Audio-visual action for forest conservation

Vogelkop or Bird’s Head Lowland Rainforest is one of the most threatened ecosystem types in Papua due to relative ease of access and its suitability for logging and conversion to oil palm plantations and other forms of agriculture. Most of the Bird’s Head Lowland Rainforests are designated as production or conversion forest, with only a small area classified as protected forests (Hutan Lindung) or conservation areas. The forests in the area are traditionally owned by indigenous communities whose livelihoods depend on the products and services of the ecosystems. Between 2005 – 2008 Telapak/EIA and Triton worked to increase capacity for NGO activists in West Papua to improve documentation of forest destruction in Sorong region, but the project did not have the resources to involve the grassroots community members. The program was extremely useful – for example Triton was able to strengthen its capacity in field investigation, in editing 15 – 30 minute films using audio-visual equipment, and in reporting. These skills have proved so useful to Triton that the organisation believes that it would be valuable to replicate the training to build the capacity of grassroots community members. The justification for selection of community members as the target for training is that community members are close to and well informed about issues on the ground, directly experience the impacts of them, and can often collect information without high travel costs (the Malamoi ethnic group area is very difficult to access by air, sea or road). As such, Triton sees strengthening a network of grassroots community members as one of the most important components of achieving overall change in the management of forests. The focus on strengthening grassroots communities will also help to ensure that the impact of this project is sustained, since the participants will be chosen from communities directly affected by the issues which they are documenting. This project aims to alert businesses to the fact they are being monitored and that they should follow the appropriate regulations, and to remind local Government that it should be cautious in issuing licences. Triton has a commitment to support the community after the project is finished, the project will focus on increasing capacity, and thus independence rather than dependence on Triton, this is the first time a Papuan NGO has taken the initiative to organise as program such as this. In the longer term, Triton may provide audio-visual training to NGOs and Student groups etc as a paid service, so that the program can continue and be replicated in other communities. The program responds to a need identified with community members who already report problems with forest destruction to Triton