Non-Timber Forest Products

General Information

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) is a local NGO based in Ratanakiri Province, NE Cambodia, which has played a critical role since 1996 in the advocacy for indigenous rights and resource tenure. Non-Timber Forest Products was registered with the Ministry of Interior of Royal Government of Kingdom of Cambodia in March 2007. From its inception, NTFP was founded on the core issues of secure access to land and sustainable natural resources management, (NRM). The importance of cultural resources and identity in relation to natural resources emerged during the first phase (1996-1998). These core issues were addressed by the re-defined mission statement and strategy which NTFP has developed. Effective engagement with indigenous communities, developed over a considerable time, is now a particular strength of NTFP.

NTFP targets rural indigenous ethnic minority villages which do not have other organizations to support them on NRM, and because their different culture and practices, different social institutions, beliefs and values are not understood by outsiders. Communities are not able to defend their interests themselves because they cannot speak the administrative language, they lack technical skills and technology to support their claims and they are not empowered to demand their rights because they do not know what their rights are. They are also not aware of the legal instruments enacted by the country and need help to include their concerns in the formulation of legal instruments.

Vision and Mission

NNTP’s vision and mission continue to remain relevant, but have been modified for the next 3 year phase to reflect the importance of cultural survival.

NTFP’s Vision:

Indigenous peoples in Cambodia exercise their rights and effectively participate in the development of the national society; use and manage their land and natural resources for their sustainable livelihood; and maintain their cultural identity.

NTFP’s Mission:

To promote indigenous communities, both women and men, to effectively and equitably participate in decision making to choose their own future, especially to assure their rights in sustainably managing, using and developing their land and natural resources that are the basis of their livelihoods and for conserving their culture.

Current Activity

Currently NTFP is implementing 7 projects/programmes:

·         Indigenous Rights to Land Management

·         Cooperative Management Learning Network

·         Indigenous Community Governance

·         Indigenous People Well Being

·         Non-Formal Education

·         Indigenous Youth Development

·         Community Based Eco Tourism

3.1     Indigenous Rights to Land Management Project

The objectives of the project are to ensure that:

• Indigenous communities have the capacity to organize themselves as legal entities with rights to land and resources and a defined sustainable resource management plan

• Indigenous organizations have the capacity to represent and defend their concerns and right and conduct training to indigenous communities

• Government institutions have engaged in partnership with NTFP to adequately implement and administer the provision on land and resources for the benefit of indigenous communities

3.2     Cooperative Management Learning Network Project

The goal of the CMLN Project has been to create win-win situations for conservation agencies and indigenous communities in protected areas to conserve Southeast Asia’s rich biodiversity while safeguarding the rights and concerns of the indigenous peoples.

In Cambodia, Virachey National Park (VNP) is the country’s largest national park and traditionally the home to the Brao/Kavet people. Co-management activities, begun in 2006, have been crucial in implementing an agreement reached with VNP to allow Kok Lak communities a 10,000ha community protected area (CPA) which covers some, though not all, of their traditional lands in the park.[1]

As a result of the CMLN project, partners report that conflicts between the park and communities are reduced and cooperation, understanding and support from the national park partners for CM activities has increased. The national park staff have recently proposed extension of their activities into another Community Protected Areas. Despite a shaky start collaboration is now stronger between the project partners with reporting mechanisms, joint work planning and regular progress meetings.

3.3     Indigenous Community Governance Project

The target population for this project live in 31 villages, making up six communes in  three different districts- Bor Keo, O'Chum, O'Yadav.

The particular objectives of the project were to:

• Increase the capacity of indigenous communities at the  grassroots to take up and engage with external governance and  management systems. Community-based groups were supported in natural resource related activities, including securing rights and access to land and forest products in a sustainable way, and to participate in PLUP and community development planning.
• Develop mechanisms/network for communities,  Community Support Organisations and Commune Councils to participate in decision-making in NRM and livelihood improvement and in commune development planning. It facilitated forums/ workshops and interaction between local government authorities, CSOs, and vulnerable indigenous communities related to the support the planning of NRM investments.

• Empower Commune Councils to address issues of natural resource governance and management on behalf of communities and individuals and to be accountable to those communities and citizens for their actions. The Commune Councils are the recipients of the NRM investment funds, which were used at the village and community levels by communities, CSOs and contracted companies to develop natural resource management, and agricultural related businesses, which will provide opportunities for livelihood diversification and reduce vulnerability.

3.4           Indigenous People Well Being Project

This project addressed the following issues:

• Loss of land title and forest access

The Province of Ratanakiri has encountered aggressive land grabbing and the issuing of economic land and forest concessions. As a result, the marginal landholding families have been increasingly losing control over their land and access to forest resources. On one hand the poor communities are divided and thus are powerless and frightened to confront the concessions and resource grabbing process, and on the other hand the seeming impunity of the corrupt land grabbers and people who control economic concession paint a very unbalanced picture. Lack of information and education on land and forest law has created further despair among the marginalized victims. As a result of this process the small landholding families and forest dwellers have experienced food shortage and a high drop out rate of children from school. This has accelerated the impoverishment process further.

• Domestic violence against women

Patriarchal concepts and ideology have been practiced for such long time it has caused a considerable imbalance between men and women. Because of the lack of information and education on domestic violence law, lack of law enforcement among relevant local authorities and the general  lack of gender concepts,  women have been experiencing domestic violence including physical, sexual and mental abuse. Domestic violence, especially sexual and psychological abuse, has given rise to women’s health problems; however, they don’t realize that it has resulted from the violence. Due to gender discrimination, women don’t have any decision making in birth spacing, social involvement and education. Young girls are having babies at the age of 11-12 years and have been facing a mortality problem during delivery because health care services are 11-15 km from villages. 

Through IPWP, community people have been provided with the knowledge and understanding about different type of violence, the negative impact of domestic violence and about domestic violence law. Women were also educated about the history of women’s struggle to demand their right from government, to take a leadership role, have proper working hours and get the same pay as men.

• Poor quality of education

The government have not provided a viable education system with not enough school with full accessories, not enough qualified teacher with good morals and capable of holding responsibilty. As a result, indigenous youths in Ratanakiri have been influencing the sale of land by individual families. A few cases have showed that the uneducated youths have been involved in forcing their parents to sell their land in exchange for luxurious materials like motorbikes and electronic appliances. Some youths were also involved in the use of drugs and in gambling. They urgently needed to be educated and informed about the importance of land in sustaining their livelihood.

The indigenous culture has been strengthened in the youth group, with encouragement for them to keep their culture alive by

• Establishing clear principle for each culture group in order to get sustainable in playing key role to extent all subjects focused on traditional and culture preservation to villagers
• Forming handcraft of group of 26 youth with 20 are girls one village were formed to get skills from elderly trainers.
• Strengthening artistic groups to be performed as needed.
• Strengtheing the Krueng indigenous language by using the Khmer alphabet. Notably in the Kalay commune with participation from 30 persons (14 girls).
• 25 students (13 women) in Khoun have been educated for Khmer language by two local volunteer teachers
• Children have been educated in hygiene, sanitation, and about the importance of environment and natural resources.

3.5     Non-Formal Education Programme

The results of 2008 are evidence of a strong desire from all sectors of the local communities to educate their children, youth, and community members. There has been increasing knowledge in reading and writing the Kavet language (about 60-70%) and Khmer Language (30-40%) through bridging programmes, evidenced by 5 examination sessions held, using observation and testing during teaching time.

A lot of effort was invested in 2008 in organizing and training local volunteer monitors as well as local community education committees who oversee the smooth running of classes.  The NFE classes were widely scattered and accessible by forest trails during about 10 months of the year, for a total of 18 teaching sites for 5 villages. This was followed by consolidation into larger classes when the population relocated to the main village for approximately 2 months. The local communities were responsible for the logistics of relocating classes between the village and the field sites, as well as scheduling classes as appropriate according to the agricultural season.

In summary:

• 26 classes re-organized, 18 Kavet and 8 Khmer classes (total 650/280 females), enough teaching/learning supplies distributed to all locations

• Established 3 library sites with average 20 readers each site, and 5 women’s basic math classes with total 150 women

• The volunteer teachers, committee members, local monitors, women, and villager leaders were trained on different skill relevant to their roles, ie monitoring, bilingual curriculum, teaching methodology, community library skill, basic math, and on job-training etc.

• Conducted monitoring to outreach hamlets, where night classes held, by Indigenous Youth, and NTFP staff.

3.6     Indigenous Youth Development Project

The indigenous youths who are vital persons in society living in Ratanakiri have been isolated from formal education services, information etc. Moreover, they do not have the opportunity to be involved in decision making or in leading the development of their society, including their community’s economic development. In response, NTFP  initiated the IYDP project.

The IYDP project was established in the middle of 2000, initially implemented as a pilot project. The project focuses on increasing youth capacity for those who are learning at high school and for those who have dropped out of school early. Initially, NTFP and other generous people, both inside and outside the country, supported the project through donations. Since 2004 IYDP has been undertaking activities in Ratanakiri province using fund committed by Action Aid Cambodia (AAC).

Current IYDP beneficiaries:

• 50 (24 females) at high school (Additional selection in case of most students have works and or not participate in the group)

• 415 youth at village level

It is difficult to estimate the impact of the project during the period of reporting, however the narrative below is an indication of the Knowledge, Skills and Attitude developed in those taking part. All these outcomes were recorded through actual practice, observation, interaction, and interview etc.

• Youth are able to analyse changes and decreases of natural resources within their communities included forest, and understand the likely effects of climate changes

• Increased participation by indigenous women in meetings, workshops etc where they now actively express their ideas

• Youth have the courage to speak out and are increasingly aware of social issues, development work, land issues, forest issues. Furthermore, youth are better able to participate with elders than was previously the case, especially regarding their cultural knowledge. They can now facilitate the meetings at communities. They are able to educate their youth peers whose did not participate in the project activities

• Youth in Ban Lung town have better knowledge about HIV/Aids and Drug issues, compared to the last few years

3.7       Community Based Eco-Tourism

This pilot project started in January 2009. It aims  to develop a guesthouse in the Kok Lak community for tourists to visit. This will involve renovating a derelict house, providing access suitable for tourists and mobilizing the community to provide guest facilities for those staying there. The community will also be encouraged to develop entertainment, suchg as traditional music and dance, and crafts for sale to the tourists.

Kok Lak is situated within the Virachey National Park “buffer zone” so a key partner will be the VNP staff. This will complement the C-operative Management Learning Network project outlined above.