Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Traditional forest-dwelling communities, once largely dependent on forest resources for their
livelihoods, currently suffer extreme poverty as a result of imposed mainstream forces, e.g.
modern development schemes, Protected Area (PA) management and conservation policies. The
enforced adaptation to mainstream scenarios has adversely affected the once free spirited forest
dependent Vadda people, their traditional lifeways and cultural values.
One key livelihood transition has been the adoption of sedentary agricultural practices. This shift
has led to an increased dependency on external inputs, e.g. chemical fertilisers and pesticides,
and has restricted access to seasonal water sources. As a result, the traditional livelihood
strategies which helped to preserve forest resources are being eroded.
The price the Vadda people have paid is high. They face undue pressures and struggle to
maintain livelihood security. The loss of traditional values, in exchange for material
aspirations influenced by external economic, socio-cultural and religious influences
is distinctly evident.
·Facilitationof required policy changes to promote the 'living traditions' of traditional forest
communities.
·Establishment of a Joint Secretariat and Implementation Committee for the Inter-agency
Working Group established.
·Preparation of a work plan for the pilot programme through a participatory approach.
·Preparation of a model community participatory mechanism.
·Establishment of a long-term financial investment plan for the forest Vadda community
livelihood recovery programme.
·Minimising conflicts of interest between Protected Area (PA) managers and forest people.
·Minimising the adverse effects of community dependency as a result of PA's.
·Establishing 'eco-cultural' villages as an alternative to the free-spiritedness and food
insecurities faced by the forest people.
·Recovery of traditional livelihoods for forest dwelling communities living in the peripheries of
PA s, by way of improved natural resource access.
·To establish a documenting system for traditional knowledge.
·Empowering and enhancing the skills and capacities of local communities.
·Setting up a mechanism for equitable-sharing of benefits from PA's and bio-prospecting.
·Establishing a local market for the sale of community products.
·Establishing a community interpretation programme on traditional cultures and up-scaling
existing facilities.
·Setting-up a micro-financing programme for re-acquiring mortgaged properties.
·Raising awareness of social issues, e.g. communicable diseases and gender relations.
Programme implementation
The traditional Vadda communities summarised below are the selected
beneficiaries of the 5 year programme for Phase 1. Ratugala serves as the pilot
programme for implementation over a two-year period from Aug 2007 onwards.
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