Small Victory in Indonesia as Rainforests Returned to Indigenous Control
When government controls a resource, that resource will be sold to the highest corporate bidder and will be exploited at the expense of any plants, animals or people living in the area. The battle for stewardship of our forests is one of the most important questions of our time, and in Indonesia, home to a significant portion of the world’s remaining rainforests, control of a number of disputed areas was recently returned to the indigenous populations which inhabit them.
As European colonialism in the 1800’s overtook the thousands of sprawling islands which now make up Indonesia, Dutch state rule over the millions of acres of forests in the region was hotly disputed, even flatly rejected, by many of the native tribes in the region. Having been a region of intense conflict for generations, a recent move by Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo will end clashes over this matter by returning authority of some rainforest areas to indigenous people.
“President Joko Widodo has bestowed the right to manage customary forests on nine indigenous communities, heralding the end of decades of uncertainty and the beginning of a new era of secure right to land.” [Source]
In a ceremony dubbed theDeclaration of Recognition of Indigenous Forests in December 2016, President Widodo formally handed over land titles to some disputed regions in Indonesia’s vast wild lands.
“The recognition of customary management of forests is not restricted to the acknowledgment of communities’ rights as stated in the 1945 Constitution. Recognition also means an appreciation of Indonesia’s original values and its identity as a nation.” ~President Widodo
“The recognition of the right of indigenous people to manage forests by the Indonesian Government is an important step in agrarian reform as part of the Nawa Cita, Widodo’s program of nine main strategies to address long-term problems afflicting rural communities, such as poverty, inequality and lack of paid employment. Widodo also pointed out that transferring management of customary forests to indigenous people was a small part of Indonesia’s social forestry program that wants to bring 12.7 million hectares under community management.” [Source]
This is a promising model for management of many of the earth’s rainforests, as traditionally, indigenous cultures have always a deeper connection to the land, and a spiritual recognition that honors symbiosis and sustainability, ensuring there will always be abundant food, shelter and medicines for the simple populations whom live in and near the rainforests.
“Saputra, in his acceptance speech in response to the handover of title by Widodo, noted that, ‘Our traditional wisdom has played an important role in managing and preserving our forests. This has contributed to keeping our Earth greener and reducing the negative impacts of climate change” [Source]
The wanton destruction of the ‘lungs of the earth,’ our rainforests, will either end when they’ve all been cut and sold off, or when we return to a sane policy of proper stewardship of these lands. This small victory is a sign that progress can be made.
Read more articles by Vic Bishop.
About the Author
Vic Bishop is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and OffgridOutpost.com Survival Tips blog. He is an observer of people, animals, nature, and he loves to ponder the connection and relationship between them all. A believer in always striving to becoming self-sufficient and free from the matrix, please track him down on Facebook.
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"Mapinduzi madogo nchini Indonesia kama misitu ya mvua ilirudi kwa udhibiti wa wenyeji ""Wakati serikali inadhibiti rasilimali, rasilimali hiyo itauzwa kwa mnunuzi wa juu zaidi na itatumiwa kwa gharama ya mimea yoyote, wanyama au watu wanaoishi katika eneo hilo." """Pambano la ulinzi wa misitu yetu ni moja ya maswali muhimu zaidi ya wakati wetu, na nchini Indonesia, nyumbani kwa sehemu kubwa ya misitu ya mvua iliyobaki duniani, udhibiti wa maeneo kadhaa yenye utata hivi karibuni ulirudishwa kwa wenyeji ambao wanaishi huko." Wakati ukoloni wa Ulaya katika miaka ya 1800 ulipovamia maelfu ya visiwa vilivyoenea ambavyo sasa vinaunda Indonesia, utawala wa serikali ya Uholanzi juu ya mamilioni ya ekari ya misitu katika mkoa huo ulipingwa sana, hata kukataliwa kabisa, na makabila mengi ya asili katika mkoa huo. Baada ya kuwa eneo la mgogoro mkali kwa vizazi, hatua ya hivi karibuni ya Rais Joko Widodo ya Indonesia itamaliza mapigano juu ya suala hili kwa kurudisha mamlaka ya maeneo fulani ya msitu wa mvua kwa wenyeji. "Mchungaji wa Mkoa wa Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo la Jimbo." "Ukubali wa usimamizi wa kawaida wa misitu haukukui mdogo kwa utambuzi wa haki za jamii kama ilivyoelezwa katika Katiba ya 1945.""" "Hii ni pamoja na kutambua thamani ya asili ya Indonesia na utambulisho wake kama taifa. ""Ukubali wa haki ya wenyeji wa kusimamia misitu na Serikali ya Indonesia ni hatua muhimu katika mageuzi ya kilimo kama sehemu ya Nawa Cita, mpango wa Widodo wa mikakati tisa kuu ya kushughulikia matatizo ya muda mrefu yanayowasumbua jamii za vijijini, kama vile umaskini, usawa na ukosefu wa ajira." "Widodo pia alisema kuwa kuhamisha usimamizi wa misitu ya kawaida kwa wenyeji ni sehemu ndogo ya mpango wa misitu ya kijamii ya Indonesia ambayo inataka kuleta hekta milioni 12.7 chini ya usimamizi wa jamii. ""Hii ni mfano wa kuahidi kwa usimamizi wa misitu mingi ya mvua ya dunia, kama kawaida, tamaduni za wenyeji daima zina uhusiano wa kina na ardhi, na utambuzi wa kiroho ambao unaheshimu ushirikiano na uendelevu, kuhakikisha kutakuwa na chakula, makazi na dawa nyingi kwa watu wa kawaida ambao wanaishi ndani na karibu na misitu ya mvua." "Saputra, katika hotuba yake ya kukubali katika kujibu kwa uwasilishaji wa jina na Widodo, alibainisha kwamba, ""Hekima yetu ya jadi imecheza jukumu muhimu katika kusimamia na kuhifadhi misitu yetu. """ Hii imeshiriki katika kuweka Dunia yetu kijani na kupunguza athari mbaya za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. [Mwanzo] Uharibifu wa bure wa 'pafu za dunia,' misitu yetu ya mvua, au itakwisha wakati wote wamekatwa na kuuzwa, au tunarudi kwa sera ya busara ya usimamizi sahihi wa ardhi hizi. Ushindi huu mdogo ni ishara kwamba maendeleo yanaweza kufanywa. Soma makala zaidi za Vic Bishop. Vic Bishop ni mwandishi wa wafanyakazi wa WakingTimes.com na OffgridOutpost.com Survival Tips blog. Yeye ni mtazamaji wa watu, wanyama, asili, na anapenda kutafakari uhusiano na uhusiano kati yao wote. "Mtu ambaye anaamini katika kujitahidi daima kuwa mwenye kujitegemea na huru kutoka kwa Matrix, tafadhali mfuatilia kwenye Facebook.""" Makala hii (Ushindi mdogo nchini Indonesia kama misitu ya mvua ilirudi kwa udhibiti wa asili) ilitengenezwa na kuchapishwa na Waking Times na imechapishwa hapa chini ya leseni ya Creative Commons na sifa kwa Vic Bishop na WakingTimes.com. Inaweza kuchapishwa tena kwa uhuru na sifa sahihi, bio ya mwandishi, na taarifa hii ya hakimiliki. Tafadhali wasiliana na WakingTimes@gmail.com kwa habari zaidi.