Past Events

Natural resource products and poverty — workshop in Pretoria, February 2006

2006 - ,

, CIFOR is co-hosting a workshop next February on how trade in natural resource products can reduce poverty. Thousands of people across South Africa, are turning to the trade in natural resource products to make ends meet. Workshop participants will examine how this emerging trade can contribute to the Millennium Development Goal of reducing poverty in South Africa. People interested in natural resource management and enterprise development issues are welcome to attend.more

Debub/Wondo Genet College of Forestry

2005 - ,

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in collaboration with

Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Charles Darwin University (CDU)

Invitation to Workshop/field course (PhD level) April 18-28, 2005

NOTE: THE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Building scenarios of the future: Forests in landscape mosaics

Interdisciplinary and action oriented approaches are gradually gaining ground and acceptance as important tools in developmental research. In this international research and training course/workshop we will provide an overview and explore some of those approaches by working with local people to build visions of the future and to identify tasks ahead if any of the visions are to be achieved. To build these visions we will use such techniques as scenario building backed up by simulation modeling. The final day of the course is a stakeholder workshop involving key officials, local villagers and researchers/course participants. Some reference literature will be provided before the course and participants be expected to contribute to a multi-disciplinary paper by the end of the exercise.

The course is hosted by Debub/Wondo Genet College of Forestry (WGCF), Ethiopia in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Charles Darwin University (CDU) and Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR). It is directed towards PhD students and researchers with a focus on developmental and multidisciplinary issues in relation to forests, land use and livelihoods in the tropics.

How to apply:

For practical reason the number of participants (national and international) cannot exceed 20. Researchers and students who are interested to participate should apply through e-mail (see attached format below) not later than March 7, 2005. For submitting applications and for further information, please contact Dr Mats Sandewall, SLU, Mats.Sandewall@resgeom.slu.se, phone (international participants) and Dr Melaku Bekele, WGCF wgcf@telecom.net.et, phone (Ethiopian participants). Pls send cc. of all applications to Dr Takele Deresse, SLU/WGCFTakele.Deresse@resgeom.slu.se

Practical arrangements:

The course takes place at the Chilimo Forest about 2 hours drive west of Addis Abeba. Transport from Addis (on 18 April a.m), free accommodation in a camp during the course and return trip to Addis (on April 28 a.m) is provided by the organizers. There is no course fee but an input of 100 USD is required by the participants to cover food arrangements during the course period.

Organization and facilitation:

Chief facilitator: Dr Bruce Campbell, CDU/CIFOR

Course arrangements and co-facilitation:

– Dr Melaku Bekele, Debub/WGCF
– Dr Habtemariam Kassa, CIFOR
– Dr Mats Sandewall, SLU Umeå

Application format:

• Name and address.

• Home university and university where you are currently registered as student (if other) or where you work as researcher (if applicable).

• Educational background.

• Title of PhD thesis project.

• Experiences linked to developmental issues.

• Motivation for applying to the course.

• Other relevant information.

Download the PDF version (151 KB)

International Symposium on Non-Timber Forest Products, Community Economic Development and Forest Conservation

2005 - ,

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A Future Beneath the Trees. Held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, 25 – 27 August 2005. CIFOR will be a co-sponsor this event.
This Symposium addresses the opportunities and challenges of commercial development of Non-Timber Forest Products and the impacts of commercialization on rural communities and forest ecosystems.more

Please click here to download the "Call for papers"

CGIAR and Indonesian Partners to Help Rebuild Rural Livelihoods in Aceh

2005 - ,

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The Indonesian Government and the international community’s response to the crisis in Aceh deserves the highest commendation. Understandably, much of this attention remains focused on immediate survival assistance. To ensure these survival efforts reap their fullest benefit, attention must also be paid to the long-term livelihood opportunities for people and communities trying to re-build their lives.

Accordingly, several CGIAR research centers operating in disaster-affected regions are working closely with Indonesian partners to examine ways of optimizing future livelihood rehabilitation activities in Aceh.

A preliminary planning workshop between the CGIAR and Indonesian partners is being hosted by CIFOR and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) at CIFOR’s headquarters in Bogor on January 20, 2005.

Attending the workshop will be the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Agriculture, universities, national research institutions and funding agencies. The CGIAR Centers attending will include CIFOR, the World Agroforestry Centre, the World Fish Center (ICLARM), IPGRI, IRRI, CIP and IWMI.

Effective livelihood initiatives will require close coordination across sectors, including fisheries, agriculture, forestry, infrastructure, conservation, tourism, and across disciplines, including the social, economic, technical and ecological disciplines.

A key component of ensuring effective coordination will initially involve re-building the almost completely ruined capacity of local institutions to deal with livelihood needs through an integrated approach natural resource management. These livelihood activities include fishing, coastal zone agroforestry, rice farming, and the commercial and semi-subsistent use of forests.

Key international assistance agencies have been invited to attend the January 20 meeting to provide their views on the long-term rebuilding of small scale livelihoods in Aceh.

Further details:
Retno Utaira (ICARF)-r.utaira@cgiar.org  Telp.
Meine van Noordwijk (ICRAF) –m.van-noordwijk@cgiar.org
Daniel Murdiyarso (CIFOR) –d.murdiyarso@cgiar.org

Travel Grants for PhD Students to Attend PEN Workshop, Australia

2005 - ,

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The second PEN workshop will be held 15-18. August 2005, Brisbane, Australia, immediately after the World Congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). more

Short Course: Conservation and Business: Natural Reources – Based Enterprise Development & Local Livelihoods

2005 - ,

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The Charles Darwin University and the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) are offering a short course on natural resource-based enterprise development.

The course will be led by Tony Cunningham from People and Plants International and a CIFOR Associate Scientist, and will include guest lectures of many local leading practitioners in this field. Theory will be integrated with Australian and international examples.

This course will also address the importance of business planning, the components of which will be covered in the lectures. The order of the lectures follows the order in which one might work in a field situation where implementation of resource management, monitoring and conservation measures is required. All of this will be consolidated through a field trip looking at the components of local natural resource enterprises.

A two day public seminar will be included in the short course, with keynote presentations from visiting international experts and a forum for discussion and advice.

Date: 9 – 20 May 2005

Venue: Casuarina Campus, Charles Darwin University

Cost: $700 (includes course materials, field trip)

Registration by: 31st March 2005

Register with:Patricia.Butler@cdu.edu.au, (08) 8946-6574

Contact:Julian.Gorman@cdu.edu.au, (08) 8946-6732

Course Presenters

Invited international contributors:
Tony Cunningham – People and Plants International; Ousseynou Ndoye – CIFOR Cameroon; Gus le Breton – PhytoTrade Africa; Jenne de Beer – Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) Southeast Asia.

Local contributors:
Bruce Campbell, Josh Forner, Jenny Koenig, Sonia Smallacombe, Chris Lee, Mike Letnic, David Liddle, Charlie Manolis Peter Whitehead, Glenn Wightman.

Building scenarios of the future: Forests in landscape mosaic

2005 - ,

,

Debub/Wondo Genet College of Forestry, in collaboration with:
Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
Charles Darwin University (CDU)

Invitation to Workshop/field course (PhD level) April 18-28, 2005

NOTE: THE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Building scenarios of the futureInterdisciplinary and action oriented approaches are gradually gaining ground and acceptance as important tools in developmental research. In this international research and training course/workshop we will provide an overview and explore some of those approaches by working with local people to build visions of the future and to identify tasks ahead if any of the visions are to be achieved. To build these visions we will use such techniques as scenario building backed up by simulation modeling. The final day of the course is a stakeholder workshop involving key officials, local villagers and researchers/course participants. Some reference literature will be provided before the course and participants be expected to contribute to a multi-disciplinary paper by the end of the exercise.

The course is hosted by Debub/Wondo Genet College of Forestry (WGCF), Ethiopia in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Charles Darwin University (CDU) and Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR). It is directed towards PhD students and researchers with a focus on developmental and multidisciplinary issues in relation to forests, land use and livelihoods in the tropics.

How to apply: For practical reason the number of participants (national and international) cannot exceed 20. Researchers and students who are interested to participate should apply through e-mail (see attached format below) not later than March 7, 2005. For submitting applications and for further information, please contact Dr Mats Sandewall, SLU,Mats.Sandewall@resgeom.slu.se, phone (international participants) and Dr Melaku Bekele, WGCFwgcf@telecom.net.et, phone +251 6 109903 (Ethiopian participants). Pls send cc. of all applications to Dr Takele Deresse, SLU/WGCFTakele.Deresse@resgeom.slu.se

Practical arrangements: The course takes place at the Chilimo Forest about 2 hours drive west of Addis Abeba. Transport from Addis (on 18 April a.m), free accommodation in a camp during the course and return trip to Addis (on April 28 a.m) is provided by the organizers. There is no course fee but an input of 100 USD is required by the participants to cover food arrangements during the course period.

Organization and facilitation:

Chief facilitator: Dr Bruce Campbell, CDU/CIFOR
Course arrangements and co-facilitation:
– Dr Melaku Bekele, Debub/WGCF
– Dr Habtemariam Kassa, CIFOR
– Dr Mats Sandewall, SLU Umeå

Application format:

• Name and address.
• Home university and university where you are currently registered as student (if other) or where you work as researcher (if applicable).
• Educational background.
• Title of PhD thesis project.
• Experiences linked to developmental issues.
• Motivation for applying to the course.
• Other relevant information.

Download the PDF version (151 KB)

Forest Livelihoods Important for Combating Poverty in Vietnam

2005 - ,

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CIFOR & FSSP-CO Hold Seminar and Launch DfID Sponsored Book in Hanoi – March 14, 2005

The Government of Viet Nam’s increased focus on the role of forest livelihoods in national poverty alleviation strategies is an important step in Viet Nam’s ongoing economic and social development, according to the author of a new report on poverty alleviation.

Dr. William Sunderlin from the Center for International Forestry Research and co-author with Huynh Thu Ba of Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Viet Nam says, “Because forests are an important source of livelihood for hundreds of thousands of people in Viet Nam, it is very pleasing to see the government emphasizing the links between forest-based livelihoods and reducing poverty.”

“The logic of paying attention to forest resources in national poverty alleviation planning is sound,” Sunderlin said, “Those who are most poor in Vietnam and the country’s remaining natural forests tend to be concentrated in the same places – in remote areas away from big cities, big roads, ports, and other infrastructure.

“It therefore should be no surprise that forest resources are highly relevant to those who are most poor, especially ethnic minorities.”

Funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Viet Nam is a summary and analysis of existing literature dealing with poverty and forest issues in Viet Nam.

The book provides useful guidelines on how future research into forests and livelihoods can best be used to improve Viet Nam’s national poverty alleviation planning and programs.

The publication will be launched at Hanoi’s Press Club on March 14, 2005 at a seminar on the role of forests in Viet Nam’s national poverty alleviation program. The seminar will provide those attending an opportunity to learn more about the role forests play in reducing poverty. Dr. Sunderlin will be available for interviews after the seminar is concluded.

Topics at the seminar will include:

• How to enhance communication between experts working on poverty alleviation with experts working on forestry and natural resource management; and

• How to promote greater inclusion of forest issues in national poverty alleviation programs.

Speakers at the seminar include:

• William Sunderlin, who will provide an overview of the findings in Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Viet Nam.

• Rob Swinkels, Senior Economist, Poverty and Social Unit, Word Bank Office in Vietnam, who will also provide comments on the publication.

• Names of the Vietnamese forestry experts to speak at the seminar are to be confirmed.

The remainder of the program will be an open discussion.

The sponsors of the event are the Forest Sector Support Program Coordination Office (FSSP-CO) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

Date and time:  Monday March 14th, 2005, 2:30 – 4:45 pm

Place:
The Press Club
59 A Ly Thai To Street
Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi, Vietnam

Sponsors:
Forest Sector Support Program Coordination Office (FSSP-CO)
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), headquartered in Bogor, Indonesia

Forest Livelihoods Important for Combating Poverty in Vietnam

2005 - ,

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CIFOR & FSSP-CO Hold Seminar and Launch DfID Sponsored Book in Hanoi – March 14, 2005

The Government of Viet Nam’s increased focus on the role of forest livelihoods in national poverty alleviation strategies is an important step in Viet Nam’s ongoing economic and social development, according to the author of a new report on poverty alleviation.

Dr. William Sunderlin from the Center for International Forestry Research and co-author with Huynh Thu Ba of Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Viet Nam says, “Because forests are an important source of livelihood for hundreds of thousands of people in Viet Nam, it is very pleasing to see the government emphasizing the links between forest-based livelihoods and reducing poverty.”

“The logic of paying attention to forest resources in national poverty alleviation planning is sound,” Sunderlin said, “Those who are most poor in Vietnam and the country’s remaining natural forests tend to be concentrated in the same places – in remote areas away from big cities, big roads, ports, and other infrastructure.

“It therefore should be no surprise that forest resources are highly relevant to those who are most poor, especially ethnic minorities.”

Funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Viet Nam is a summary and analysis of existing literature dealing with poverty and forest issues in Viet Nam.

The book provides useful guidelines on how future research into forests and livelihoods can best be used to improve Viet Nam’s national poverty alleviation planning and programs.

The publication will be launched at Hanoi’s Press Club on March 14, 2005 at a seminar on the role of forests in Viet Nam’s national poverty alleviation program. The seminar will provide those attending an opportunity to learn more about the role forests play in reducing poverty. Dr. Sunderlin will be available for interviews after the seminar is concluded.

Topics at the seminar will include:

• How to enhance communication between experts working on poverty alleviation with experts working on forestry and natural resource management; and

• How to promote greater inclusion of forest issues in national poverty alleviation programs.

Speakers at the seminar include:

• William Sunderlin, who will provide an overview of the findings in Poverty Alleviation and Forests in Viet Nam.
• Rob Swinkels, Senior Economist, Poverty and Social Unit, Word Bank Office in Vietnam, who will also provide comments on the publication.
• Names of the Vietnamese forestry experts to speak at the seminar are to be confirmed.

The remainder of the program will be an open discussion.

The sponsors of the event are the Forest Sector Support Program Coordination Office (FSSP-CO) and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

Date and time:  Monday March 14th, 2005, 2:30 – 4:45 pm

Place:                 The Press Club
                           59 A Ly Thai To Street
                           Hoan Kiem District
                           Hanoi, Vietnam

Sponsors:           Forest Sector Support Program Coordination Office (FSSP-CO)
                           Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), headquartered in Bogor, Indonesia

Review of Forest Land Rehabilitation Efforts at CIFOR: 22 -23 February 2005

2005 - ,

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Forest and forest land rehabilitation programs in Indonesia have received considerable attention and investment from a range of stakeholders. To fully optimize these programs now and into the future, it is vital we learn from past rehabilitation efforts. CIFOR and Indonesia’s Forestry Research and Development Agency (FORDA) have completed a study entitled: "Review of forest rehabilitation initiatives: lessons from the past". A presentation of the study will be held at CIFOR starting 8 a.m. on February 22, 2005. Please note the study and the presentation are all in bahasa Indonesia.

Please note: all presentations and discussions are made in bahasa Indonesia