On January 7, 2015, to raise awareness through communication education on VPA-FLEGT in local community, FLEGT Project – Central Region in collaboration with the Centre for Rural Development in Central Vietnam (CRD) held Behavior Change Communication (BCC) Program on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) with 34 participants coming from forest protection agencies, social organizations, unions, groups of forest dependent communities and small wood processing facilities in communes of A Luoi district, Thua Thien Hue province.
The objectives of communication program aimed to: (1) Provide information, basic knowledge about the FLEGT Action Plan, rules of legal timber and timber legality assurance system (TLAS) and (2) Raise awareness and change behavior on limiting illegal logging and using illegal timber products.
 A photograph in the communication program |
Speaking an opening speech of communication program, Mr. Truong Si Hoai Nhan – Project Director introduced communication activities which have implemented within the framework of FLEGT Project – Central region, especially behavior change programs on FLEGT which would be deployed in 04 provinces of the project to help forest dependent communities and wood processing facilities understand more roles and importances of the communication education on VPA-FLEGT as well as benefits and difficulties when involving in the process of VPA-FLEGT neotigation; impacts of the project on improving livelihoods of forest dependent communities, reducing illegal logging, and raising efficiency of forest management in the localities as well.
Through BCC Program on FLEGT, consultants of the project including MSc. Mai Quang Huy – Deputy Head of Natural Conservation Chamber, Forest Protection Department of Thua Thien Hue province and assistant staff – Ms. Dang Thi Lan Anh – Centre for Rural Development in Central Vietnam (CRD) introduced in turn activities of synthetic communication and methods of implementation through many kinds of lively and educational communication to raise awareness on VPA-FLEGT for local communities.
The consultants used and guided content of communication relating to basic information and knowledge about FLEGT Action Programme, process of negotiation of Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), provisions of legal timber, raising their awareness on using legal timber products, preventing illegal logging, propaganda of forest management and protection. After each activity, consultant and assistant staff would ask questions relating to this activity and that attracted participation and answers from participants.
Specific contents were implemented such as: (i) Art exhibition: forest and livelihoods of local people, Posters on forest management, protection and conservation of natural resources; (ii) Screening a film on FLEGT action plan; (iii) Game: timber supply chain to help the participants understand: What is legal timber; Timber supply chain? Supply chain management system? Why we must control the supply chain? (iv) Painting contest on consequences of illegal logging and toward methods of business, use legal timber and timber products and (v) Quiz on forest management and protection of community groups.
In the end of communication program, all participants gave a general evaluation “BBC program on FLEGT is a very useful activity in raising awareness of using legal timber, preventing illegal logging and timber trade, implementing forest management and protection well, improving livelihoods and income for communities. Besides, FLEGT is a completely new program for forest dependent communities, wood processing facilities in A Luoi district, particularly ethnic minorities in mountainous areas. Therefore, it needs support and guidance of local authorities, forest management agencies to implement activities of forestry production well for the communities in the localities. “
FLEGT Project
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