Landowners of the Arabam, Raigel and Maranagi (ARM) Conservation site in the Sinivit LLG of Pomio District, received a 2-week training on community capacity building.
Funded by Japanese-based Cosmo Oil Company, the program ended on Friday, August 12th, with the presentation of certificates to 17 participants that came from the ARM wards and also Marambu and Sanbam wards within Sinivit LLG.
Facilitator, civil rights activist and chairman of the Klampun Conservation Association in the East Pomio LLG, Patrick Kaupun, said the training aimed to help the landowners to appreciate and value each other and their natural environment.
He said nature is the origin of mankind and it defines their livelihood, apart from showing their identity, and therefore, he outlined that it must be the one that ignites the spirit of the whole community.
Kaupun reminded the participants that there should not be any blame game when it comes to bad impacts from development, because people have the power to make decisions about the type of development they want in their community.
He further stressed that development in a community should be one that defines and helps to build up the people, hence landowners were encouraged to stop working in isolation and start working together to better develop their communities, while still effectively managing their natural resources.
Coordinator of the Natural Resources Management and Development Unit in the ENB Provincial Administration, Florence Paisparea, applauded Cosmo Oil Company, as well as Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement Rabaul International, for hosting the training.
She further appreciated the UNDP for its assistance in mobilising the participants and facilitators, including OISCA based training coordinator, Patrick Konentang.
She further urged participants to see the importance of this training, and because it is their customary land, they should discuss ideas or concepts brought to them by outsiders.
She encouraged them to also seek advice from the host LLG or relevant government offices, before making any decisions regarding the type of development they want in their communities.
Meanwhile, host LLG president, Boniface Gerep, urged the participants to further impart vital knowledge and information from the training to their people in their wards.
When acknowledging the facilitators and stakeholders from the NGO and government sectors, Gerep said he hopes the participants have grasped what has been imparted to them, as it covers topics on land use and conservation and related matters such as REDD Plus and carbon trade.