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Report on SwedBio workshop in Pontianak, West Kalimantan (30-31 October 2007)

Introduction This workshop is the last in a four-part series that involved bringing together people concerned about forestry and human health in four countries (Brazil, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Indonesia) this year. The purposes of these meetings include the following:

• Encouraging conceptual and experiential cross-fertilization between forestry and health professionals

• Encouraging attention to health-forest linkages in policymaking and actions • Preparation for three international meetings next year on the same topic to be held

with influential persons from environmental and health fields (in Washington, DC, Geneva, and Stockholm). These will be designed to influence global policy.

The workshop reported here was, unlike the other three country-level workshops, held at the provincial level. We hoped in this way to cover a smaller geographical area more fully, and also to empower people from more local levels in this process. We also feared, given Indonesia’s phenomenal human diversity, that a country-level meeting might result in conclusions that were simply too general, not really representative of anything. We also had better connections within the health field in West Kalimantan than in any other area of Indonesia, and felt we should build on these links. The participants in the meeting came from all over West Kalimantan, and included villagers, traditional healers, conservation project personnel, health practitioners of various kinds, officials from the Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and the Forest Research Institute (Forda), environmental and health NGOs, academics, and researchers. Every effort was made to have good balance along the following dimensions: gender, health-environment, geographic representation within the province, and scope of concern (e.g., community, district, regency, provincial, national). The organizing team worked closely with the facilitators to ensure processes that encouraged participation from all participants, and this worked well. Three topics were addressed in this workshop (as in the other country level workshops): The impact of logging on forests and forest peoples, food and medicines from the forest, and the relationship between formal and traditional health care systems. These topics were selected as important, based on CIFOR’s survey on health and forests (CIFOR Occasional Paper no. 45) and on the personal experience of the CIFOR team, in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The discussion in the workshop was carefully recorded, and this represents a summary of these remarks and discussions. Theme 1: Logging (or Land Clearing) and Forests

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This theme quickly broadened with the discussion to include other issues like mining and plantation development. There has been forest clearing on an enormous scale in W. Kalimantan in recent years. The first step in our discussion was to ask people to remember ten years ago, and discuss the changes that had occurred. These clustered into five topics: Climatic conditions, illnesses, water and pollution issues, resources, and nature. Current Realities Many participants noted that the weather had become hotter. City dwellers seemed to perceive this to be more extreme than rural dwellers, but both mentioned the problem, with some worrying about children having to walk long distances in hot weather. There were complaints also about flooding, both frequency and intensity. Many participants felt that illness had also increased, and some tied this to forest loss. Dengue, diarrhea, and malaria were mentioned specifically, with one participant noting that hemorrhagic malaria had become more common (affecting the brain). Mercury poisoning was another concern (from goldmining). More minor illnesses from smoke in the air were also a recurrent problem, linked to yearly land clearing. Illnesses had become more unpredictable (and therefore more difficult to prepare for) because some were linked to weather conditions, which were also more unpredictable. There were also increases in mental health problems and criminality noted. Pollution of various kinds was a problem. Air quality has deteriorated, with Jakarta and Puncak (on Java) having few days of blue skies. In Kalimantan, smoke pollution affects the air during the burning associated with land clearing (especially August, September). But water quality seemed a bigger concern in Kalimantan. Gold mining involves mercury, which pollutes rivers all over the province. Oil palm plantations and logging both involve chemicals that leach into the water supplies, contaminating the water for drinking and affecting fish supplies. Gold miners also use machines that tear up the countryside using forced water streams. There have also been reductions in resource availability. Logging and other forest clearing reduces foods, medicines and other economic resources that local people have used. Benefits from forest clearing (projects of various kinds) are inequitably distributed, with companies and other powerful stakeholders benefiting much more than local communities. People’s incomes are in turn reduced by loss of these products, and they can’t afford to educate their children or travel to distant doctors to seek ‘modern’ medical care. Farmers are also plagued with more pests. Governments costs increase as well because of such resource loss. Finally, there are fewer birds, orangutans and other wildlife to enjoy in nature, both in rural and urban areas. The pleasant walks people used to enjoy are less enjoyable now. We then moved on to coping strategies, given these realities

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Coping Strategies This involved two topics, one revolving around impacts of these changes and the other around possible solutions. Some of the impacts included the following:

• Increased pests, which interfere with agricultural production and sometimes drive farmers off the land

• Fewer fish and other resources • Middle class and wealthy people have more options, but the poor may simply

suffer more • Sometime people are forced into criminality, which can include using resources in

national parks or protected areas • Some people have to change their subsistence base from farming to mining, oil

palm plantations, or other unskilled labour • Others move away from home, or move repeatedly, in search of an income • Women may have to leave the country and work in other lands, which can

increase trafficking problems • Government has to find more money to deal with these problems (both forest

destruction and the impacts on the people) The group had some suggestions for solving these problems. Some were focused on the environment itself: • Improving biodiversity by planting plants that will attract birds • Protecting birds from those who would trap them, and explaining why trapping was a

bad idea • Identifying local medicinal plants and explaining the importance and use to others. • Plant around homes to improve local environments Others revolved around government action:

• Inform government officials of the adverse effects of projects like oil palm plantations that are designed to help, but in fact hinder people’s well being

• Develop better mechanisms for feeding information to government • Strengthen enforcement (both within and between agencies like police, National

Parks and Conservation Agencies) • Encourage government officials to spend more time in rural areas (to understand

realities) • Develop mechanisms for controlling the actions of foreign investors • Develop income generating alternatives like tourism that are less environmentally

harmful. • Conduct studies to show the effects of forest loss on communities • Provide help to communities that have experienced forest loss, particularly for the

most vulnerable (women and children). Still others called for community action:

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• Organize communities to protect national parks • Strengthen local regulations at the community level • Develop and enforce local sanctions for both insiders and outsiders who disobey

local regulations (as was done in one of the communities) There are additional ideas about specific things that can be done, in Table 2 below. Theme 2: Foods and Medicines from the Forest This theme elicited the most interest from the group. They began with some history, discussing the common practice in forested areas of swidden agriculture, which many continue to practice. Others have been able (by topography) to switch to paddy rice. In both cases, people plant rice, and often bananas and cassava as well as collecting foods and medicines from the forest. Discussion about foods highlighted first the fruits and vegetables that people get from intact forest. Although many of the participants were from very degraded areas, many still seemed to get some of their foods from the forest. They acknowledged the systemic nature of their environment, pointing out that fruits fall to the forest floor, are eaten by wildlife, and people in turn eat the wildlife. One participant talked of forest chickens that used to be widely available and are no longer. Another bemoaned the loss to fire (a common problem, especially in El Nino years) of the bees’ nests, which had supplied significant income to communities in one region. The short film, Cerita Pak Burang (Chat with Pak Burung), talked of many foods that people in the remote interior obtain from the forest. The discussion then turned to medicinal plants, which really energized the participants. They told of the various remedies they knew (though there wasn’t time for all they knew, of course), sharing their various kinds of knowledge and longing for more sharing (see recommendations below). They listed both illnesses and forest medicines that heal. They noted the importance of medicinal plants in areas where there are no formal doctors or modern medicines, and they emphasized the availability, speed, and inexpensiveness of such medications. That some community people have valuable knowledge about biology and living creatures even without formal education was also stressed by some of the more educated members. The group also recognized that some plants are poisonous and that knowledge of such plants is specialized (not everyone knows how to use them safely). The group also saw some more general dangers. One had to do with simple habitat loss, when oil palm plantations come in for instance, or tree cutting by people who ignore regulations. Another involved over-harvesting, which was feared should industry become involved in harvesting in the province. Local people’s collection was also seen as potentially a threat, but a less significant one. Another type of threat had to do with the glamour of modernity and the resulting growing ignorance of traditional medical knowledge. The final danger emphasized was the determination of when to use the traditional and when to use the modern medical system. Some trained medical

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practitioners noted with dismay that community people may depend on traditional medicine too long before coming to a clinic (with death sometimes the result). Another fear was that medical doctors could be sued if they practiced traditional medicine that had not been proven to be effective scientifically. The group came up with a set of potential solutions to consider:

• Create a network among the group • Organize community people to protect their environment, including developing

local regulations • Rejuvenate natural resources, individually and in groups • Work together with the government to protect both medicinal plants and forests • Invite people to medicinal plant gardens • Share knowledge and experience (some healers resist sharing knowledge) • Write a book on traditional medicinal plant knowledge in Kalimantan

communities in simple language • Develop guidelines about use of traditional medicine vs. ‘modern’ medicine, so

the best treatment is available for the least cost and greatest safety • Harmonize traditional and modern medicine, and explain the former in rational

argumentation The last issue was simply three questions. The group wondered whether regulations of policy should come first. They wondered whether actions should begin in the regions and communities or in the center (national level). And they wondered about the respective advantages of traditional vs. ‘modern’ medicine. No final answers, of course, were forthcoming. Theme 3: Relationship between Formal and Traditional Health Care Systems This theme proved not to be particularly relevant to this group of people. It was generally agreed, with the exceptions discussed in Theme 2, that traditional and modern health care systems should complement each other. The formal health care system in Indonesia includes training for traditional birth attendants and others; and there is an unusual level of respect for traditional healers generally. The discussion evolved into one that looked more at the changes in land uses and people’s lives. This is captured below. They began with some general observations (similar to some of the previous historical commentary). They commented on the degradation of the forest, with fewer fish, lower yields, polluted water resources, and fertilizer promotions related to government projects. Life has been getting harder. Those villages that have been able to protect their forest resources have an easier life. But many communities at the forest edge suffer if they are called ‘rich’.

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Some rural participants stressed the cultural significance of the forest. “Forests equal blood’ is one Dayak saying. Another participant emphasized the wealth of forest communities in traditional wisdom/knowledge and in terms of resources (such as medicinal plants). Another example was the use of natural fish poisons that do no lasting damage. There was a feeling that local communities should be empowered and that what they have now should be acknowledged and valued more widely. The group then turned to some of their difficulties pertaining to regulations (formal and local/informal). Speaking about formal rules, one participant felt that regulations can make life difficult if disobeyed, but easy if obeyed. It was noted that some people encourage others to break the law; other laws are broken because the laws are unclear or contradictory. This was followed up with discussion of people’s tree cutting that is related to economic need, to personal wants, or to the ‘hunger season’ (before the rice harvest). Many felt that traditional sanctions, which rely on social relations, may be more effective, and closer to the heart. This discussion concluded with a suggestion: Health in Harmony (an NGO) is making health care less expensive and easier of access for communities that stop illegal logging. The final section of this discussion revolved around conservation and traditions. The participants first asked themselves whether traditional rules (adat)---which in fact relates to all aspects of life, including health---still functioned or not. The answer: in some places yes, in some places no. Some felt that where the local rules are strong and the forest is considered a shared property, it is taken care of. But there are a lot of changes underway, and these push people away from adat. Some traditional rules are no longer functioning and there is no one from outside monitoring either. There are also changes related to economic conditions, technology (e.g., the chainsaw), education, and the system of governance (decentralization and the tug-of-war between Jakarta and the districts). Some asked ‘how can adat be enforced if forest concessions, granted from Jakarta, have authority in the traditional territories?’ The current conditions were summed up in this way: In the 1970s, the government didn’t believe in the ability of communities to manage the forest, so they gave out timber concessions in the 1980s. Meanwhile, the communities have become poor and the water has become fouled. The government has responded by giving out concessions for large scale oil palm plantations and by given help rather than empowering local communities. They stressed that government programs must be tailored to local conditions (including language) in the future. Recommendations Poster presentation to answer 3 questions: 1. What should be done in order that forests remain the source of food and medicines for

the people?

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2. What should be done by the stakeholders (government, researchers, non-governmental organization, local people and private sectors)?

3. What can be done personally (proposal for ourselves) and institutionally?

Kalimantan NGO group Forests used to be good but it is now faced by various options: money oriented, or ”green earth”:

• Money-oriented, which means that the forest is exploited. It will cause the environmental and earth damage. But some people are trying to stop the destruction.

• Green earth, which means that we don’t earn much money from the forest, but our necessity such as food, seeds and medicines are available

We all have goals, but we should do something. We propose to:

• Gather/make inventory on the resources that are still available, e.g. in the form of a book

• Build a cooperation/network among stakeholders: NGOs, government and private sectors to maintain the good and repair the damaged ones

• Have a wise, fair, and environmental-oriented (green-thinking) government • Appreciate the local culture. We need market access for handycrafts. Artists

should become an icon and trendsetter. • Stop instant-thinking culture • Have a government that has an environmental awareness • Have a proper punishment and reward • Have operational efforts, safety from the apparatus and strict regional level

regulation Things that can be done by ourselves:

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• Start to plant on our own land such as our house yard • Create something that is environmental-oriented • Give to each other

Local people group The forest is used to be good, but since there is a HPH, the forest is damaged. It causes floods, and many people get sick. There is a need to cooperate between the parties and to build a mutual agreements, such as for:

• Planting the forest so the environment gets better and healthier • Planing medicinal plants • Trainings to transfer knowledge on traditional medicines • The rehabilitated forest should be guarded by forest police, since there is already a

cooperation agreement. Kalimantan health practitioner group The forest was good, and the people were healthier. Now the forest is damaged, many people get sich while the medical costs is expensive. Recommendation:

• There is a need for regulations and law enforcement, and the people should also participate in the law enforcement. Customary law is also a law that should be enforced. And the law also needs heart.

• There is a need for education and information source. Like learning to row a boat together, we need practices to make a rhyme

• Supports are needed from all stakeholders. Cooperation among various institutions (people, NGOs, private sector, government, etc) is needed

• Rewards for efforts saving the forest should be acknowledged • Inventory and documentation are needed so that the public has a broad

understanding on the importance of forest resources • Champaign. Not only big champaigns, but also small ones. Don’t get tired with

spreading the words on things that we feel are important • Need to involve big companies, for example through their CSR to include the

forest saving program in the CSR Group of researchers and practitioners outside Kalimantan To maintain the forest as the source of food and medicinal plants, we need the following efforts, which are related to each other:

• Policy and practical action to maintain the diversity of food source and local medicines. This is important to achieve food sustainability.

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• Culture appreciation, local knowledge and non-timber forest products • Education and information that is fast and distributed fairly • Research on: diversity (food, medicines, etc) • Forest Valuation and Rewarding • Post-harvest techniques • Multistakeholders collaboration • Maintain the people population. ”Two children are enough” • Forest rehabilitation • Carbon marketing • Environmental-oriented government • Law enforcement • Awareness program • Demonstration • Build a good governance, including corruption combat • Prevent enivironmental damage, such as forest fires, logging and monoculture

plantation Evaluation At the close of the second day, we did an evaluation, in which we asked the participants to explain their impressions from the two day meeting. These are captured in Table 1. Table 1: Impressions from Participants in W. Kalimantan Health & Forests Workshop Positive Impressions Needs and Improvements

More insights and knowledge, ideas 14 Create an institute focused on the topic 1

Interesting 4

Conduct a media campaign/extension for use in field 2

Greater awareness of monoculture probs 1 More/Yearly meetings like this 3

Networking 5

More interaction w. problematic stakeholders (e.g., oil palm, goldminers, logging industry) 2

Sharing among levels, stakeholders 3 More resource people from communities 1

Conduct workshop in forest/community 1

Useful 2 More short games 1

Guidance on sustainability/better health 1 More conflict and enthusiasm in workshop 1

Solutions to problems 1 More crystalization of goals 1 New method for sharing experience 6 Active participation 1

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Good facilitation 1 Good organization 1 Increased motivation to act 4 Feeling of being honored 1 Good emphasis on starting with ourselves 1

Steps Forward There was general interest to ensure that something practical came out of these meetings, so the final task was for each participant to say what he or she intended to do to address the problems identified. These are their commitments (see Table 2), arranged in clusters. Table 2: Personal Action Commitments Explain about the dangers of ruining the forest for human health/links between human health and forests 11 Educate people about health in forested areas 4 Explain importance of protecting the forest for climate change, carbon trading 2 Explain about links between health and forests to decisionmakers 1 Study about medicinal plants from communities 1 Teach others about medicinal plants 1 Try to build on local wisdom in caring for people and the environment 1 Try to persuade others to use environmentally friendly products 1 Develop media to inform community about forest/health links 1 Collect ideas from this multi-stakeholder group and share on the int'l scene 1 Activate a focus group on forest safety, forest welfare 2 Work with others who care about the environment 1 Organize an environmental education and health group with my community 1 Contribute to the health of people who protect the forest 1 Strengthen family planning 1 Inform the Nature Conservation Agency personnel and forest communities about this topic 2 Improve effectiveness of patrolling forests and wildlife 1 Strengthen the rules within forestry for better protection of forests 1 Practice regreening 4 Plant medicinal plants 3 Make a demonstration medicinal plant garden to show others 1 Strengthen the economic value of NTFPs 1 Practice organic agriculture 1

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Of course, one additional step forward will be bringing these findings from Indonesia to the 2008 meetings in Washington, DC, Geneva and Stockholm.

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Annex 1: List of participants

List of Participants Human Health and Forests Workshop

Pontianak, 30-31 October 2007

No. Name 1. Ibu Susiana Tau

Masyarakat Di Taman Nasional Danau Sentarum Kabupaten Kapuas Hulu Kalimantan Barat

2. Drg. Kartini Rustandi Kasubdit DTPK (a.n Direktur Bina Kesehatan Komunitas) Departemen Kesehatan RI Jl. HR Rasuna Said Blok X5 Kav 4-9 Jakarta 12950 Telp. (021) 529-63053 Fax. (021) 5203871 Sekretaris Ibu Dirjen: Pak Dwi Supandito (HP: 0812-810-1260)

3. Adrianus Shaban Setiawan Direktur Eksekutif WALHI Kalimantan Barat Jl. Imam Bonjol Gang Tanjung Mas No. 17D Kelurahan Bangka Belitung Rt. 02 Rw. 03 Kecamatan Pontianak Selatan Pontianak Telp. 0561- 747075 Faks. 0561- 747075 E-mail: walhi@ptk.centrin.net.id

4. Seselia Ernawati (Nina) Riak Bumi Jl. Putri Dara Hitam Gang Tani I No. 26 Pontianak 78116, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia Tel./Fax. +62 561 737132 HP: 0813 4594 2765 Email: sekretariat@riakbumi.or.id Website: www.riakbumi.or.id

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No. Name5. Kinari Webb, M.D.

Health in Harmony Poste Restante, Sukadana Kab. Ketapang Kalimantan Barat HP: +62-(0)-8125-5625977 kinariwebb@healthinharmony.org

6. Dr. Susiani Purbaningsih, DEADepartemen Biologi Universitas Indonesia Gedung E, Kampus FMIPA-UI Depok 16424 Telp/Fax: 62-21-7863431 HP: 08161439755 Email: susiani@centrin.net.id

7. Dr. Harry Santoso Badan Litbang Kehutanan Jl. Gunung Batu No. 5 Tel 0251 631238 Fax: 0251 7520005 HP: 0816 1343244 Asisten: Mbak Ari

8. Bapak Hudi Danu WuryantoEnironmental Education Manager and Capacity Building Advisor Yayasan Palung Jalan Gajahmada No. 97, RT 07/RW 04 Kalinilam Ketapang 78851 Kalimantan Barat Tel/Fax: (0534) 3036367 HP: 0812-561-0157 Email: yayasanpalung@fastmail.fm Or elang_laut177@yahoo.co.uk

9. dr. Conidi Azis Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Ketapang Kalimantan Barat HP: 0852-1346-8880

10. Bapak Hasilah di Sukadana Kabupaten Ketapang Kalimantan Barat

11. Wilfirimus Health in Harmony Nurse HP: 0856-5031-532

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No. Name12. Bapak Idris (Deris)

Kepala Dusun TN Gunung Palung Kabupaten Ketapang Kalimantan Barat HP: 0852-4549-8719

13. Ibu Jumharatik (Ati) Teluk Melano, SP Hilir Kab. Kayong Utara HP: 0813-4578-6440/0813-5212-0995

14. dr. Hotlin Ompusunggu, Docter of Dentistry, CeHE Health in Harmony Poste Restante, Sukadana Kab. Ketapang Kalimantan Barat HP: 0852-5231-7787

15. Bapak Uthay d/a Klinik Asri Jl. Sungai Mengkuang Kec. Sukadana Kab. Kayong Utara Kalimantan Barat 78853 HP: 0813-52466704

16. dr. Romi Beginta d/a Poste Restante Sukadana Kab. Ketapang Kalimantan Barat HP: 0813-8097-4128

17. Bapak Bando Limin Masyarakat Di Taman Nasional Danau Sentarum Kabupaten Kapuas Hulu Kalimantan Barat

18. Bapak Nurhadi (wakil dari Ir. Soewignyo, Kepala Balai TN Danau Sentarum) di Semitau No Telp/Fax TNDS (Sintang) 0565-22242. HP: 0813-4527-1173

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No. Name19. Bapak Onga (Sukardiono)

Perawat Puskesmas Munukung, Kabupaten Melawi Kalimantan Barat HP: 0813-4559-8098

20. dr. Rosa Puskesmas Melawi Jl P. Diponegoro gg Perintis II No 9 Sintang, Kalbar 76811 Email: rosatrifina@yahoo.co.id

21. Ibu Herkulana Ersinta (Erni)d/h Yayasan Dian Tama Jalan Abdulrahman. Saleh, Gg. Cakra No. 12 Pontianak 78124 Tel: (0)561-735268 Fax: (0561) 583998 HP 0815-2231480 Email: diantama@pontianak.wasantara.net.id

22. Ir. Ahmad Yani Kabid Wil. I Balai Besar TNBK (wakil dari Ir. Ludvie Achmad, Kepala Balai TN Betung Kerihun) Jl. Kom. Yos Sudarso No. 100 Putussibau 78711, Kalimantan Barat Telp./Fax. : (0567) 21935 E-mail: tnbk@ptk.centrin.net.id HP: 0856-5018-842

23. Ranto S. (wakil Bapak Anto, Kepala Balai TN Gunung Palung) Jl. KH Wahid Hasyim 41-A Ketapang, Kalimantan Barat Telp. / Fax. : (0534) 33539 HP: 0813-5260-2220

24. Bapak F. Sungkalang (wakil dari Bapak Bakhtiar, Sekretaris Daerah) Asisten I Sekretaris Daerah Kabupaten Ketapang Jalan Jend. Sudirman No 37 Ketapang Kalimantan Barat HP: 0812-5727031

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No. Name25. Paramita Rosandi

(wakil Bapak Maraden Purba, Kepala BKSDA) Balai KSDA Kalimantan Barat Jl. Abdurahman Saleh No. 33, PO. BOX. 6264 Pontianak, 78124 Telp (0561) 734613 Fax (0561) 747004 HP: 0852-4633-9888

26. Andi Erman Desa Pulang Majang TN Danau Sentarum HP: 0813-459-8611

27. Budhita Kismadi (Facilitator)INSPIRIT HP: 0811-926082

28. Dani Munggoro (Facilitator) INSPIRIT 081111-3094

29. Carol Colfer CIFOR 0811118458

30. Linda Yuliani CIFOR 0811113924

31. Yayan Indriatmoko CIFOR HP: 0811-9400806

32. Dina Hubudin CIFOR 0815-1000-2855

33. Budhy Kristanty CIFOR B.Kristanty@cgiar.org 0816-637-353

Hotel Kini Jalan Nusa Indah III, Pontianak Kalimantan Barat 78122 Kontak Person : Telpon : 0561-732223 Fax : 0561-742882 Email : hotelkini_ptk@yahoo.com

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Annex 2: Trip Report (November 07) 1 November 2007 Trip Report (Carol J. Pierce Colfer, Linda Yuliani, Yayan Indriatmoko, Dina Hubudin, Budhy Kristanty) Itinerary: Bogor – Pontianak – Bogor: 28 October – 1 November Purpose: Coordinate Human Health and Forests workshop This meeting was part of a four-country series of meetings on human health and forests (in Indonesia, Brazil, Cameroon, and Ethiopia), funded by SwedBio, in preparation for international meetings on the same subject in Washington, DC, Geneva, and Stockholm next year. Unlike the other country meetings, we opted to organize ours at the provincial, rather than the national, level. The meeting was organized in partnership mode, with the NGOs Riak Bumi (Nina) and Health in Harmony (Kinari Webb, both organizations based in West Kalimantan), contributing to the process. Kinari, an American physician with a long history in Kalbar, had identified health people from all over the province. Nina, an Indonesian midwife who works with us in Danau Sentarum, did an excellent job on the local logistics work (finding the hotel, arranging food and transport, etc.). She also suggested other West Kalimantan participants and coordinated input from Danau Sentarum. Unfortunately, Riak Bumi had another international workshop taking place at the same time in the Park (!), and three of the four community members who had confirmed, failed to show. In total, we had 33 participants. Budhy organized a media briefing at lunch time, with 23 representatives of the media. In addition to the media briefing (which included Linda, Yayan, and Budhy from CIFOR, Kinari and Ati from Health in Harmony, and Nina from Riak Bumi), Yayan was interviewed on RRI radio station, and Linda was interviewed on TV. Three other (fake!) reporters came late, and interviewed Carol. The ISG division has also prepared some posters, which decorated the walls and were taken home enthusiastically by participants. Additional posters are being prepared and will be sent to the participants along with contact information for them all. In good Indonesian fashion, the surprises (competing workshop and missing participants) were accommodated without too much fuss (as were other surprises---see shortcomings below). The meeting began on time on Tuesday the 30th, with an introduction by Carol, and an hour of facilitated ‘getting to know each other.’ We then began a series of three thematic sessions, organized using the ‘fishbowl’ facilitation technique.

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The first was on logging and human health, with a good, short presentation by Harry Santoso (substituting for Pak Wahjudi), followed by 7 participants discussing their experience with this topic over time (with a ‘hot spot’ filled by whoever chose to add brief comments, less than one minute, in theory). The second theme was introduced by Bu Kartini from the Ministry of Health. The fishbowl panel discussed how forest-related policy had interfered with or helped them in their own and their communities’ lives. The original intent had been to investigate the degree to which traditional health care systems and the formal government health care system supported each other. But it quickly became clear that there was little overt conflict between the two and a great deal of interest in traditional systems. The final theme elicited the most interest: Foods and medicines from the forest. A female traditional healer from the Ketapang area talked about the medicinal plants she used, followed by Bu Susiani, a professor from UI who analyzes medicinal plants. This was followed by a film called Cerita Pak Burung (Stories from Pak Burung), which involved following Pak Burung, a village leader, around a community and forest near his village of Pelaik in Danau Sentarum, and listening to his explanations about uses of various non timber forest products (foods, fibers, and medicines). The fishbowl panel discussion was postponed until Wednesday, because of time constraints.

We planned this first day to expose the experience and perspectives of the different kinds of stakeholders we had invited (40 villagers, traditional healers, nurses, dentists, doctors, public health officials, conservation agency officials, forest guards and police, NGO representatives). Some observations include:

• There was remarkable agreement about the negative impacts of forest loss, with telling stories about degraded landscapes, increases in illnesses and poverty, increasing temperatures, flooding, erratic climatic conditions, and so on.

• Although there was clear understanding of the links between forests and health, especially at the lower levels, the lack of formal structure (either health or forestry) in which to address these issues was equally clear. The health profession

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seemed more attuned to environmental impacts in general, compared to a total lack of explicit attention to health on the forestry side.

• The comparative lack of conflict between formal, ‘modern’ and traditional medicine was striking. There seemed general agreement about the value of traditional medicine, and pride on the part of traditional practitioners in their craft.

• Despite the general agreement about the value of traditional medicines, some policies being prepared by the government do not appear to support and even could be threatening to the existence of the traditional medicines, e.g. policies that are likely to benefit the industrial sector over local people.

• This workshop was a real ‘first time event’ in terms of discussion of the links between forests and health here in Indonesia, according to the speakers from the respective ministries (Forestry and Health).

The second day was designed to bring these perspectives together into some firm recommendations on ways forward: what specifically could be done to improve the health-forest situation? Early in the morning, Budhy had already found three newspaper articles about the meeting, and she had not finished looking through the relevant papers. In the interim, she has discovered another on line version. The second day began with a singing of Tanah Airku (a patriotic song). People were then asked to think about the discussion the day before and express their feelings after singing that song. It captured the sadness of the information presented the previous day very well. The final thematic panel occurred after this exercise, and involved primarily community members discussing foods and medicines from the forest. As with the last session on Day 1, the interest was clear from the audience, as well as the enthusiasm for traditional medicine. The next order of business used “World Café” as a facilitation device. We divided into groups of similar people (community, Kalimantan-based professionals and ‘outsiders’), and imagined how the problems that had surfaced the day before could be attacked and by whom. We were also asked to think of what we and our organizations might do to address these issues. The groups then portrayed these issues on posters (using drawings and pictures cut from magazines to bring their ideas together into some sort of logic). Once these were drafted, two people stayed at their own table as hosts, and others circulated, commenting on other posters (constructively). The original groups then reconvened and finalized their poster, which was then presented in plenary. The atmosphere during these Day 2 sessions was markedly more lively and optimistic than it had been the day before. Communication within groups was serious and people were fully engaged in the discussion and the task.

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The final session included both an evaluation (which was very positive and enthusiastic), combined with a statement of personal plans for where to go next toward solving the problems identified in the meeting. The last event was a mini-movie that Yayan produced within the space of less than an hour (!), which showed scenes from the previous two days and was quite amusing. Shortcomings included the following:

• The Jakarta-based officials we invited sent substitutes who only stayed part of the first day. One had instructions to deliver the pre-prepared speech rather than share her own substantial and relevant experience (and she did not have authority to participate in the press conference). This was a shame, since they were invited because we hoped they would take our recommendations back to Jakarta with them and implement them in their agencies (and we had made that clear to the would-be speakers).

• Three of the four community members from Danau Sentarum did not come, apparently because they lacked the funds to get to the meeting---despite earlier confirmation of their attendance by our partner. We were able to substitute another community member who happened by, by chance, on the second day.

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But it was shame to have only one woman from that region the first day, since being alone probably made her more shy.

• For some reason, our partner, Riak Bumi, scheduled another international meeting in Danau Sentarum at the same time as this meeting, meaning we lost out on the Riak Bumi staff who had intended to participate; this also drew away at least one of the community members who had planned to attend.

• The 40 posters we had prepared and planned to distribute as gifts to the participants were not done by the time we had to leave Bogor---however, we were able to use some other (less focused ones) that we had on hand. We will send the planned ones to focal points in Kalbar who can distribute them, since there was significant interest in receiving more.

Despite these shortcomings, all in all the meeting accomplished its goals: • getting a sense of the health and forest issues in Kalimantan, • starting a communication process across stakeholder groups in the region, • stimulating interest locally in health and forest issues and • providing sufficient material from a variety of perspectives to develop

recommendations for comparison across country-level meetings and subsequent transmission to the global stakeholders in next year’s meetings in Washington, DC, Stockholm and Geneva.