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On the occasion of International Day of Rural Women and 35th World Food Day, the Alliance of Agriculture for Food organised a public celebration which was coordinated by ForestAction Nepal with the slogan of “Social Protection and Agriculture:Breaking the Cycle of Rural Poverty, on 16 October 2015. The celebration was held in Shanti Batika, Ratnapark, Kathmandu, Nepal. The aim of this public event was to sensitize the people about eradicating rural poverty through food security and ensuring food protection for all. The participants of the event were Rural women, farmers, activist, agriculturist, media persons and other professionals.

With the objective of strengthening the internal governance and making the long term and short term plans of Community Forest User Group (CFUG), two days training was conducted on 21^st and 22^nd September, 2015 in Sanoban CFUG, one of the Participatory Action Research (PAR) site of CALCNR. The training was organized by CF itself with the technical support and facilitation of ForestAction.

The first day of training focused on the importance of participatory work required to strengthening governance of CF and also how collaborative action of users and EC can help to solve the conflicting issues within CFUG. Simple tools and methods like participatory game, questionnaire, personal views and idea sharing etc. were used to generate evidences and recognize and strengthen community effort.  On the second day, participants were divided into five different groups for discussion on different CF areas to develop CFUG visions and plans namely: Forest and environment development, forest based industry development, poverty alleviation program, community development program and organizational development. Among the plans so made, users prioritized some of the plans with an aim to fulfill them within 2 years and rest of them within next 5 years.

In total 64 users representing marginalized to higher class showed their participation, where the female participants were higher in number. Thus the discussion developed the long term and short term CFUG plans and initiated some of the planned activities.

With the series of interaction among the alliance members, Alliance of Agriculture for Food (vfBsfnflu s[lif cleofg) has prepared suggestion on issues of Food, Agriculture and Land with amendment and modification in key articles.

A joint study team of Community based adaptive learning in management of natural resources and conflicts in Bangladesh and Nepal (CALCNR) organised a workshop on 27th-29th October 2014. The team of ForestAction Nepal, iDE, Nepal and Flood hazard research centre (FHRC), Bangladesh sat together to share their experience on conflict and cooperation on natural resource management of the region. ForestAction presented scenario of conflict in and around Community forest, while iDE concentrated on multiple water use system (MUS) and local adaptation plan of action (LAPA). The scenario of community based organization of fishing communities was presented by expert from Bangladesh. The event was observed for three days, first day dedicated to issues of natural resource conflict and cooperation in the region, second day focussed more on planning and review of the project and third day- a site visit was organised at Kavre on Community Forest and Multiple water use system implemented areas.

ForestAction participated on RRI review and planning meeting conducted at Udhyami Ghar, Kathmandu on 12th and 13th October 2014. RRI has been working on issues related to Community Rights on Natural Resources in alliance with different Civil Society Organizations. The event observed a bundle of presentations of RRI’s activities of 2013, ongoing programs of 2014 and plans of 2015. On the occasion, ForestAction also presented review and further planning of program in collaboration with RRI.

ForestAction participated on workshop entitled Community Property Rights in new constitution drafting process and community rights on Chure management organised by FECOFUN at Hotel Himalayan on 11th October 2014. The knowledge sharing event observed participation from constituent member affiliated to different parties along with members of CSOs.

The Sixth national community forestry workshop was organized by the department of forest on 16-18th June 2014 at Staff College, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur with the broad motto “community forestry for sustainable development and prosperity”. The workshop provided the platform to discuss the issues, challenges and their potential solutions to formulate a short, medium and long term action plan for community forestry to pave the way towards sustainable development of the country. Five researchers from ForestAction Nepal – Dr. Naya Sharma Paudel, Dr. Krishna Paudel, Mr. Govinda Paudel, Ms. Sujata Tamang and Mr. Shurid Chapagain presented their papers under different themes of the workshop. During this workshop, ForestAction Nepal organized a side event entitled “Conservation or management: exploring the prospects and challenges of sustainable forest management in community forest (CF) in Nepal”. Prominent figures in forestry sector participated in the event as panel members namely, Academician/ Conservationist Dr. Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha, Community rights advocate Mr. Momamad Kar Khan (FECOFUN), Forest Officer Mr. Vijay Raj Subedi (Govt. of Nepal), and Timber entrepreneur Mr. Kapil Adhikari (FenFit). The discussion primarily focused on scientific forest management (ScFM) intervention in CF and its challenges on addressing the concerns of different stakeholders. The side event became a platform to inform the participants with diverse opinions and stands on ScFM and contributed to develop its understanding and role in increasing forest productivity, improving livelihoods and food security.

ForestAction hosted a parallel session on ‘Commercialisation and development of forest based enterprises in Nepal’ on 20 September 2014 in a national level conference titled ‘Citizen’s Initiatives for Future Nepal IV’ coordinated by Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) at Kathmandu. The session was chaired by Hon. Dr. Bimala Rai Paudel, Member, NPC. Session panelists Mr. Vijaya Paudel, Under Secretary, DoF; Mr. Kapil Prashad Adhikari, Chairperson, FenFIT Nepal and Mr. Bishnu Gyawali, General Secretary, FePFoS Nepal have bestowed their opinion in the discussion. Mr. Govinda Paudel presented a working paper prepared by a team of ForestAction.

In between 2012 and 2014 Multi Stakeholder Forestry Program (MSFP)supported more than 40 forest based enterprises in Koshi Hill Districts, namely Dhankuta, Tehrathum, Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha. Of these, 10 enterprises (7 Lokta Handmade paper producers, 2 bamboo handicraft producers, and 1 Dhup producer) were further supported and facilitated for market linkage visits in different parts of the country. The visit was conducted in three different groups between April and May, 2014 (two for Lokta entrepreneurs and one for Bamboo entrepreneurs). The key individuals of the enterprises visited, observed and discussed with buyers, traders and exporters of the particular product. The innovative approach adopted behind this market linkages was to provide a platform where all the value chain actors of the particular products could introduce each other, share their problems, issues, concerns, demands, expectations, and aspirations. The approach adopted was found to be fruitful in terms of developing direct linkages, trusts, beliefs and relations among value chain actors, especially among the producers, traders, buyers, processors, and retailers.

ForestAction Nepal in collaboration with the partners from six working districts (Aadharbhoot Gramin Bikash Sewa and Kalika Self Reliance Service Centre -Kapilvastu, Tulsi Mehar Unesco Club – Gorkha, Sahamati -Nawalparasi, Social Workers Group- Udaypur, Forum for Public Awareness- Arghakhachi, Nari Ship Srijana Kendra- Makwanpur) organized an inception workshop entitled “organizing and empowering farmers and civil society organizations for national agricultural policy influence” on 9 and10th May at Sap-Falcha, Babarmahal , Kathmandu with a common understanding to develop, agree and refine the project activities. Additionally, a short exposure visit to Panchakanya Prangarik Krishi Saharakri Sanstha, Kavresthali and the Department of Agriculture, Hariharbhawan was carried out for the participants to provide insights about the ongoing practices of organic farming in Kathmandu. The meeting reviewed last year’s progress and achievements and also drew lessons to improve this year’s deliveries.

One day inception workshop was carried out to understand the prevalent conflict over natural resources in three geographic settings of Terai, Mid-hills and Mountains. On 25th April 2014, an inception workshop was carried out in Nawalparasi to address the natural resources based conflict on Terai particularly on access rights on Buffer Zone Community Forest, issues of landless and distance users. Likewise, on 2nd July 2014, inception workshop was carried out in Kavre to understand the induced dynamics of growing market on outskirts of capital, changes in forest resource use pattern and elite capture in community forest. Similarly, on 5th July 2014, an inception workshop was organized in Dolakha to understand the conflict about local herders and CFUGs and introduced conservation area and questionable status quo of community forest. The workshop observed the participation of Community Forest User Group (CFUG) executive committee, FECOFUN-district and village level representatives and ForestAction Nepal researchers. The workshop encouraged each CFUG to draw out workable plan for each sites.