we move on with
their vision, objectives, monitoring workshop and the finalization of their
plan to be launched. Through these sessions we realized that there were eminent
and ongoing land conflicts with certain individuals and clans which would
definitely affect our plans to do a land boundary survey during this trip. The plan to conduct a land boundary survey on
this trip was therefore put on hold. The
session reached consensus that Mur villagers especially Marasoka, Maigomda,
Baru, Kamdau, Baraninga and related clans need to iron out their land issue differences
first, before we continue the land boundary survey. This survey will help us develop their
resource map which will then be incorporated into their Management Plan. We therefore tasked these clan’s leaders to
organize meetings, settle their land disputes and then call us back to continue
our work with them.
This particular workshop is the first of
its kind for indigenous local community resource managers in Madang. The workshop was organised by the MAKATA Inc.
and hosted by the Mur villagers at Dawang Primary School, Saidor Local Level
Government, Rai Coast District, in Madang. The workshop ran from Monday 15th
to Thursday 18th December, 2014.
Informal storytelling, interviewing and information gathering, or
answering many questions from the community started on Sunday 14th
of December and continued on till we left Mur for Madang town.
The target audiences of the workshop were indigenous
local community resource managers from coastal communities within MAKATA’s
turtle conservation sites and neighboring communities. There were 30 participants at this course.
For a full list of workshop participants including their names and contact
details, refer to participants list on Annex
II.
1.1 Aims and objectives
Aim: Empower indigenous local community
resource managers on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)/traditional
knowledge, so they appreciate their efforts in operationalizing the three (3) CBD’s
objectives in their efforts to establish new turtle conservation sites in Madang,
through the establishment of their Resource Management Areas.
Objective: To provide environmental education
training on the Convention on Biological Diversity/Traditional Knowledge to indigenous
local community resource managers on the 3 CBD Objectives:
(1)
Conservation
of biological diversity.
(2)
Sustainable
use of its components; and
(3)
Fair
and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources
1.2 Expected Outcomes
Expected outcomes of the workshop are as
listed below.
·
Thirty
(30) indigenous local community resource managers gained knowledge on CBD/PNG
Protected Area Policy/Traditional Knowledge/World Intellectual Property/Nagoya
Protocol
·
These
participants learn that the CBD under Article 8, paragraph (j) respect, preserve
and maintain traditional knowledge of Indigenous Local Communities’ relevant to
the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; promote its wider
application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge;
and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits.
·
These
participants gain knowledge on Aichi Biodiversity Targets, Nagoya Protocol, the
PNG Protected Area Policy, World Intellectual Property Rights, and the PAPAPAPAITAI Declaration.
·
These
participants are encouraged to continue to work with experts to adapt ‘Other
Effective Area-base Conservation Measures’ that can be effectively used to
achieve Aichi Biodiversity Target 11.
·
Mur
indigenous local community resource managers revise their resource management
plan.
·
Identify land issues and encourage individuals
and clans involved in their land conflicts to find amicable solutions to them
so as to enable us to do a land boundary survey and complete their resource
map.
2. Course Contents.
The training workshop
program is outlined in Annex I.
3. Workshop outcome.
It took a week for
Wenceslaus Magun to visit local communities in Madang to inform and invite
indigenous local community resource managers from each community within our
program sites to send their representatives to attend a first Convention on
Biological Diversity workshop. The
initial plan was to run the CBD workshop at the St. Theresa’s Conference Centre
at Alexishafen, Madang. This did not
eventuate, as representatives from Mur village had transport problems and
requested that we take the training to Mur.
This prompted Wenceslaus and Adolphina Luvongit to change plans and adhere
to the Mur call. The change of plan
meant, only a few representatives from Kimadi, Magubem and Karkum along the
north coast road in the Sumkar District, could join Adolphina and Wenceslaus on
a boat trip to Mur village, which is about 4 hours by a 40 hp boat, south of
Madang town. This prompted us to
apologize to the many keen indigenous local resource managers who had expressed
interest to participate in this training. We also assured them that if funds
are available; we will find time to run a similar training in Madang and will
invite them to attend.
This report is written in
English but the actual presentation of the content of the workshop was done in
Tok Pidgin, the commonly used and understood language in Papua New Guinea.
On Sunday 14th
December 2014, Mr. Magun drove to Dibor (Kimadi and Magubem) to pick up Joe
Sumbia Kes and Peter Bunam. This is to ensure that at least a couple of key
role models and executives of the local community based organsations from
Kimadi, Magubem and Karkum attended this training. At Karkum village, we picked up Mark Khonn
and his wife Edna, Adolph Lilai and Christine Ibilo before driving back to
town. In town, the indigenous local
community resource managers met with Mrs. Luvongit and Mr. Magun at the Dinek
Pain Guest House, for a briefing. At the briefing Mrs. Luvongit and Mr. Magun gave
a quick rundown of the overview of the workshop, its aims and objective and invited
these ambassadors from Kimadi, Magubem and Karkum villages to share their
stories and experiences with the indigenous local community resource managers
for Mur and the neighboring villages in Rai Coast at the workshop. Mr. Magun and Mrs. Luvongit stressed that
this is a golden opportunity for these ILC representatives to share their
stories of the process they went through to establish their resource management
plans and to establish a network amongst Mur villagers and Kimadi, Magubem and
Karkum villagers. This initiative if
successful will be a first of its kind in Madang, where local communities
involved in resource management areas, using “Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures”, come together
to build network and strengthen alliances to support each other in their
endeavor to manage and sustainably use their natural resources.
On Monday, 15th
of December, we left for Mur village on a 40hp dinghy. It was raining heavily in the morning and so
the skipper from Yamai village could not make it to town at 8am as anticipated.
He had to wait for the rain to stop before coming into town. While waiting for him, we did our shopping
and got all our stuff to the Rai Coast boat area. By noon we left for Mur. The sea was calm but
the journey took us to Mur at night. On
our way, to Mur we called in at Yamai village, and picked up a torch. By the time we arrived at Mur village, it was
about 7pm. The community was also
surprised to see us, as the news of our visit was not relayed to the community
by the community leader who was in direct communication with Mr. Magun in the
preparations leading up to the actual workshop date. He later gave excuses that he did not receive
any text messages or miscalls from Mr. Magun nor from Mrs. Luvongit or Mrs. Annisah
Sapul, our trainers. Given the fact that
communication service in Rai Coast can be extremely difficult, we accepted the
situation and arranged for our stay at the Dawang Primary School. By then most of the teachers had gone home
for their holidays and their houses were vacant. This made it possible for us to find refuge
at the vacant teacher’s houses. The
ladies, Mr. Khonn and Mr. Lilai were sent to stay in one house whilst Mr. Kes
and Mr. Bunam took shelter in another teacher’s kitchen house. Mr. Magun also found himself accommodated in
the head masters kitchen house. Mur
village at this stage have not yet built a visitors house.
Staying at Dawang Primary
School also meant we would conduct the
workshop in one of the classrooms. This
is not the first time for us to run trainings for Mur at Dawang Primary School
and so we did not find this to be of any inconvenience. As we settled in at our resting places, the
clan leaders visited us and arranged for our meal while they sent their
messengers to visit each community on foot and spread the message of our
arrival and our plan to conduct a three (3) days workshop on CBD. Fortunately, for a village like Mur, far from
Madang town, and also about two hours by foot to Saidor, the nearest government
station, it was not difficult to relay the message to the villagers. Most of the local resource managers were in
their respective clans and communities.
This made it much easier for us to gather a good number of participants
to attend the training the following day. That evening Mr. Magun ran through
the overview of the workshop with the key community leaders. He emphasized the need to do the land
boundary survey in order to complete their resource map and incorporate it into
their Resource Management Plan. It was brought to Mr. Magun and Mr. Lilai’s
attention then that there were some challenging land conflicts on hand. The community leaders indicated that they
will invite parties involved in their land disputes to attend this workshop and
share their stories with us. This did
not happen as expected as not all the conflicting parties attended evening sessions
on Mur Resource Management Plan review.
On Tuesday 16th
of December we began the formal workshop.
The sessions were held both during the day and also at night, to make up
for the five days sessions. This was followed
by an evaluation exercise. No formal evaluation questions or tests were done
with the participants. However, nearly all the participants expressed appreciation
for the topics learn. They also asked us
to conduct another CBD workshop again for their women folk and other leaders
who could not make it to this training. The feedback from the evaluation also
indicated that all the participants did not have any knowledge at all about
CBD, PNG Protected Area Policy, Nagoya Protocol and related topics prior to
attending this training. They now have a
fair idea on these topics as well as of the Intellectually Property Rights, and
Aichi Targets. The participants also appreciated how their traditional
Knowledge, ethics and customary practices of conservation play a significant
part in sustainable resource use. They
learn that CBD acknowledges traditional conservation practice as it contributes
towards achieving the Conventions Objectives.
The participants also learn that Mrs. Luvongit, Mr. Yamai and Mr. Magun are
also members of the Pacific Caucus
that presented its ‘PAPAPAPAITAI
Declaration’ (see attached Annex
III) to the United Nations, at the Small
Islands Developing States Summit in Apia, Samoa which was held from the 1st
to 5th of September 2014.
Day 1. monday 15TH DECEMBER 2014
Session 1: Orientation
and briefings with key indigenous local community resource owners
We
had initially planned to do the introductory session, gauge the participants’ workshop
expectations, and point out the aims, objectives and the overview of this
workshop on Monday evening.
Arriving
at 7pm and seeing that not everyone was well informed of our arrival caused a
bit of hindrance to fulfill this plan.
This however, did not dampen our spirit.
After settling in, resting, and having had our dinner we went straight
into discussing the plans of the workshop with key leaders who had assembled at
Dawang Primary School to meet us.
We
introduced ourselves and asked the ILC resource managers from Kimadi, Magubem
and Karkum to introduce themselves to the ILC resource owners, managers and
clan leaders from Mur. Our team was then
formally welcomed to Mur by Dawang Chief, Bill Dabaliga.
After
completing all the formal welcome formalities at Dawang, Mr. Magun, got
straight into the purpose of our trip.
He said this workshop is part of an ongoing process to help Mur ILC
resource managers and community members establish their Resource Management
Plan. He pointed out that the Draft Mur Resource Management Plan had some
outstanding issues, or steps that needed to be addressed.
“In
this trip, if all goes well we would finalize their vision, mission, and
objectives and complete the Mur land boundary survey,” he said. He further elaborated that this workshop will
also discuss further processes that needed to be completed in order to complete
Mur Resource Management Plan. He reiterated
that there was a need to complete the land boundary survey. This activity will enable us to incorporate
the map into Mur Resource Management Plan.
As
he touched on this topic, he was reminded by some of the indigenous local
community resource owners that there were some outstanding land conflicts in
Mur that needed to be dealt with. This
was the first challenge we noted. Adolph
Lilai our community facilitator and GIS specialist, who was brought in to
survey the land boundary with his team of Mur resource owners was then asked
not to pursue this task in the coming days as planned.
Mr.
Magun further emphasized that the other key objective of this training is to conduct
a Convention on Biological Diversity Workshop.
He stressed that, it was necessary to conduct the Convention on
Biological Diversity training as it will enable indigenous local community
resource owners both at Mur and from Karkum, Kimadi, Magubem and neighboring
villages in Rai Coast to grasp a bigger picture of why biological conservation
is necessary and how their work at the grassroots level meets the CBD
objectives, and the PNG Protected Area Policy. He told them that this will also
help them value and appreciate their intellectual property rights, traditional conservation
knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, innovations and practices. He added that they will also learn about
Prior Informed Consent, Access to Benefit Sharing from their genetic resources,
and the importance of establishing a Mutually Agreed Terms and Conditions with
scientists or ‘outsiders’ who come into their communities to collect plant or
animal species for scientific experiments which can result in the development
of products that can make big profits for the companies, universities or
scientists, while they lose out in big time because of their ignorance. He reiterated that these topics will be
discussed further in details during the coming days in the sessions.
We
ended the first days evening session by asking the leaders to invite other indigenous
local community resource managers, clan leaders who had land dispute issues as
well as other ILC resource managers to attend this workshop. This will help us move on with their
activities to complete the Mur Resource Management Plan.
We
ended the session at about 11pm tired and exhausted but satisfied with the day’s
outcome.
Day 2. tuesday 16th December, 2014
Session 2: Introduction
and workshop overview on the Convention on Biological Diversity and the PAPAPAPAITAI Declaration- Facilitator:
Mr. Magun
Our
workshop started on Tuesday at Dawang Primary School. Present at the workshop were ILC resource
managers from Kimadi, Magubem, Karkum, Dawang, Mur, and the representatives of
the other six clans of Mur village.
Our
two facilitors, Mrs. Luvongit and Mr. Magun set the projector, their computers,
and the white cotton screen on the wall, and prepared other lessons on the
black board and flip charts.
The
session started at about 9 am in the morning as the participants had to walk to
Dawang PS for at least two to three hours.
Those sharing the land boundaries with Baru and Kasu villages came at
about 9:30am but it was not too late.
The sessions began with an opening prayer led by Mr. Khonn.
After
the opening prayer, Mr. Magun welcomed all the participants and introduced
himself. He then asked Mrs. Luvongit to
introduce herself before each participant had the turn to do the same. After all the participants had introduced
themselves, Mr. Magun went on to share the overview of the workshop.
Before
deliberating on the topics, he paused a couple of questions to the participants
to gauge their views on how much they knew about the Convention on Biological
Diversity, PNG Protected Area Policy and related topics. Nearly all the participants responded that
they knew nothing about CBD, PNG Protected Area Policy and related topics. Asked if they wanted to learn more about
these topics, they said “Yes,” overwhelmingly.
The enthusiasm of the participants and their keen interest to learn more
about these topics paved way for Mrs. Luvongit and Mr. Magun to find it more
exciting and interesting to share the little knowledge they gained from the CBD
training in Apia, Samoa from the 26-28 August.
At
this juncture, Mr. Magun informed the participants that Mrs. Luvongit, Mr. Edward
Yamai from the Mt. Hagen Archdiocese, and himself representing NGO’s in PNG had
attended the Regional Capacity-Building Workshop for the Pacific Region on
Traditional Knowledge and Customary Sustainable Use under the Convention on
Biological Diversity. He added that with
support from the World Indigenous and Local Community Land and Sea Managers
Network (WIN), managed by the Equator Initiative (EI) United Nations
Development agency (UNDP), they remained in Apia, Samoa and participated in the
Small Island Developing States Summit (SIDS), as community ambassadors for
biodiversity in the SIDS process from the 29 August to 5 September 2014.
He
pointed out further that it was at the SIDS that they were very fortunate to
participate in the formation of the Pacific Islands Caucus and to present the PAPAPAPAITAI Declaration (PD) (See Annex
III) to the United Nations. The PD
summed up concerns ILC had over their resources in the Pacific and wanted the
UN to address them. See details of the
PD as attached in Annex III. He informed the participants that all the resource
materials, that Mrs. Luvongit and he presented and related materials will be
burnt onto CDs and given to them. Mr.
Magun urged the participants to use the exercise books and the pen issued to
them to take note of the sessions and not to be embarrassed to ask questions on
anything they may not understand.
He
said the main objective of this workshop is to build the capacity of the
participants to understand what the Convention on Biological Diversity is, its
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 of Aichi Targets; the PNG Protected
Area Policy, World Intellectual Property Rights; the Nagoya
Protocol/Traditional Knowledge; PAPAPAPAITAI
Declaration; CBO’s ILC resource managers empowering themselves; and the Review
of Mur Resource Management Plan. He also
highlighted some of the expected outcomes of the workshop as indicated above.
Session 3: Convention on
Biological Diversity – Facilitator: Mrs. Adolphina
In
this session, Mrs. Luvongit empowered the participants about what the
Convention on Biological Diversity is.
She touched on the Background of the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD), the Objectives of the Convention (Article 1); Terms (Article 2);
Institutional Framework; Secretariat of the CBD; the Thematic Programmes of
Work and the Cross-Cutting Issues.
She
informed the participants that CBD was opened for signature in Rio in 1992 (the
Rio “Earth Summit”). In 1992 – 193 countries signed the legally-binding
treaty. She added that 39 countries have
ratified the Protocol and that PNG signed it in June 1992 and ratified it in
March 1993. “That means that PNG has made a commitment to fulfill the objectives
of the CBD which are: i) Conservation of Biological Diversity; ii) Sustainable
use of its components; and iii) Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising
out of the utilization of genetic resources, ” she stressed. She
used couple of examples to demonstrate further the objectives of CBD.
Mrs.
Luvongit also gave a brief history of the CBD, highlighting the establishment
of the Cartagena Protocol in 2003; the Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur and Supplementary
Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in
2010; and the Nagoya Protocol on Access Benefit Sharing in 2010. She told the
participants that the Convention (Article 1), “is an environmental treaty for
sustainable development.” She gave then
gave the definition of Bioligical Diversity (Article 2) as, “the variability
among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and
the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within
species, between species and of ecosystems.”
She
explained to them how the Institutional framework of the CBD functions. She added further that, “the Secretariat of
the Convention on Biological Diversity was established (Article 24) to support
the goals of the Convention. Its
principal functions are to prepare for, and service, meetings of the
Conferences of the Parties (COP) and other subsidiary bodies of the Convention,
and to coordinate with other relevant international bodies.”
She
said: “The Secretariat is institutionally lined to the United Nations
Environment Programme, its host institution and, pursuant to decision 11/19, is
located in Montreal, Canada since 1996.”
The
participants learn that the Conference of the Parties (COP) is the governing
body of the Convention, and advances implementation of the Convention through
the decisions it takes at its biennial meetings
(the COP). They learn that to
date the COP has held 10 ordinary meetings, and one extraordinary meeting. The recent COP 12, was held in October 2014,
at the Republic of Korea of which a member of the Pacific Caucus, Te Tui had
attended and is keeping us updated.
Mrs
Luvongit informed the participants about the Seven (7) Thematic Programmes of
Work established by COP which include: Agriculture Biodiversity, Dry and
Sub-humid Lands Biodiversity, Forest Biodiversity, Inland Waters Biodiversity,
Island Biodiversity, Marine and Coastal Biodiversity, and Mountain
Biodiversity. To test the attentiveness
of the participants, She asked the participants where they fitted in this
“Thematic Programmes of Work,” and most of them said: “Marine and Coastal
Biodiversity.” This was a clear
indication that they understood the content of the topic and were not falling asleep.
She
then summarized the Cross-Cutting Issues which corresponded to the issues
addressed in the Convention’s substantive provisions in Articles 6-20, and
provided bridges and links between the thematic programs. These Cross-Cutting Issues included: Aichi
Biodiversity Targets; Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing;
Biodiversity for Development; Biological and Cultural Diversity; Climate Change
and Biodiversity; Communication, Education and Public Awareness: CEPA;
Economic, Trade and Incentive Measures; Ecosystem Approach; Gender and
Biodiversity; Global Strategy for Plant Conservation; Global Taxonomy
Initiative; Impact Assessment; Identification, Monitoring, Indicators and
Assessments; Invasive Alien Species; Liability and Redress – Article 14(20;
Protected Areas; Sustainable Use of Biodiversity; Tourism and Biodiversity;
Traditional Knowledge, Innovations and Practices – Article 8(j) and related
issues including 10(c); and Technology Transfer Cooperation .
She
stressed that what we were actually doing at this workshop and what the ILC’s
are doing in their respective local communities was in fact fulfilling some of
these “Cross-Cutting Issues.” From time
to time, she asked Mr. Magun to join her in her presentation by sharing practical
local application examples so that the participants understood the subject
better.
Note:
Despite the breakdown of our computers and the projector, caused by the old
unreliable genset we hired from a local person, we managed to deliver our
presentations with ease using the flip charts, markers, pin tags, sticky tapes
and the chalk and black board.
The
participants then went for a recess break before returning for the next session
on Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
Session 4: Strategic Plan
for Biodiversity Targets 2011-2020 and Aichi Targets. 10 year framework – Facilitator: Mrs.
Adolphina
In
this Session, Mrs Luvongit connected the CBD lessons with the Aichi
Biodiversity Targets.
She
reiterated the three (3) Objectives of the Conventions: i) Conservation of
Biological Diversity; ii) The Sustainable use of its components; and iii) The
fair and equitable sharing of its benefits arising from the untilization of
genetic resources.
She
then pointed out its Vision: “By 2050, Biodiversity is valued, conserved,
restored and widely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy
planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.
She
informed the participants that Strategic Goal A – addresses the underlying
causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and
society! She said Target 1 for this Strategy, demands that by 2020, at the
latest, people are aware of the values of Biodiversity and the steps they can
take to conserve and use it sustainably.
She
pointed out that under Strategic Goal B –we must reduce direct pressures on
biodiversity and promote sustainable use!
Target 5 of this Goal indicated that “by 2020, the rate of loss of all
national habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible,
brought close to zero (0) and degradation and fragmentation is significantly
reduced.” She continue with Target 6 elaborating that it calls for “All fish
and invertebrates stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested
sustainably, legally and applying ecosystems based approaches, so that
overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all
depleted species. In Target 10, she said:
“By 2016, the multiple anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs and other
vulnerable ecosystem impacted by climate change or ocean acidification are
minimized so as to maintain their integrity and functioning.”
Mrs.
Luvongit further stressed that Target Goal C – points out that: “By 2020, at
least 17% of terrestrial and inland water and 10% of coastal and marine areas
especially areas of particular importance of biodiversity and ecosystem
services are conserved through effectively and equitably managed ecological
representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other
effective area based conservation measures and integrated into wider landscapes
and seascapes.”
She
said Target 12 says, “By 2020, the extinction of known threatened species has
been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in
decline, has been improved and sustained.”
At
this point she acknowledged MAKATA’s efforts in supporting ILCs under its sea
turtle restoration project to save the critically endangered leatherback turtles.
Mrs.
Luvongit than informed the participants about Strategic Goal E which calls for
“Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management
and capacity building. Target 18 of this
Goal aims to see that: “By 2020, the traditional knowledge, innovations and
practices of indigenous and local communities relevant for the conservation and
sustainable use of biological resources are respected, subject to national
legislation and relevant international obligations and fully integrated and
reflected in the implementation of the Convention with the full and effective
participation of indigenous and local communities at all levels.”
She
concluded her session with Article 8 – In-Situ-Conservation, (8j): “Subject to its national legislation,
respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of
indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for
the conservation and sustainable use of Biological Diversity and promote their
wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such
knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the
benefits arising from the untilization of such knowledge, innovations and
practices.”
She
said Mr. Magun will elaborate further on this under the Nagoya Protocol. With that the midday session ended and we all
went for lunch.
Session 5: PNG Protected
Area Policy – Facilitator: Mr. Magun
We
resumed class at about 1:15pm after having a satisfying meal for lunch, thanks
to the women folk for preparing our food and for cleaning up. It was truly enriching for us to see
participants sharing their experiences on the topics learn so far during lunch
break. We could tell they were learning
something new theoretically, but practically for some of them, they are practicing
their traditional conservation knowledge and cultural experiences.
In
this session, Mr. Magun drew the participants’ attention to see how the “PNG
Protected Area Policy,” falls in line or is linked to the Convention on
Biological Diversity and the “Cross-Cutting Issues” as pointed out by Mrs.
Luvongit. He also pointed out how the
ILC’s traditional knowledge and their efforts to establish or have established their
marine resource management areas, fulfill the CBD objectives and the goals of
the PNG Protected Area Policy as well as that of the PNG Constitution’s Goal 4.
He
quoted the Guiding Principles of the Policy on ‘Protected Areas’ as, “A fair
and thoughtful system of management area network.” He shared quote from Bruce
Beehler et al in the Lessons Learn
article for the YUS Conservation Program to stress that there is not one way of
achieving conservation outcomes. “Every
conservation project in the field is an experiment so one should think
carefully, adapt, refine, and innovate.”(Beehler et al, 2013).
He
shared stories of how Karkum villagers have used Conservation Deed as a
conservation tool to establish their marine resource management area as
compared to Kimadi and Magubem who used the traditional management systems to
bring home this point. He also shared
the journey of Mur villagers in their pursuit to establish their resource
management plan and pointed out that the land issue conflicts at Mur, are some
of the hindrances they need to address in their efforts to achieve their goal. He invited the participants to share in
details their own experiences and stories to each other in the coming session
on Wednesday so as to build their own capacity and encourage each other to
fulfill the CBD and the PNG Protected Area Policy.
Mr.
Magun then went on to inform the participants that the ‘Protected area classes”
of PNG include: i) National Parks, ii) National Heritage Site; iii) Special
Management Area; iv) Community Conservation Area, Locally Managed Marine Areas;
and v) the Marine Sanctuary.
The
participants learn that the Vision of PNG’s area network is: “Our protected
area network across land and sea safeguards our precious and outstanding
natural and cultural heritage. Customary
landowners manage these areas effectively for current and future generations,
with support from a capable central protected area agency, governments at all
levels, and national and international partners.”
He
then informed them of the definition of what ‘Protected Area’ is. According to the PNG Protected Area Policy,
the internationally accepted definition of a protected area developed by the
International Union for Conservation Network after extensive consultation is: “A
clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed through
legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature
with associated ecosystem services and cultural values (Dudley 2008 p8).”
At
this point, Mr. Magun stressed that the Mur Resource Management Plan cannot be
completed without the completion of their land boundary survey. It is therefore very important that they
settle their land disputes so that work can continue to complete their
management plan.
Mr.
Magun then gave the participants an opportunity to brain storm answers to the
question: “Why are protected areas important for PNG?” After the brain storming session they
reported the following answers: i) Luksave olsem samting (risoses0 wok long
pinis – lukautim blong jeneresen bihain; ii) Samting mas kamap gut gen; iii)
kamapim sampela gutpela samting olsem moni na arapela (marasin, kalsa, na moa
yet); iv) Samting grow gen na bai ol ausait lain kam lukim long komuniti blong
yumi; v) Isi long kisim bilas blong singsing; vi) Source of my life blood; and
vii) Mekim ples kamap helti na biutiful.
This
exercise was actually to find out how much knowledge and experiences the
participants have about conservation and to see if they really value it or
not. The outcome of this test shows that
they are convinced and convicted in achieving conservation outcomes as it was
beneficial to and for themselves and for their future generations.
Mr.
Magun further informed the participants of the international obligations and
agreements covered under the PNG Protected Area Policy of which PNG is a
signatory to, which included: i) Convention on Biological Diversity; ii) United
Nations Convention on Combating Desertification; iii) United Nations Framework
Convention on Climated Change; and iv) International Convention on Wetlands
(Ramsar) and the World Heritage Convention.
In
addition, he briefed them on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets which Mrs. Luvongit
covered earlier, placing more emphasis on Target 11 to draw to their attention to
what they are doing, which is actually fulfilling this Target: “By 2020, at least
17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of coastal
and marine areas especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and
ecosystems services of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures and integrated into the
wider landscape and seascape;”and Target 12 which says, “By 2020, the
extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their
conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved
and sustained.”
Mr.
Magun said, “there are only three (3) legal structures of Protected Areas in
PNG and these are: i) National Parks; ii) Wildlife Management Areas; and iii)
Conservation Areas.
He
warned the participants that the dangers of these laws is that there is no
provision in the Fauna (Protection and
Control Act) 1966 that prevents or protects our resources from extractive
industries. The same is true for the
Conservation Areas Act 1978, as the Minister for Environment and Conservation
has the ultimate power over our resources.
He said, the minister decides whether any mining, logging, or petroleum
activity will or can take place or not and that decision can override the ILC’s
decision in achieving their conservation or resource management plans outcomes
if ILCs resource managers do not make bold decision to stop such activities
taking place on their land whilst promoting sustainable resource management
practices.
This
brought us to the end of the days sessions.
Evening Session – Mur Resource
Management Plan
We
had initially planned to show a few videos and then review the Mur Resource
Management Plan. This did not eventuate
because firstly, our computers’ adaptors were damaged and secondly the
projector’s bulb blew off making it impossible to use our computers and the
projector. Secondly, after the first days evenings informal session, we discovered that
there were outstanding land issues that needed to be settled first before we
can proceed on with the next steps to complete Mur Resource Management
Plan. Mr. Magun spent time, instead
storytelling and interviewing individual ILC resource managers to learn more
about the situation on the ground at Mur, Karkum, Kimadi and Magubem. This was the normal routine for the next
evenings. Mr. Magun found out from Mr.
Ninga that his clan currently has land conflicts with the Salinga family from
Kasu village. The Maigomda Clan of Mur
village also has land disputes with a clan from Baru and Kamdau Clan also has
issues with the Baru Clan. Asked if it
was possible for this land issues to be resolved soon, Mr. Ninga said in Tok
Pidgin: “Nau yet mi no ting wanbel bai kamap bikos hevi em stap yet. (At this
time, I do not think this is possible as the problem still exists)” Mr. Magun
informed the participants that unless these external land boundary issues are
settled, MAKATA cannot proceed on with the next steps to complete the Mur
Resource Management Plan. Dawang Clan
Chief, Bill Dabaliga and his younger brother Tilom Dabaliga said they will look
into this matter and keep us informed of any positive developments.
Day 3. WEDNESDAY 17TH december, 2014
Session 6: World
Intellectual Property – Facilitator: Mrs. Adolphina
The
session began at 8:30 am. By this time the participants had arrived early. It must have been the content of topics
covered so far that grabbed their interest and moved them to attend this
workshop on time, an attitude that sometimes do not work that way for the
village folks.
After
Mrs. Khonn had opened the session with an opening prayer, Mrs. Luvongit took
over with her presentation on the World Intellectual Property Rights.
After
welcoming the participants, she ran through with them the abbreviations of some
of the words she used in the training. WIPO
for World Intellectual Property Organisation; IP for Intellectual Property; GR
for Genetic Resources; TK for Traditional Knowledge; UN for United Nations; and
TCE for Traditional Cultural Expression.
Mrs.
Luvongit told the participants that the Intellectual Property or IP refers to
the creation of mind such as invention, designs, literary and artistic works,
performances, plant varieties and names and signs and symbols.
She
informed the participants that the World Intellectual Property Organisation
(WIPO) recognizes those traditional elements as protectable. “IP would enable their holders to have a say
over their use by others,” she said.
She
added that in 2007, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the UN
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration recognizes that: “Indigenous
peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals
have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in exercise of their
rights in particular based on their indigenous origin or identity (Article 2).”
In
Article 31, Mrs. Luvongit emphasized that it: Provides that indigenous peoples
“have the right to maintain control, protect and develop their intellectual
Property (IP) over such cultural
heritage, traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expression
(TCE).”
She
said TK is a living body of knowledge that is developed, sustained, and passed
on from generations to generation within a community often forming part of its
cultural or spiritual identity.
She
added that TK is knowledge, know-how, skills, innovations or practices ared passed
between generations in a traditional context that form part of the traditional
lifestyles of indigenous and local communities who act as their guardians.
She
gave examples of TK as: i) Knowledge about traditional medicine; ii)
Traditional hunting and fishing technique; and iii) Knowledge about animal
migration patterns or water management.
Furthermore,
Mrs. Luvongit informed participants that TCE are forms in which traditional
culture is expressed. This can be in
songs, dances, handicrafts, designs, ceremonies, tales, or artistic or cultural
expressions.
She
urged the participants to benefit from TK and TCE. She said indigenous peoples and local
communities that develop, maintain and identify culturally with them should
gain from these TK or TCE and must not be exploited or be used by outsiders
especially local tourist operators, scientists, industries, universities and
others.
Both
Mrs. Luvongit and Mr. Magun then took questions from the participants on this
topic. It was quite interesting to note
that the topic actually generated a lot of discussions which led to the issue
of Copy Rights, Patent, and how our local musicians are fighting to stop
industries and pirates who are burning original music to CDs and selling them
widely in PNG for quick bucks.
These
are just some examples of what is happening in our society that ILCs must be
aware of and take steps to protect themselves and at the same time gain from
their TK and TCEs.
Session 7: Nagoya
Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of
Benefits arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological
Diversity – Facilitator: Mr. Magun
In
this session Mr. Magun informed the participants that the Nagoya Protocol was
done to operationalize one of the three (3) objectives of the CBD: i)
Conservation of biological diversity; ii) Sustainable use of its components;
and iii) Fair and equitable sharing of benefits
from the use of the genetic resources.
In
other words, the Nagoya Protocol was done to ensure that CBD’s Objective 3 is
actually implemented by all parties including, governments and the ILCs. He reiterated that the Protocol on Access and
Benefit Sharing (ABS) was done because the CBD provisions were not fully
implemented and that there were cases of misappropriation of genetic resources
and associated traditional knowledge.
He
pointed out the principles under Article 15 CBD on Fundamental ABS which
included: “Sovereign rights over natural resources; Prior informed consent (by
Parties and ILCs); Mutually agreed terms, including the sharing of benefits
arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources.”
Under
Article 8 (j) CBD, Mr. Magun said: “Governments are to respect, preserve,
maintain and promote the wider application of traditional knowledge with the
approval and involvement of relevant indigenous and local communities.” He pointed out that very little awareness is
being carried out by legitimate government agencies or authorities and lined
agencies to inform, educate and empower our people on their rights.
He
said PNG needs laws, procedures and policies to ensure benefit-sharing once
genetic resources leave the PNG. He
emphasized that there is a need in PNG for clear procedures when accessing
genetic resources.
Mr.
Magun added that according to CBD, “Traditional Knowledge (TK) related to
biological resources (ATK) can be an important source of information for
identifying new uses of genetic resources.
He
then went on to explain to the participants how Access Benefit Sharing (ABS)
and TK works. As ILC resource managers
and resource owners he stressed that they must understand that prior to sharing
their traditional knowledge, or for any outsider to enter into any Mutually
Agreed Terms (MAT) and Conditions to access their genetic resources (GR) they must first be informed, and educated
about the deal they are trying to enter into.
Once they fully understand the processes and agree on the benefits to be
obtained from their GR or traditional knowledge then they may enter into a MAT
with the user to have access to their genetic resources or traditional
knowledge. This process is known as:
“Prior Informed Consent (PIC), granted by a provider of GR and/ Associated
Traditional Knowledge (ATK) holder to a user.”
Once they are satisfied with that step than they can move on to:
“Negotiate between themselves (providers of GR eg. National Competent
Authority, ILCs etc) and the ( user eg scientists/industry(ies)/ research universities
etc) to develop mutually agreed terms (MAT) between the provider and the user that
ensure that the benefits obtained from their GR and associated traditional
knowledge are shared equitably.”
Mr.
Magun added that once that is in place, then the users can then go ahead and develop
products either for non-commercial or commercial utilization using the GR (and
associated TK): e.g. basic research, research and development, development of
new pharmaceuticals, biotechnological products and etc. He reiterated that benefits-sharing (monetary
and non-monetary): eg. Royalties, technology transfer, training and etc can then
be shared between the user and the provider equitably based on the MAT.
He
said, according to the Objective of Nagoya Protocol, “the fair and equitable
sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and
associated traditional knowledge, thereby contributes to the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity.”
In
PNG he said, there are still gray areas in our laws, policies and procedures in
regards to Access to Genetic Resources and Access to TK associated with GR and
laws on Benefit Sharing. PNG being a
signatory of this treaty needs to develop domestic laws for: Obtaining PIC or
prior approval and involvement of indigenous and local communities (ILCs) for
access to genetic resources where they have established rights to grant access
to those resources; and Setting out criteria and/or processes for obtaining PIC
or approval and involvement of ILC – related work in 8j. Once this law is in
place it will ensure that TK held by indigenous and local communities is
accessed with PIC or approval and involvement of ILC and MAT established. It will also ensure that benefits are shared
equally between the user and producer who had obtained the GR and/or TK.
To
wind up here are some of the core elements: Traditional Knowledge and ILCs
“The
Nagoya Protocol recognizes the value of community protocols of ILCs in the ABS
process.
·
Article
12 (1): “In implementing their obligations under this Protocol, Parties shall
in accordance with domestic law take into consideration indigenous and local
communities customary laws, community protocols and procedures, as applicable,
with respect to traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.”
·
Article
12 (3): “Parties shall endeavor to support, as appropriate, the development by
ILCs, including women within these communities of: a) Community protocols in
relation to access to traditional knowledge associate with genetic resources
and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of untilization of
such knowledge…”
·
“Obligation
of Parties to establish mechanisms to inform potential users of TK associated
with genetic resources about their obligations, including measures as made
available through the ABS Clearing-House;
·
“Obligation
to not restrict the customary use and exchange of genetic resources and
associated TK within and amongst ILC (including across borders).”
In
order for this to happen the Nagoya Protocol recommended the following tools
and mechanisms to assist with implementation:
·
Capacity-building/Awareness raising (which we are currently
doing and can do much more if funded);
·
Technology
Transfer;
·
National Focal Points and Competent National Authorities – whose
obligation among other things, will provide information to applicants seeking
access to TK on: Information on procedures for obtaining PIC and MAT from ILCs,
where possible and for i) granting access or issuing evidence that access
requirements have been met, ii) advising on applicable procedures for obtaining
PIC and entering into MAT;
·
ABS
Clearing House;
·
Financial
Mechanism;
·
Monitoring
and Compliance with Protocol;
·
Complimentary
work under 8 (j)
Note:
Mr. Magun raised some of these issues on facebook and received a response that
there is currently no law in PNG as yet on this matter. Another feedback he
received from Dr. Eric Kwa was, Dr. Kwa could not respond to his queries on
facebook as there are legitimate authorities responsible to do that but as a
former university of PNG’s law lecturer and now chairman of the law reform
commission, he is willing to give me some information once I make time to see
him. He has not done that yet when we
compiled this report.
Session 8: ILC CBO’s
empowering themselves – Facilitators: Mr. Khonn, Mr. Bunam, Mr. Kes, Mrs. Ibilo
and Mr. Bill Dabaliga
After
lunch, we invited the ILC resource managers to use the afternoon session to
share their success, challenges and steps they are going through to establish
or have established their conservation or resource management areas.
Both
Karkum and Mur shared common experiences.
Traditionally these ILCs achieved conservation outcomes using their
traditional management practices. But
when western ideologies, including foreign Christian religion influence and
practice crept in and took control of their lives, belief systems, lifestyles,
educational systems and cultural practices, many of their traditional customary
management practices faded away.
Traditional chieftain structures, roles and responsibilities for control
and management over their natural resources had less influence. The younger generations had less respect for
their elders. Only certain clans managed
to keep those cultural practices whilst the rest lost their grips of
traditional resource management practices.
Adding
fuel to that fire is the economic demands and challenges confronting
individuals and families with pressures to meet their social needs. The race to catch huge quantities, bigger
sized marine products and to sell more for more money over the normal
traditional fishing methods diminished.
Catching just enough protein to feed each family using traditional
fishing gears and practices, were taken over by modern fishing gears. Nylon fishing nets, nylon fishing lines, night
diving, spear fishing using modern fishing guns, and even using fishing boats
supplied by the National Fisheries Authority to fishing groups in the community
with the objective of catching plenty to sell for more money is now the normal
practice. One traditional bad practice,
they still maintained is the use of poison ropes (Derris roots).
These
bad practices are now putting immense pressure on their marine resources. Communities are now facing real dangers of
depleting their resources. They know
that they themselves are causing this to happen. They expressed great concern about this and
are eager to find positive solutions to this eminent problem. They want to restore the health and safety of
their resources.
Although
Mur ILC resource managers did not expand on their bad practices of the use of
their Kunai grass resources, and other land based products, in this session,
their Resource Management Plan points to these issues and addressed steps and
penalties they intend to take to mitigate those risks.
For
Mur, it seems the younger generation, don’t seem to listen and obey their
elders. Thus, imposing traditional
management practice for Mur may not be a possible option. They are now adapting the Resource Management
Plan process with assistance from MAKATA.
Whilst
Mur, and Karkum had similar challenges and did not find the use of traditional
conservation management principles and practices viable, and relevant anymore, this
was quite the opposite for the Kimadi, and Magubem clans. The Kimadi and Magubem clans represented by
Peter Bunam and Peter Kes shared their stories of how they finally opted to
adapt traditional management practice. In
2013 they official launched their traditional management area. The occasion was witnessed by representatives
of the Christensen Fund, sister NGOs, neighboring villages and the Gildipasi
Planning Committee executives. The
process began in 2007 when they were invited to establish their resource
management plans with the aim of restoring and protecting the critically
endangered leatherback turtles which come to nest at their gray sandy beaches under
the Turtle Island Restoration Network’s Sea Turtle Restoration Project
(TIRN-STRP). The project was initiated
by Wenceslaus Magun, when he was serving as the Western Pacific Campaigner for
the TIRN’s STRP. When Mr. Magun’s
Contract with TIRN ended in 2008, he established MAKATA to sustain this
project. The ongoing capacity building
workshops sustained by MAKATA finally led them to choose traditional management
system as the best possible method they believe will achieve this outcome. The achievement has recently been documented
by EMTV and was played on its Tok Piksa program on Sunday, 22 February, 2015.
Mark
Khonn representing the Duergao CBO, gave a lengthy talk on how his ILC took steps
to establish their group. He said they
have finally registered Duergo CBO with the Investment Promotion
Authority. Plans are now in place to
establish North Coast Resource Owners Association. These steps taken were all aimed at
protecting, restoring and sustainably using their resources whilst accessing
equitable benefits from their genetic resources, and improving their
livelihoods.
Christine
Ibilo representing Karkum women folk firstly raised concern about lack of
female participants. She said it was sad
to see that no females had attended this workshop. She said for any successful initiative to
take place in the community or in a family, both the males and females must
take part in and share in the work load.
Women must not be pushed to the kitchen to cook, or to do laundry and
all the other dirty jobs but be invited to take active roles in the
community. She also shared her stories
of being the lead chef for Karkum Village Guest House. She said the village based eco-tourism
project sprouted from the sea turtle restoration project initiated by Mr.
Magun. More and more tourists both local
and international heard about the project and came to see Karkum’s leatherback turtle’s
project. They spent nights and days in
their village guest house and brought money into the community. The turtle project brought with it both
positive and negative opportunities and challenges. Rivalries in the community
over fair share of money obtained from the village guest house soon saw the
booming village guest house enterprise crumbled. Leaders are now looking for
ways and means to restore this initiative.
Mr.
Khonn added that with the good tourists, came the bad ones too. He gave examples of a couple of tourists who
visited Karkum in the name of doing biological research; collected different
plant species and left without seeking both Prior Informed Consent (PIC) nor
establishing any Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) of Contract for any equitable Access
Benefit Sharing (ABS) should there be any such benefits emanating from those
genetic resources. He said, another
tourist came with his sailing boat and dived near shore and offshore to Karkum
but never produced any documents of his research to the villagers.
He
therefore, thanked Mr. Magun and Mrs. Luvongit for this training as they now
can take appropriate steps and measures to prevent such theft from happening
again in their communities.
The
discussions concluded that a mutually binding partnership agreement be
established between Mur, Kimadi, Magubem and Karkum ILCs. The day’s session ended with Dawang Clan
Chief, Bill Dabaliga representing Mur announcing that they will tie knots with
Kimadi, Magubem, and Karkum to ensure there is cooperation amongst them. He then appealed to us not to leave early in
the morning (Thursday 18th December) but to give them time to
perform a traditional gesture to seal the deal between north coast ILC resource
managers and them.
Day 4. THURSDAY 18TH december, 2014
Session 9: Formal dialogue to establish network and partnership between Mur,
Karkum, Kimadi and Magubem
On
Thursday morning, the workshop was officially closed with a feast fitting for the
kings. Just before the food were brought
to us, Chief Dabaliga and his wife and their 12 year old boy, presented to Mrs.
Adolphina a robe of necklaces and dressed her with them from neck to ankles, as
an informal initiation into their Dawang Clan.
They did the same to Peter Bunam, Joe Kes, Mark Khonn, Mrs. Ibilo and
Mrs Khon for and on behalf of the Karkum ILCs.
After this adornment of chiefly gifts to our team, the other villagers
brought us mighty big dishes filled to the brim with delicious cooked home
grown organic food and fresh proteins. The
food was a mixer of yam, taro, banana, sweet potato, cassava, and vegetables
with fish and roasted whole chicken placed in each dish for ILC representatives
from Kimadi and Magubem, Karkum and Adolphina and me.
Before
eating, we listened to a few closing speeches.
Mr. Khonn, representing Karkum villagers and their Duergo CBO, thanked
the Mur villagers and the neighboring villagers who attended the workshop and
looked after us. He welcomed the initiative to partner with Mur and the
neighboring villages to establish network and strengthen local communities’
resource management activities. Mr.
Bunam, president of the Gildipasi Planning Committee spoke on behalf of
Gildipasi and expressed appreciation for this workshop. He also welcomed the
invitation by Dawang Chief, Bill Dabaliga for partnership and network
relationship to be established between Mur, Karkum, Kimadi and Magubem. Mr. Kes acknowledged the traditional gesture
of this expression of interest in an exchange of flowers. The flowers were handed over to Mr. Kes, Mr.
Bunam and Mr. Khonn by Chief Dabaliga.
Chief
Dabaliga asked Mr. Kes, Mr. Bunam and Mr. Khonn to plant those flowers in
Karkum, Kimadi and Magubem to remind them of this dialogue they have just
established. He said, if the flowers
don’t grow than it is a sign that we won’t create a network between our
communities to sustain local resource management knowledge and practice and to
share traditional and cultural biological knowledge on conservation. If they grow than it is a positive sign that
we will progress on with this plan. These
gestures were witnessed by all the participants.
The
ceremony concluded with a feast.
It
was again another positive outcome reached out of this workshop. We will be monitoring this step closely to
see how it progresses on.
After
the feast, the participants helped carry our belongings to Mur village, which
is about a half an hours walk from Dawang Primary School, where we boarded our
40hp Yamaha dinghy and sailed to Madang.
On our way to Madang, we called into Teterai village to refuel. At Teterai, we collected some more local
flowers and had a short chat with the villagers there. Mr. Magun informed them of our activities at
Mur village. Teterai village is within
our proposed project site communities.
We
arrived at Simoi Shipping at about 2:30pm.
Waiting for us at the wharf was Meleki Hoss the owner of the Hire Car
which we had hired for this trip. Mr.
Meleki and I drove to his work place to leave him before returning with the
hire car to pick my team. Mrs. Luvongit
and I drove Mr. Khonn, Mrs. Khonn, Mr. Lilai, and Mrs, Ibilo to Karkum and then
drove to Dibor to drop off Mr. Kes and Mr. Bunam. We then returned to Madang. I booked Mrs. Luvongit at Madang Resort. After dinner with Mrs. Luvongit, I went home
(Riwo village) to visit my mum.
Day 5. FRIDAY 19TH DECEMBER, 2014
Debriefing: Mrs. Luvongit and I had a debriefing of the Workshop Program
On
Friday, I returned to Madang Resort picked up Mrs. Luvongit and we moved to
Madang Lodge as we had pre-booked our stay there. We also had our debriefing of the CBD workshop
program at Mur at Madang Lodge. Both
Mrs. Luvongit and I concluded that the knowledge we imparted to the
participants was enriching and well received but we could have done better if
we had done the powerpoint presentations.
This was not possible since the only generator we used on Tuesday, blew off
the power adapters for our computers, and the projector which MAKATA had
donated to Mur earlier on. Luckily we
had brought flip charts and marker pens so we used those teaching aids
throughout the entire period to teach.
We also noted that some terminologies where quite technical and could
not be used as the level of knowledge of our ILC resource managers was mainly
non-school leavers. There were a few
participants who had actually gone to as far as grade six except for Mr. Khonn
and Mr. Lilai who have gained high school certificates. We therefore translated
the English versions to Tok Pidgin so that our participants could understand
us.
Day 6. SATURDAY 20TH DECEMBER, 2014
Departure: Mrs. Luvongit left for Hoskins via Port
Moresby/Meeting with Grace Dom at Riwo cancelled
After
leaving Mrs. Luvongit at the airport, I returned to Riwo to meet with Grace
Dom, Wildlife Conservation Societies’ Lawyer who was there to attend to my
niece’s wedding. I had engaged Mrs. Dom
to edit the laws and penalties in the Mur Resource Management Plan. She
expressed interest to do that job during her vacation. It was on my way to Riwo to meet Mrs. Dom to
discuss this engagement when I had a car accident. The plan to meet with Mrs. Dom was therefore
cancelled. I later informed Mrs. Dom on
phone however, that based on the outcome of our workshop at Mur, it was not
likely for us to proceed on with the editing of the laws and penalties for Mur
immediately as they have land issues to solve first. She was satisfied with my explanations but
felt sorry for me for the car accident I had encountered. I further conveyed the same message to Mrs.
Sapul as she was principally involved in the drafting of the Mur Resource
Management Plan.
1. Follow-up
There were several
activities that needed to be done as identified through the course and closing
of the workshop. These are listed below:
(1)
Burn
CBD course content and related topics onto CD and deliver to these participants
(2)
Liaise
with CBD for more awareness materials on CBD
(3)
Carry
out another CBD awareness workshop no later than the first week of April to
other indigenous local community resource managers
(4)
Monitoring
and Evaluation – MAKATA to visit Mur, Karkum and Kimadi and follow-up on how
participants have utilized their knowledge on CBD in their respective
communities.
These plans are to be implemented
from February 2015 to December 2015.
v Mobilizing
of distribution of awareness materials
o
Wenceslaus
to burn copies of the topics taught and other CBD resource materials onto CDs
for these participants. He will hand
deliver these CDs to the participants when he next visit these communities.
o
Wenceslaus
will continue to liaise with CBD for additional information.
o
Further Training
Workshops on Convention on Biological Diversity
o
The
training workshop was the first of its kind in Madang and has generated a lot
of interest among the participants. Many participants from remote villages in parts
of Rai Coast, Bogia, Madang and Sumkar Districts could not make it due to
transport difficulties. The participants
who attended this workshop have requested that a similar training be conducted
for others at the District level in the near future to continue raising
awareness along the coastal communities.
o
MAKATA
will look into this and develop proposals etc to mobilise funds to continue the
training to other communities along the Madang coastal areas.
NOTE: GO TO THE LINK AND SEE THE PDF COPY OF THIS STORY WITH THE ANNEXES.
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