Resolutions taken in the 4^th NATIONAL CONFERENCE, 26-28, MAY 2012

Resolutions

1. This conference resolves to undertake a comprehensive programme to rejuvenate forests through collective efforts at village level in the coming five years. We the community will do a mapping of the natural resources available or local to our habitats and develop a plan to cultivate welfare of the community. This conference resolves to work for women’s equal right in forest and land and unequal structures prevalent in our patriarchal society. We assert the equal rights to property and community resources and their decision- making institutions at all levels and recognize that women’s knowledge and experiences which have been ignored and undermined, this needs to be acknowledged as fundamental in creating a new social and economic order. The conference resolves that mass organization will be strengthened by developing mass leadership of women and men. Extra efforts will be made to make the women leadership and organization strong.

2. The views of the conference that the hitherto experiences indicate clearly that the Forest Department can no longer protect the forests. Their involvement in destruction of the forests in the past is also a matter to be viewed seriously by the government to create alternate institutions to manage the forests by withdrawing the forest dept from its current role. Our federation and the forest communities are prepared to propose an alternate arrangement with the involvement of forest communities and respective gram Sabha. We can work out a credible alternative of community Forest governance involving forest communities. An innovative system of governance that will have the involvement and commitment of forest communities to protect the forest. Our Federation must work towards such an arrangement with the concurrence of the Govt. and commitment and involvement from the forest communities.

3. The existing provision of the community right must be amended appropriately so as to grant community entitlement of land that will enable them to engage in collective/ cooperative farming and forestry. We may also argue that such a conceptual move on the part of the communities will ensure the prevention of land alienation in the future. Such an arrangement will also ensure a collective responsibility of the communities to protect the forest and other natural resources.

4. This conference extends its solidarity to:

• The struggle of fish workers, agricultural workers and others against the proposed destructive nuclear power plants at koodam kulam(Tamil Nadu) and Jaitapur (Maharashtra).We understand and join these struggles with the conviction that these two struggles will be subjected to the worst forms of authoritarianism that the Indian state will unleash.

• We support and join the very important battle being fought by the agricultural workers, farmers, and fish workers of Jagatsinghpur (Orissa) against the POSCO steel plant and port. We salute revolutionary struggle being led by POSCO Pratisodh Sangram Samiti. We share the understanding that the struggle against POSCO by the people of Orissa is an iconic battle against global capitalism and Foreign Direct Investment.

• NFFPFW endorses the struggles of our constituent organization against the Forest Department Police and other repressive institutions of the Indian state. Governance of natural resources must be through a process of decentralization of governing structure as against the present form of highly centralized structure. We unilaterally extend solidarity to the constituent members in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar , West Bengal, Gorkhaland, Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Assam, Arunanchal Pradesh, entire North East, etc. against national and multinational corporations through their destructive projects. We condemn the brutal police, FD’s and feudal mafia attack on movements in Khiri UP, Rewa MP, and other forest areas.

• NFFPFW extends solidarity to the people’s struggles against mega dams in North East India, led by people of Assam (KMSS), Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur (Mapithel and Tipamukh movements)

• NFFPFW extends solidarity to the North East and Jammu & Kashmir people’s struggles against AFSPA and demands the withdrawal of the colonial, draconian Act.

5. We resolve to ensure the constitution of Forest Rights committees in all the villages where the organization is active as per the procedures specified in the FRA, 2006. We resolve to get the committees reconstituted if they do not adhere to the ACT or now been constituted without the consent and full participation of people in the gram sabha. Our work will involve activating these committees so that they can undertake the filling and processing of claims forms under FRA.

6. We recognize that we need to strengthen our organization at the level of the village. We resolve to undertake programmes and activities which can ensure effective village governance through the instrument of the gram sabha. It is through a strong village level organization that we can ensure that welfare schemes can be implemented to the benefit of the working people. We will ensure that all the village resources will be protected and used to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people.

7. We reject the model of development pursued by the Indian State which is neo-liberal and based on the logic of supremacy of the market forces. We have taken on the challenge to evolve alternative development model. Our alternatives will be based on the rights of the people to natural resources and we will evolve forms of co-operative systems to produce, manage, market and distribute the minor forest produce from each region. In addition, we resolve to undertake co-operative farming. Our alternative models will address both the economic and social issues confronting the people through knowledge sharing of legal provisions and co-operative management.

8. We understand that peace can be ensured only when there is equality and justice. We resolve that this will aim at greater co-ordination between various working people organizations across South Asian countries. This conference also demands that the visa regimes be abandoned between south Asian countries.

9. We assert that the current ecological crisis can be resolved not through technical development but only by rejecting the current world order which is based on unequal distributions of resource between and within countries. Only a civilization opposed to the imperialistic and capitalist global system can resolve the climate crisis and protect the environment. The perspectives of the natural resource based communities and indigenous communities have to play an important role in ensuring climate justice.

NATIONAL FORUM OF FOREST PEOPLE AND FOREST WORKERS, (N.F.F.P.F.W.)
Homeguard Commandant Office
Saraswati Vihar, Near Kargi Chowk
Haridwar Bypass
DEHRADUN - 248001 (Uttrakhand)
Contact : 09412990913 (Munni Lal) 09412348071 (Vipin Gairola)