CSAP and WFC Events
CSAP – Civil Society Alternative Programme of Events and Activities during WFC2015
Durban, 7-11 September 2015
The civil society Alternative Programme will offer participants an opportunity to learn from like-minded groups and individuals from around the world, to share information about their own particular challenges, and compare solutions and strategies that they are implementing or campaigning for in their own communities and countries.
Within the general theme: ‘Making the voices of global civil society heard and heeded’, the planned five day programme will offer a range of activities centred on daily themes. These activities will include oral presentations and videos, panel discussions, displays, training workshops and exhibitions.
The Timberwatch Coalition, a South African NGO, is a member of Global Forest Coalition, and will be the local host organization. Together with other member groups, Timberwatch is organising a series of civil society meetings and events prior to and parallel to the World Forestry Congress (WFC) which is also being held in Durban, in order to highlight threats facing the world’s forests and ways of addressing them.
The themes proposed for the five days are:
- Deforestation – Root causes of forest loss and degradation
- Fake Forests – Impacts of industrial tree plantations on natural systems
- Disrespecting Rights – How industrial timber production affects communities
- Land Grabbing – The social and ecological effects of land dispossession
- The Way Forward – Implementing realistic solutions that will work
The programme
10:00am Volunteer training to take place in the morning
10:00am Participant information/orientation sessions to be held throughout the day
2:00pm Meetings of organising committee and programme facilitators
2:00pm Erection of local NGO project displays and exhibits
4:00pm Press conferences and interviews by media representatives
6:00pm Public debate between panels from civil society groups and WFC2015 organisers/supporters
8:00am Registrations to continue
10:00am Forest Justice Film Festival
10:00am Welcoming plenary (International keynote speaker)
11:00am Symposium with presentations by speakers from international CSOs to introduce key issues and themes
1:00pm Group strategy discussions and event planning
6:00pm Sponsored cultural event – local entertainment and local cuisine
9:00am Morning plenary session – report back from day 2
10:00am Presentations themed ‘Underlying Drivers of Forest Loss’ and ‘Emerging Threats to Forests’
10:00am Forest Justice Film Festival
11:00am Breakaway discussions/side events on specific related topics
11:00am Parallel presentations, displays, mini-workshops and panel discussions
6:00pm Sponsored cultural event – international entertainment and cuisine
9:00am Plenary session – Announcements and report back from day 3
10:00am Presentations themed – ‘Drivers/Causes of, and the Social and Environmental Impacts of Industrial Tree Plantations’
10:00am Forest Justice Film Festival
11:00am Breakaway discussions on strategies for resolving specific related issues
11:00am Parallel presentations, displays, mini-workshops and panel discussions
6:00pm Sponsored cultural event – People’s Food from Forest and Field
9:00am Plenary session – Announcements and report back from day 4
10:00am Forest Justice Film Festival
10:30am Open Session themed ‘Protecting Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Community Rights to Land, Water, Biodiversity, Cultural Identity and Health, and Ensuring Decent Work in Forestry and Industrial Tree Plantations’
4:00pm Media briefings and interviews – Feedback from CSO participants also attending WFC2015
6:00pm Sponsored eventA Day of Global Action will be on Thursday September 10th, as a joint event between international and South African civil society to raise awareness and to voice their concerns.
9:00am Report backs from day 4
11:00am Overview of the preceding days highlighting ‘Community-based Solutions that Work’ and ‘The way forward’
2:00pm Displays, debates and discussions at various venue/s
6:00pm Public debate between panels from civil society groups and WFC2015 organisers/supportersDisplaying events until Friday (11/9). Look for more at the CSAP website
Global Forest Coalition’s Side Event at the World Forestry Congress 2015
The event will provide a space for representatives of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and women to demonstrate their community forest conservation initiatives, and address the question how the resilience of these initiatives can be enhanced in times of global change. The contribution of indigenous and community conserved territories and areas (ICCAs) to forest conservation will be highlighted. The event will subsequently analyze external and internal threats to biocultural conservation approaches, and discuss the policy and incentive measures that could create an enabling environment that enhances the resilience of community conservation initiatives.
Convening organizations: GFC and Siemenpuu Foundation