On July 20-24, 2015, Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and the National Forestry Commission of Mexico (CONAFOR), in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the European Forest Institute (EFI) hosted the sixth Next Generation of Forest Agency Leaders seminar. The gathering convened 19 forest leaders from 9 countries (Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, DRC, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and the United States), 4 respected scholars and practitioners from around the world, as well as 4 former and current MegaFlorestais leaders, including the Associate Deputy Minister of the Canadian Forest Service-Natural Resources Canada, Mr. Glenn Mason.
The weeklong meeting exposed the participants to tenure reform, the forest industry in transition, community forestry, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and challenges with regulations in a relaxed and open setting that encouraged active participation. Through presentations, group discussions and a field trip, participants left with a deeper understanding of global transitions and issues in forest governance. A full day was also devoted specifically to leadership to discuss the unique challenges that forest leaders are facing around the world.
Seminar’s objectives
- Better prepare the next generation of public forest agency senior leaders to lead in a more complex social, political, environmental and market context.
- Engage senior executives from forest ministries and related public agencies in cutting-edge analysis and information for a deeper understanding of global transitions in forest tenure and governance, and markets.
- Promote improved information sharing and networks among these agency leaders through frank and open dialogue in a small group setting where problems and solutions can be discussed openly.
- Strengthen contributions of forest agencies to addressing land rights, poverty alleviation, governance, conservation and climate-related challenges in their countries.
Resources
- Synopsis (including the agenda and list of participants) Also available in Spanish and French
- Biographies (English | French | Spanish)
Presentations
- Introduction to Oaxaca (also available in Spanish) – Carlos Rene Estella Canto, State Manager, CONAFOR Oaxaca State Office
- Setting the Context: What is MegaFlorestais? Why the Next Generation Seminar? – Sally Collins and Glenn Mason, Co-Chairs, MegaFlorestais
- Overview of Global trends – Sally Collins, Co-Chair, MegaFlorestais
- History of Community Forestry in Mexico (also available in Spanish) – Francisco Chapela, Program Officer, The Christensen Fund
- Experience from Michoacan (also available in Spanish) – Adolfo Chávez López, General Manager, Integral Development of the Indigenous Community of San Juan Parangaricutiro
- Global Trends affecting Tropical Timber Markets – Paolo Cerutti, Senior Scientist, CIFOR
- Forest Products Trends – Glenn Mason, Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada
- Small and Medium Forestry Enterprises in the Forest Economy – Rodney Schmidt, Deputy Director, Global Programs, Rights and Resources Initiative
- International Pressures for Legality and Fight against Deforestation – Paolo Cerutti, Senior Scientist, CIFOR
- Leadership Presentation – Doug Konkin, Former Deputy Minister, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
- Leadership Presentation – Sally Collins, Co-Chair, MegaFlorestais
- Markets for Ecosystem Services – Sally Collins, Co-Chair, MegaFlorestais
- Tenure Rights and Reforms Around the World – Claire Biason, Manager, Networking Support, Rights and Resources Initiative
- Rethinking Forest Regulations – Sally Collins, Co-Chair, MegaFlorestais
- Community to Community Seminars (also available in Spanish) – Adolfo Chávez López, General Manager, Integral Development of the Indigenous Community of San Juan Parangaricutiro
- Negotiating Agreements with Indigenous Communities – Doug Konkin, Former Deputy Minister, British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
Related publications
- MegaFlorestais, Public forest agencies in the twenty-first century: Driving change through transparency, tenure reform, citizen involvement and improved governance (available in English | Spanish | French | Chinese | Portuguese | Bahasa)
- SEMARNAT, Forest Experiences of Mexican Communities (available in English, French and Spanish)
- Rights and Resources Initiative, What Future for Reform? (also available in French and Spanish)
- Rights and Resources Initiative, Status of Forest Carbon Rights and Implications for Communities, the Carbon Trade, and Redd+ Investments (English | French | Spanish)
- World Resources Institute and Rights and Resources Initiative, Securing Rights, Combating Climate Change (also available in French and Spanish)
- The World Bank, An Indigenous Approach for Communal Conservation in the Oaxaca Forest