THE National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) and Conservation International Foundation Guyana Inc (CI-Guyana) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to design and test tools needed to support the sustainable development of villages through the incorporation of REDD+ (the UN’s forest-saving initiative) and Free, Prior and Informed Consent principles. Though there were varying views and a clear need for further clarification on the functions of CI-Guyana and the benefits to be derived from the MoU, NTC Chairman Joel Fredericks and Head of CI-Guyana Dr David Singh signed the agreement after it was endorsed by a majority of the toshaos attending the NTC at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.
The MoU was inked in the presence of Vice-President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Sydney Allicock, and the Vice-Chairman of the Council, Lennox Shuman.
Under the MoU, CI-Guyana will strengthen the ability of NTC to fulfil its mandate through effective organizational, decision-making and other relevant capacities. Additionally, the parties will collaborate to identify and secure funds to finance implementation of the agreement.
Minister Allicock, in his address, said he was pleased to have witnessed the signing of the MoU, which will hopefully “break new grounds” for villages across the country.
“I think it is an opportunity that we should not take lightly,” he told the Toshaos present, noting that the cooperation will create opportunities for villages to be more effective in their planning and execution.
Amid the concerns raised by several Toshaos, the Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, said it is important at times to take chances. “Sometimes you would have to take chances, and this is one of them…so let us look a bit at the positives,” he said.
However, prior to the signing, several concerns were raised regarding CI-Guyana, the purpose of the MoU, and the confidentiality clause included in the agreement.
Nicholas Fredericks, Toshao of Shulinab, in making his contributions, said “it is not what we do, but how we do it.”
Fredericks said that while he was in support of the agreement, Toshaos were not furnished with a draft copy of the MoU in a timely manner, and as such many were unable to weigh the pros and cons of the agreement.
Citing cases from the past, the Toshao said there were times when documents were signed by Toshaos at previous conferences, and their villages were in “uproar” because villages were unaware of the objectives and benefits of the agreements. He reiterated, “It is not what you do, it is how you do it.”
Nigel John, Toshao of Apoteri, told the conference that CI-Guyana said it will help villages to preserve their natural resources as it had done in the past.
Dr Singh, in offering clarity, explained that Conservation International has been operating in Guyana since the late 1980s. “We started work on the Harpy Eagle conservation, and after that we then started to work on the establishment of biodiversity conservation,” he said.
Since then, he said CI-Guyana has worked in many villages promoting sustainable development.
CI-Guyana was established with the main purpose of assisting the government in creating a national system of protected areas. CI-G’s vision is to establish Biodiversity Corridors in Guyana, incorporating the anchors of a National Protected Area System, while developing trans-boundary corridors across the Guiana Shield.
CI-G has been working with the Government and residents of indigenous communities to develop long-term and sustainable management for the establishment of protected areas, helping to develop protected areas legislation and actively working with the Government to endow and establish a protected areas trust fund to finance management of the country’s protected areas in perpetuity.
As such, it was closely involved with the development of the Low Carbon Development Strategy and the Readiness Preparation Proposal.