Resources

Published as part of a series on indigenous peoples' health commissioned by The Lancet.The series, and additional research papers and testimonies, are freely available online at www.thelancet.com

We are completely neglected and forgotten. Even our wives do not have access to midwives. They are permanently exposed to death because of lack of care during their pregnancy and deliveries. This came with the so-called modern life into which we were dragged. It did not exist when we were living in our natural environment. We had so many plants for such problems... Twa man from Kalehe district, Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)[2]

To obtain a copy of The Indigenous World 2005 from IWGIA, click hereAt the International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes region in November 2004, 11 heads of state signed an agreement to end conflicts in the Great Lakes region, although the strategy to implement the declaration have yet to be agreed in inter-ministerial meetings during 2005.Despite this, conflicts continued to rage throughout the region, particularly in eastern DRC. There were signs of improving regional relations when the Congolese authorities signed separate joint verification mechanisms to improve border security with Rwanda and Uganda, while in August DRC, Rwanda and Uganda agreed to disarm groups operating within their territories within the year. Nevertheless, hostilities resumed in November when Rwanda’s President Kagame announced they would invade DRC again to disarm and repatriate Hutu militants because the Congolese authorities were not acting quickly enough to do so.

The existing legal and policy provisions of central African countries, and the way they have been implemented in practice, have hitherto done little to stem the loss of indigenous peoples' traditional forest-related knowledge (TFRK). Focusing on the indigenous and traditional communities of eight central African countries, this detailed report examines the issues surrounding TFRK and assesses the progress made to date by the governments who have given their endorsement to reform.

This report, is the copyright of Minority Rights Group International, and printed copies can be ordered from MRG Central Books: Tel +44 (0)845 458 9910 (Mail Order), or email mo@centralbooks.com

This report reviews the activities and main findings generated during a participative consultation by the Forest Peoples Project (FPP) with members of Bagyeli 'Pygmy' communities in south-west Cameroon affected by the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline project.