Title: MANUAL FOR COMMUNITY ORGANISER
KeyWords: Institutions, religious places, lakes/water bodies, forest type, wildlife, vegetation, topography, soil, land use,
Published by: Government of Sikkim Department of Forest and Environment Department
Author Name: Government of Sikkim Department of Forest and Environment Department
Printed Year: 2012
Editor:
Language: English
Pages: 58
Details:
Foreword
The devolution of power to grassroots level forest protection and management institutions has always been the policy of the Department of Forest, Environment and Forest Management (DEEWM), Government of Sikkim. Though DFEWM has always recognized the participation of community in implementation of forestry programs, the participation of community could not be realized at fuller extent due to lack of financial and trained human resources. The current Project “Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP)” supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency has ample scope of community participation and joint collaboration between community and forest department. Community Organizers, who will be working as catalyst, are bridge between Forest Department and EDCs/JFMCs/ PSS for motivating people to come forward to share their commitments towards biodiversity conservation and forest management. Manual for Community Organizers has been developed so that Community Organizers can involve JFMCs/ EDCs/PSS and SHGs in improving the natural resources and alleviating poverty in Project area through participatory rehabilitation and management of degraded forests, strengthening sustainable biodiversity conservation activities and forest management capacity, creating livelihood opportunity for the local people who are dependent on forests, afforestation and promoting eco-tourism for the community development.
Manual emphasizes on the roles the Community Organizers have to play, the methods to be used for community mobilization for formation of new JFMCs/EDCs and SHGs, and strengthening existing ones, for selecting and implementing EPA and creating income generation opportunities for SHGs in the villages for sustainable forest management and enhancing quality of lives of forest dependent communities. Emphasis is required to be given to cluster approach for spread effects of the programs in Joint Forest Management. The manual also mentions about the process and methods of SHGs formation and its management, microfinance and related activities, identification and inclusion of poor and marginalized households in development, besides approaches and methods to be followed for better forest management and forest resource monitoring through community participation. I have no doubt about the ability of Community Organizers to empower EDCs/JFMCs/SHGs and build their management skills and leadership capabilities, which are seen as essential components to the success of the Project.