Toshaos urge better international forest conservation framework

Toshaos urge better international forest conservation framework
Jagdeo: If companies like Barama cannot follow rules then they will
have to leave
By Gaulbert Sutherland
Stabroek News, Saturday, October 27th 2007
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56531894

From left are Toshao of Kanashen Cemci Suse, President Bharrat Jagdeo,
Deputy Toshao of Kanashen, Paul Chekema and Amerindian Affairs Minister
Carolyn Rodrigues at the Umana Yana last evening. The Wai-Wai community
owned conservation area was relaunched a

Toshaos at the conclusion of the National Toshaos Conference yesterday
supported a resolution that urged the international community to create
a framework to ensure that forest conservation efforts are adequately
rewarded.

From a benab in the isolated rainforest community of Masakenari, in the
heart of the Wai-Wai nation, to a conference in Argentina and finally
to the Wai-Wai built Umana Yana in Georgetown, the Community Owned
Conser-vation Area (COCA) was again re-launched last evening this time
in the presence of President Bharrat Jagdeo, other government
officials, Conservation International (CI) representatives, the
Chairman of Region Nine (where the area is located), Clarindo Lucas and
Toshaos from all over the country. It was described as the conclusion
of one phase and the beginning of another.

Jagdeo, in his feature address said that the event was not just a
single act of conservation, but an engagement in the process of
empowerment. Expressing his support for the Wai-Wai's decision, the
president said that this is in no way suggesting that the other
communities go this route. "You can make your own decisions what to do
with the land that you own", he assured the toshaos. Jagdeo however
asserted that Guyana's conservation efforts do not mean that the
country should be "locked away as museum pieces for the rest of the
world". "We are not a museum piece", he declared stating that there
should be benefits for protecting the bio-diversity. Noting the
experience of other areas where new discoveries had led to patents
being taken out and which benefitted persons other than the community,
the president assured the gathering that the local people will benefit.
He however said that help is needed and noted the toshaos' support of
the resolution. Jagdeo stated that developing countries such as Guyana
are not major producers of greenhouse gases but the developed states
are and he condemned those nations for continuing to pollute and not
committing to a reduction of their emissions.

"We bear more of the burden of saving the world than the rich countries
and that should change", he declared adding that this will be the
future mantra of his government. He said that while Guyana was prepared
to play its part in saving the world, the country should be rewarded
for this.

During the opening ceremony for this month's Commonwealth Finance
Ministers Meeting, President Jagdeo announced that he has offered
almost the entire local rainforest in the fight against climate change.
No details have since been provided on this proposal.

From left are Toshao of Kanashen Cemci Suse, President Bharrat Jagdeo,
Deputy Toshao of Kanashen, Paul Chekema and Amerindian Affairs Minister
Carolyn Rodrigues at the Umana Yana last evening. The Wai-Wai community
owned conservation area was relaunched a

The Head of State yesterday further committed to lobbying for changes
to the Kyoto Protocol so that states like Guyana would benefit for
their conservation efforts. "We have to change the Kyoto Protocol so
that in the future there will be a framework which ensures that
countries like ours are rewarded", he said. He called on the toshaos,
agencies like CI and others to support the call for "major enhancement
in the fight against global warming". He committed his government's
support in continuing to work with the community. "We want this to be
successful so that eventually it will become a model for other areas
and other countries", he stated.

Barama

Jagdeo also stressed that if companies like Barama cannot follow rules
then they will have to leave. He asserted that Guyana was quite capable
of managing its forest and "no foreign group will come and tell us how
to manage our forest". "All their public relations and protests will
not work", he declared. Barama was this week slapped with $96M in fines
for breaches of forestry regulations.

Amerindian Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues, in expressing her
happiness noted that it was the third launching of the COCA with the
first being in Masakenari and the second in Argentina. She stated that
at the launching in the Spanish-speaking South American country, "many
were pleased with Guyana". "It is the end of one process and the
beginning of another", she said.

Rodrigues came in for praise from deputy toshao of Kanashen, Paul
Chekema who declared that "she is doing so well for us". In recalling
the road to the establishment of the protected area he stressed the
support of the government and CI. Chekema said that what is needed now
is the knowledge of how to make the project pay financially. "I hope we
will get soon a trust fund", he added. Meanwhile toshao of the
community Cemci Suse stated that the area will have to be part of the
National System of Protected Areas.

"They have lived conservation, they know climate change", asserted
Major General (Ret'd.) Joseph Singh, a member of CI's Board. He stated
that the Wai-Wai's will prove to all that they are worthy stewards of
the eco-system. CI's Guianas Program Vice-President Lisa Famolare added
that the agency's work in Guyana was outstanding and commended the
government and the Wai-Wai nation as "true global leaders" of
conservation.

The COCA commits an area of forest approximately 625,000 hectares (just
over a million acres), held by the Wai-Wais in southern Guyana for
conservation purposes. Residents will manage the area in accordance
with rules which they have drafted and for which approval will be given
by Rodrigues under the Amerindian Act. The rules will allow the
residents of the community to utilize the resources in a sustainable
manner. The 625,000 hectares of titled land is the largest plot held by
any indigenous group in Guyana with just about 205 persons residing in
the community.