About CMLN
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CMLN Objective : To promote and strengthen collaborative approaches in the management of protected areas in Southeast Asia where indigenous peoples live.
In Phase I (first 2.5 years: Dec 2005 - June 2008), a network of practitioners will work towards:  Supporting CM practice in relevant field-based initiatives in the selected sites in each participating country
enhancing capabilities to develop and maintain collaborative management practices (policies, processes, agreements and institutions) among stakeholders in the selected sites;
enhancing understanding, awareness and recognition of CM practices in the selected sites and beyond.
This project seeks to develop co-management processes that formally recognise sharing of authority and responsibility in managing the protected area at stake. This includes building the capacities of all stakeholders to jointly prepare and implement;
- management plans, rules and other agreements, - benefit-sharing arrangements, - suitable pluralist management organisations, By recognizing both the mandate of the state and the needs and concerns of local communities, it is expected collaborative management (CM) will reduce destructive conflicts and mobilize state and local knowledge, skills, resources and institutions towards mutually agreed goals. Project Proponents and Donors Local participating organisations CMLN Structure Summary of CMLN Participating Sites CMLN Principles:
The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) Foundation is the project holder. AIPP is a regional organisation conceived by indigenous peoples' organizations in 1988 to strengthen the process of building cooperation and solidarity among indigenous peoples of Asia. http://www.aippfoundation.org/
The Theme on Governance, Equity and Rights (TGER). TGER is an expert group under the IUCN's Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP). It comprises more than 430 members worldwide and in its prior 9-year incarnation - the Collaborative Management Working Group (CMWG) - has successfully supported several regional CM initiatives and events (for instance in Central Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, Central America) as well as numerous country-based developments (Uganda, Yemen, Iran, Ecuador, Madagascar, etc.). TGER members encompass academics, practitioners and policy makers as well as trainers and researchers and are available to provide technical assistance to this project. http://www.iucn.org/theme/ceesp/TGER.html The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) is a non-profit politically independent international human rights organisation. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, IWGIA has worked for over 30 years in support of recognition of indigenous peoples' rights to land and resources, their culture and self-determination. http://www.iwgia.org/ The Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) is an international NGO, founded in 1990, with its main office based in the UK. FPP exists to support the rights of peoples, who live in forests and depend on them for their livelihoods, to control their lands and destinies. http://www.forestpeoples.org/ DONORS CMLN's main current donors, providing core funding or programme support are the Swedish International Biodiversity Programme (SwedBio) – Sweden, and McKnight Foundation - USA. In addition Misereor - Germany provides support to activities in Thailand. Swedbio - Swedbio’s objectives are to reduce poverty, build capacity and encourage governance and participation in biodiversity management and sustainable ecology. Swedbio supports biodiversity policy development, planning and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded project implementation in agriculture, forestry, and fishery management in various countries. http://www.swedbio.com/ McKnight Foundation - The McKnight Foundation is a Minnesota-based private philanthropic organization, which seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations. They seek to foster community development and economic empowerment in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and provide funding for CMLN activities in these countries. http://www.mcknight.org/ Misereor - Misereor is the German Catholic Bishop's Organisation for Development Coorperation. It acts as an agency "against hunger and disease in the world" in a spirit of partnership with all people of goodwill to promote development, fight worldwide poverty, liberate people from injustice, exercise solidarity with the poor and the persecuted, and help create "One World". http://www.misereor.org/
The following NGOs and POs are cooperating with the project: Cambodia: CBNRM Learning Insitute (CBNRM LI), was established in 2005 (after a 5 year CBNRM project supported by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and other partners). It is based in Phnom Penh and serves as a training and support institute for community and co-management initiatives throughout the country. CBNRM LI provides overall technical supervision of site activities as well as developing dialogue with national level policy makers. Non-timber Forest Products Project coordinates site activities and is based in Ratanakiri Province in the northeast of Cambodia. NTFP has worked in Ratanakiri province since 1996 mainly on community-based conservation and resource management with indigenous communities of various ethnic groups, among them the Brao/Kavet in Virachey National Park (CMLN site). Indonesia: The Alliance of the Indigenous People of Kayan Mentarang National Park (FoMMA) was founded by indigenous leaders from the customary lands around the park area in 2000. FoMMA now legally represents the indigenous people on the Policy Board of the Kayan Mentarang National Park (CMLN site), a new institution set up to preside over the park's management. Malaysia (Sabah): PACOS TRUST is a community-based organisation working with indigenous communities in Sabah. Aside from programs like community organising, education, sustainable resource management, etc. PACOS has recently been asked by the indigenous communities in and around Crocker Range Park (CMLN site) to support them in the ongoing consultation process on future park management. Philippines: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines has worked with communities living in Mt Guiting Guiting Natural Park (CMLN site) since 1999 to assist them with securing their Ancestral Domain Title and in preparing their Ancestral Domain Plan. WWF has also been instrumental in securing funding from the local government to finance an innovative scheme called "Securing Payments for Watershed Services" to address threats to water supply in 2 adjacent watersheds. Thailand: Inter Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT) is an indigenous and tribal non-governmental development organization founded and staffed entirely by representatives of indigenous communities involved in the Association. The Association focuses developmental work within the populations of seven indigenous and tribal peoples residing in the highlands of the northern provinces of Thailand: the Akha, Hmong, Lahu, Lisu, Lua, Karen and Mien peoples. The Association works to share similar situations and experiences between these different groups, applying traditional knowledge and wisdom to all aspects of its work. Laos: since 2001, the INGO the Global Association for People and the Environment (GAPE) has been supporting an integrated community development, education and environmental protection support project in a number of remote villages situated within and near Xe Piann National Protected Area (XPNPA - CMLN site). Vietnam: Flora Fauna International (FFI) Vietnam. FFI Vietnam are working in close collaboration with the Yen Bai Province Forest Protection Department to establish co-management with local Hmong communities in the Mu Cang Chai Species/Habitat Conservation Area (MCCSHCA - CMLN site) through the Community-based Conservation of the Hoang Lien Mountain Ecosystem Project (Hoang Lien Son Project - HLSP). FFI and its government partners have been working on community based conservation in this area since 2003, and are exploring and demonstrating interventions that mutually benefit the conservation of biological diversity and rural livelihoods in the Hoang Lien Mountains.
In the Southeast Asia region there exists some encouraging initiatives that demonstrate some sensitivity towards or are currently striving towards CM agreements and institutions. During a Strategy Workshop held in August 2004 in Chiang Mai, Thailand to plan this project, five sites in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines were identified and invited to join the network. The Workshop further recommended to identify two other sites/countries - Vietnam and Laos to be invited into the network.
The final make up of the sites in the network together with their corresponding indigenous communities is as follows; 
Significance of each of the sites for Conservation and CM
All of the above sites in one way or another represent unique aspects of biodiversity and co-management in their respective countries. In the case of Indonesia, Kayan Mentarang Protected Area is enormous by any standards containing the largest unbroken stretch of protected rainforest in Borneo (1.4m ha). About 70% of the reserve lies below 1,000m and contains areas of species-rich lowland dipterocarp forest and is an important refuge for many species, particularly rare and endemic ones. At the same time, it is all claimed as the ancestral domains of 12 indigenous Dayak groups. In Cambodia, Virachey NP is the country’s largest (337,000 ha) but it is also linked with PAs in Vietnam and Laos. Cross border conservation aspects are at present being worked out with these countries. Xe Piann National PA in Laos protects one of the largest areas of lowland semi-evergreen forest in the region. Virachey NP is also nearby Xe Piann with important possibilities for cross visits, cultural exchanges and mutual learning. Crocker Range Park is also significant due to its size, being the largest national park in Sabah (140,000ha), and at present is grappling with how to implement participatory management of the park. Ob Luang National Park is significant due to the fact that it connects with the adjacent Doi Inthanon NP and because it protects important watershed areas. It is also one of 11 sites for the nationwide Joint Management of Protected Areas (JoMPA) programme which is piloting joint management in PAs hopefully for wider application. In Vietnam, the Mu Cang Chai Species/Habitat Conservation Area is the first in the country to have a mandate for collaborative management between local government and communities. This new forest category was partly designed to accommodate co-management approaches. The Philippines is the most advanced in actually applying models of co-management and their partnership is a valuable addition to this network. Their work is significant because the granting of secure land title to the Sibuyan Mangyan Tagabukid indigenous community served as the basis and provided the leverage for other co-management negotiations and activities. With this secure basis, WWF Philippines has been able to facilitate dialogue between the indigenous community and the local San Fernando town government to develop watershed payments in return for the management and protection of upland areas.
A paramount concern of the project is not to harm existing conservation efforts, especially the ones established and carried out by indigenous communities.
b. Build on existing work and knowledge and add value to these The project is trying to address felt needs and root all initiatives in the direct experience of the indigenous peoples and PA staff. It does not wish to impose "solutions", concepts, and ideas.
c. Learn from experience The project is employing experiential approaches and extensive "learning by doing". Capacity building involves learning through the use of participatory research methods and tools in "face-to-face" settings, mostly in the field, with people who have already gone through concrete experiences.
d. Promote extensive participation, capacity building All project associates within the CM Learning Network participate in the on-going planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating of project activities. Also, the synthesis of lessons learned from experiences is/will be undertaken in a highly participatory mode, offering many individuals and institutions the opportunity to contribute.
e. Assure excellent on-going communication There is an on-going flow of communication among the CM Learning Network sites. Regular updates are/will be posted on the project's website and distributed in a quarterly project e-bulletin.
f. Assure full transparency All project documents, including financial accounts, will be available for consultation by members of the CM Learning Network.
CMLN project summary
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