KATHMANDU, MAR 12 - Come April 4, thousands of people representing different organisations involved in forest conservation will congregate in 10 different places to announce the beginning of ‘Forest Caravan 2010’ - a first of its kind community forest conservation initiative in the country.

The Caravan, organised by the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), will begin from 10 districts--Taplejung, Khotang, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Mustang, Gulmi, Jumla, Rukum, Bajura and Darchula-simultaneously and assemble in Kathmandu on April 13.

Civil society organisations, political leaders, government representatives, lawyers, entrepreneurs, social workers, educationists and community forest users will participate in the Caravan.

The event will focus on securing the community people’s rights over natural resources, said FECOFUN Chairman Ghanashyam Pandey. “We will also hold extensive deliberations on ways to make community forest programme inclusive in the constitution. Besides governance, the assembly will also press for pro-poor constitution.”Community forest is considered one of the most successful programmes, as it is based on efforts put in by locals.

The event, according to Pandey, also marks the fourth anniversary of the People’s Movement-2006, which was largely supported by thousands of representatives of Community Forest Users Groups (CFUGs).

“We want to highlight the positive changes brought about by CFUGs in the country,” said Pandey. “Reforming the institutional mechanisms and establishing FECOFUN as an example in promoting inclusiveness and good-governance will also be our agendas.”

On the concluding day on April 13 in Kathmandu, the Caravan assembly will be addressed by political bigwigs, including UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress Senior Leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Chairman Upendra Yadav.

Posted on: 2010-03-12 11:31

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