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Improving the Lives of People in Forests

Task Force Coordinator:

Carol J. Colfer, Indonesia

About Task Force

This Task Force recognizes that people living in forests often have serious disadvantages - in terms of wealth, power, health, human rights - vis a vis non-forest dwellers.  We aim to contribute to research and action designed to level this particular playing field.  We anticipate that we will conduct research, and develop and disseminate existing materials that can contribute to improving this inequitable situation.


State of knowledge

There is an enormous amount of information available that can contribute to improving forest people’s lives.  However, access to the information is hindered by lack of interdisciplinary cooperation and collaboration.  One of our goals will be to disseminate more effectively social science (and other) information on people living in forests to those in the formal forestry sector.  We will also try to bring in new sectors to work in forestry- like social services.  We will also aim to stimulate cooperation and synthesis among people working on this issue around the world.

Some central areas of interest include:  community and local governance, strengthening community voices in policymaking, gender and other equity issues, human rights, health and population.

We are interested in facilitating more action research, both with communities and, more innovatively, across policymakers at different levels.

We are also interested in investigating innovative approaches to bringing people’s needs (or helping them to bring their own needs) to the attention of policymakers.


Send comments to Carol J. Colfer (Task Force Coordinator)