–other initiatives, after signing Memorandum of Understanding

THE Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (Iwokrama) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) to collaborate on initiatives relating to community development, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and climate change, including, but not limited to research, training, capacity development, and education and awareness, to advance national development.

According to a press release, the MoU also allows Iwokrama and the NTC to make joint funding proposals and to collaborate on project implementation.
In April this year, Iwokrama supported the NTC’s mentorship of Indigenous villages and communities in South Central & Deep South-Rupununi to prepare their Village Sustainability Outline Plans (VSPs) under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

The simple signing ceremony held at the NTC’s Hadfield Street Secretariat was attended by Vice Chairwoman, Toshao Sonia Latchman; Iwokrama’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dane Gobin; Director for Resource Management and Training, Dr. Raquel Thomas, and Iwokrama Special Projects and Certification Coordinator, Anne-Marie Ford and Executive Members of the NTC.
Gobin, in brief remarks, said that he was pleased to have engaged formally with the NTC which, he said, will widen the scope for collaboration between the two entities in order to support activities under the LCDS 2030.

These activities will include but not be limited to collaborative research, sustainable natural resources management and preserving Indigenous languages and culture, among other things.
He further related that Iwokrama has a long-standing Collaborative Management Agreement (CMA) with the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), which represents the communities of the North Rupununi.

Latchman said that she was happy to have engaged Iwokrama, and the NTC looks forward to a fruitful relationship as they move forward with development plans for the villages and communities in Guyana. She thanked Iwokrama for the recent support in which an NTC Executive, Toshao Michael Thomas, assisted the villages and satellites in South Central and Deep South Rupununi to develop their village outline plans.