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Partnership between communities and acacia pulp plantation in South Sumatra
Methods
Following the LPF action research method, the activities
at MHP site was arranged through three phases i.e. initiation, intervention and
monitoring. The ‘initiation’ phase established communication between researchers
and stakeholders through a field visit, stakeholders’ identification and
consultation. A baseline survey was conducted to understand the biophysical,
social and livelihood issues of local communities. Communication and survey
identified stakeholders and the gaps and problems they face. They then drew up a
rough plan to resolve the problems.
The ‘intervention’ phase prioritized and executed the
planning in a participatory way towards fair partnership between community and
company. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to establish
communication and public discourse among various stakeholders and to define
shared values and common ground for a better partnership. Following public
discourse, we facilitated institutionalisation of this space for negotiation.
A set of local indicators was used in the ‘monitoring’
phase of the implementation of action research development. These indicators
were guided by the principles of empowerment, environmental mediation and
reinforcement. An exit strategy was put in place to ensure the sustainability of
the action after the end of the LPF project.
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