Civil Society Organizations Proposes Recommendations for the National REDD Strategy

TODAY civil society organizations present proposed recommendations to the REDD Task Force on the National REDD Strategy. The Strategy, which will serve as the guiding document for REDD implementation in Tanzania, will for the first time be publically shared with civil society at the National REDD Learning Event held in Dar es Salaam today. Professor Pius Yanda, the Secretariat to the National REDD Task Force, will make the presentation.

If government recognizes that civil society organizations are the people on the ground that are working with communities, understanding communities, then they should listen to civil society organizations,” explains Cassian Sainga, Senior Forest Programme Officer for the Tanzania Natural Resource Forum. “This is key for success in any development program, and in REDD,” he says.

Eight NGO’s signed onto the proposed recommendations, almost all of which are organizations currently implementing REDD pilot projects in Tanzania. One main purpose of these projects is to learn about REDD first-hand, and influence policy decisions based on this experience. However, so far, civil society organizations do not feel like they have been effectively engaged in the REDD policy process.  Civil society organizations hope these joint recommendations will begin a dialogue with the Task Force and the government, so they can inform them about what they have learned on the ground.

"No initiative to reduce deforestation can work without the confidence of local people and civil society organizations who must be given a proper voice,” says Charles Meshack, Executive Director of the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group. In fact, one of the six recommendations suggests the National REDD Task Force, or any future REDD governing body, should include civil society organization representation.

The other recommendations cover issues such as benefit sharing and land and resource tenure, and they promote pro-poor, equitable and environmental policy options.

Read the recommendations here.