Forest Peoples Programme Supporting forest peoples’ rights

LifeMosaic

Background

LifeMosaic supports indigenous peoples in the humid tropics to get their voices heard, and to access the information that they need to make informed decisions about their futures (www.lifemosaic.net)

LifeMosaic supports indigenous peoples to defend their rights, territories and cultures, by producing popular education resources for indigenous communities, and by facilitating the widespread distribution of these resources. Projects focus on the impacts of large-scale land-use changes, and on self-determined strategies for development. Projects are demand-driven, useful to a wide number of communities, and developed in partnership with communities, indigenous peoples organisations, and other movements for positive social and environmental change. Resources are primarily based on community testimonies; they present complex issues in an accessible and engaging way; and support indigenous peoples right to free, prior and informed consent. Grass-roots dissemination approaches ensure that resources reach thousands of communities, and inform critical conversations, and land-use decisions.

LifeMosaic also develops and disseminates resources for use in international advocacy bringing voices from the grass-roots to decision-makers.

LifeMosaic was founded on a mandate from indigenous leaders and local, national and international NGOs attending a 2004 World Rainforest Movement meeting on oil palm and pulp and paper plantations in Jakarta, who requested that more NGOs empower communities through their campaigning by:

  • Developing ways for community experiences to be shared between communities as well as helping communities to develop greater awareness of national and international issues which affect them.
  • Bringing community concerns directly to international audiences (media, governments, companies) and ensuring that community concerns are integrated into international campaigning.

Projects
'Fever - A Video Guide' (see trailer) consists of 4 short films for indigenous communities to raise awareness and build knowledge about the issue of climate change and how it relates to indigenous peoples, cultures, rights and territories. In these films we hear the stories of indigenous peoples from communities in Ecuador, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Indonesia. Dubbed in 6 languages, ‘Fever’ is designed to inform and empower indigenous communities across the tropics and to be a tool for grass-roots facilitators, helping strengthen local movements in their awareness raising and advocacy work on climate change and indigenous peoples rights. The films have been well received and demand is high and they are being used extensively in communities sparking discussions and further action. Other ways that the films are being used is at training's and workshops, festivals and in policy discussions. The films are available free of charge to relevant groups.  (See below to watch films)Other film topics include Climate Change advocacy films, REDD, oil palm, pulp and paper and community organising.

LifeMosaic is a UK-based not-for-profit company limited by guarantee no. SC300597, and registered as a Scottish charity no. SC040573.

Relevant resources

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Indonesian communities resist forest land grab by pulp and paper plantation

5 March, 2013

The Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) company, is expanding its eucalyptus plantations on the lands of indigenous communities

The community of Pandumaan-Sipituhuta in North Sumatra faces the clearance of the forests that they depend on to extract resin by the Toba Pulp Lestari paper company, a subsidiary of the pulp and paper giant APRIL.

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Film: Don't Pulp Pandumaan-Sipituhuta: A David and Goliath Tale

The communities of Pandumaan-Sipituhata with KSPPM and support from LifeMosaic

5 March, 2013

The pulp and paper industry is growing all over Indonesia. The Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) company, is expanding its eucalyptus plantations on the lands of the indigenous communities of Pandumaan-Sipituhuta in North Sumatra.

The communities have lived and worked on their lands for 13 generations. They are peacefully resisting to defend their forests and their livelihoods. But their defence of their lands comes at a heavy cost as they are criminalised.

Please stand together with this community at the front-line of the global land grab that is putting profit ahead of rights.

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Video: REDD - A new Animal in the Forest

LifeMosaic, Tebtebba, AMAN

1 January, 2010

REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), is a climate change mitigation measure that seeks to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by preventing or reducing forest loss and forest degradation. Indigenous peoples living in these forests have urgent messages about REDD, its potential opportunities, and the risks of failure if indigenous peoples' rights, and their traditional knowledge and practices are not recognised. 7 Minutes.

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Video: Palmed Off - Voices from the oil palm plantation

LifeMosaic, Sawit Watch, Friends of the Earth

1 January, 2009

Palmed Off is based on testimonies from indigenous peoples affected by oil palm plantations in Indonesia and explores the impacts of oil palm plantations on their local economies, on the local environment, on their culture and on the prospects for the future generations. 20 Minutes.

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"Losing Ground" - report on indigenous communities and oil palm development from LifeMosaic, Sawit Watch and Friends of the Earth

LifeMosaic, Sawit Watch, Friends of the Earth

28 February, 2008

Losing Ground

"The report reveals that oil palm companies often use violent tactics to grab land from indigenous communities with the collusion of the police and authorities. Previously self-reliant families, who were able to meet their own needs from the forest around them, complain of being tricked into giving up their land with the promise of jobs and new developments. Instead they end up locked into debt and poorly paid work, while the bounty of the rainforest is replaced with monotonous oil palm plantations. Pollution from pesticides, fertilisers and the pressing process is also leaving some villages without clean water.

Since 2005, Friends of the Earth, Sawit Watch and LifeMosaic have worked closely together on a project aimed at bringing impartial information to communities affected by oil palm plantations in Indonesia, enabling them to make informed decisions about their land and their futures. Losing Ground draws on community testimonies gathered during this project, new Sawit Watch data and previous research to provide an insight into the social, economic and cultural impacts of oil palm plantations." Click here for more information on the Life Mosaic website.

Click here to read the full report

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