#wapichan

Their forest territory, made up of beautiful primary rainforest, is 1.4million hectares (3/4 the size of Wales at approx. 2 million hectares). Size of Wales, a unique Welsh climate change charity, has been supporting work to secure legal rights for this land. Once recognised the group wish to establish a large community owned Wapichan Conserved Forest to protect the precious eco-system.

Now the government may be listening. The President of Guyana has agreed to hold formal discussions with Wapichan representatives on the next steps to legally secure their territory. This action has been applauded and preliminary discussions with the government are expected to happen in the coming weeks.

Elizabeth Andre, an elder of Aishalton Village, said “Since I was a little girl I used to hear my daddy talking about the land… (and) the need to have our land rights respected. I never believed that after all this time, which is nearly 60 years now, that nothing would have been done to properly protect our territory.”

“My mother is very elderly. I want her to see our territory legally recognized so she may die peacefully, knowing that our people and our future generations are secure on our collective land. We look to our new government to take action now. We have waited long enough.” she continued.

Welsh support through Size of Wales has been vital for this project. Since 2011 it has helped the community map their traditional lands, develop plans for a large community conserved forest, and create sustainable management plans. New technology is supporting this endeavour; the group recently built a drone to monitor threats of illegal logging and mining within their lands, and are currently developing a community managed website.

International pressure has helped push for a change of stance from the Guyanese government. Nicholas and Faye Fredericks from the community recently raised awareness for their plight by attending the UN’s climate conference COP21 in Paris last December.  

Whilst there the group were awarded the UN’s Equator Prize which recognises outstanding local community initiatives and solutions to climate change. Size of Wales also attended the COP21 conference to raise awareness for tropical forests and highlight Wales’ positive impact on climate change.

Tropical forests are crucial in the fight against the changing climate – they absorb nearly a fifth of the world’s man-made CO2 emissions every year. Size of Wales helps protect these precious environments by supporting an area of tropical forest the size of Wales as part of a national response to climate change.

Size of Wales supports the work of Forest Peoples Programme and South Central Peoples Development Association. You can support this project by visiting sizeofwales.org.uk. Any donations made will be doubled by Size of Wales’ generous match fund.

Llywodraeth Gaiana yn agor trafodaethau ar hawliau tir gyda’r bobl Wapichan diolch i gefnogaeth o Gymru

Mae grŵp brodorol sy’n byw yng nghoedwigoedd Gaiana, De America, yn obeithiol y bydd eu tir yn cael ei gydnabod yn swyddogol gan y llywodraeth diolch i gefnogaeth pobl Cymru.

Mae’r bobl Wapichan wedi bod yn byw yn eu coedwigoedd a’u defnyddio’n gynaliadwy am genedlaethau. Serch hynny, dim ond hawliau cyfreithiol y grŵp dros ran fach o’r goedwig fu’n gartref i’w hynafiaid y mae’r llywodraeth yn ei gydnabod yn swyddogol. Mae’r gymuned wedi bod yn galw am weithredu teg ac effeithiol i sicrhau eu hawliau llawn dros eu holl diroedd ers i Gaiana ennill ei hannibyniaeth yn 1966.

Mae eu tiriogaeth goedwigol, sy’n cynnwys coedwigoedd glaw gwyryfol prydferth, yn 1.4miliwn hectar (3/4 maint Cymru, sydd tua 2 miliwn hectar). Mae Maint Cymru, elusen unigryw o Gymru sy’n ymgyrchu yn erbyn newid hinsawdd, wedi bod yn cefnogi gwaith i sicrhau hawliau cyfreithiol i’r brodorion dros y tir hwn. Unwaith y caiff yr hawliau eu cydnabod, mae’r grŵp yn dymuno sefydlu Coedwig Wapichan Warchodedig fawr, a fydd yn eiddo i’r gymuned, i ddiogelu’r ecosystem werthfawr.

Mae’n bosib bod y llywodraeth nawr yn gwrando. Mae Arlywydd Gaiana wedi cytuno i gynnal trafodaethau ffurfiol gyda chynrychiolwyr y Wapichan ynglŷn â’r camau nesaf sydd angen eu cymryd i ddiogelu eu tiriogaeth yn gyfreithlon. Mae’r cam hwn wedi cael ei gymeradwyo, a disgwylir y bydd trafodaethau cychwynnol gyda’r llywodraeth yn dechrau yn yr wythnosau nesaf.

Dywedodd Elizabeth Andre, un o henuriaid Pentref Aishalton, “Ers fy mod yn ferch fach, roeddwn yn arfer clywed fy nhad yn siarad am y tir… (ac am yr) angen i sicrhau bod ein hawliau drosto yn cael eu parchu. Chredais i byth, ar ôl yr holl amser – bron i 60 mlynedd nawr – na fyddai unrhyw beth wedi cael ei wneud i ddiogelu ein tiriogaeth yn iawn.”

“Mae fy mam yn hen iawn. Hoffwn iddi weld ein tiriogaeth yn cael ei chydnabod yn gyfreithiol fel bod modd iddi farw yn dawel ei meddwl gan wybod bod ein pobl a chenedlaethau’r dyfodol yn ddiogel ar ein tir. Gofynnwn i’n llywodraeth newydd weithredu nawr. Rydym wedi aros yn hen ddigon hir” dywedodd.

Mae cefnogaeth o Gymru trwy Maint Cymru wedi bod yn hanfodol ar gyfer y prosiect hwn. Ers 2011 mae wedi helpu’r gymuned i fapio eu tiroedd traddodiadol, i ddatblygu cynlluniau ar gyfer coedwig warchodedig fawr i’r gymuned, ac i greu cynlluniau rheoli cynaliadwy. Mae technoleg newydd yn cynorthwyo’r ymdrechion hyn; yn ddiweddar, adeiladodd y grŵp drôn i fonitro bygythiadau torri coed a mwyngloddio anghyfreithlon o fewn eu tiroedd, ac maent ar hyn o bryd yn datblygu gwefan a reolir gan y gymuned.

Mae pwysau rhyngwladol wedi helpu i wthio llywodraeth Gaiana i newid ei safbwynt. Yn ddiweddar, cododd Nicholas a Faye Fredericks (dau o aelodau’r gymuned) ymwybyddiaeth am eu sefyllfa drwy fynychu cynhadledd y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar newid hinsawdd, COP21, ym Mharis mis Rhagfyr diwethaf.  

Tra eu bod yno, enillodd y grŵp Wobr Cyhydedd y Cenhedloedd Unedig, sy’n cydnabod syniadau a mentrau cymunedol lleol eithriadol sy’n mynd i’r afael â newid hinsawdd. Aeth Maint Cymru i gynhadledd COP21 hefyd i godi ymwybyddiaeth am goedwigoedd trofannol ac i amlygu’r effaith gadarnhaol y mae Cymru’n ei chael ar newid hinsawdd.  

Mae coedwigoedd trofannol yn hanfodol yn y frwydr yn erbyn newid yn yr hinsawdd – maent yn amsugno bron i bumed rhan o’r allyriadau CO2 a grëir gan ddyn bob blwyddyn. Mae Maint Cymru yn helpu i ddiogelu’r amgylcheddau gwerthfawr hyn drwy gynnal ardal o goedwig drofannol yr un maint â Chymru fel rhan o ymateb cenedlaethol i newid hinsawdd.

Mae Maint Cymru yn cefnogi gwaith Forest Peoples Programme a’r South Central Peoples Development Association. Gallwch gefnogi’r prosiect hwn drwy ymweld â sizeofwales.org.uk. Bydd unrhyw gyfraniadau yn cael eu dyblu gan gronfa arian cyfatebol hael Maint Cymru.

With the support of Size of Wales and Forest People’s Programme, a community management team of 8 people have been set up and trained to use the new technology. They collect photo evidence to monitor forest cover and water quality, which ensures that the forests are being used sustainably. Any sign of environmental damage from their monitoring is reported to the authorities as it is often related to illegal and threatening activities such as logging and mining.

After only a few months of monitoring the forest with the phones, the team documented a dozen sites participating in illegal activities. By mapping these activities, especially pinpointing river crossing used by miners, the community is able to take action to challenge the illegal land use.

Another shared goal of the community is to set up a website to promote the Wapichan culture and make links with the rest of the world. It will hopefully also give a national and global profile to the community’s struggle to secure their lands and safeguard their forests.

Working with this new technology has further empowered the Wapichan peoples to protect their forests; it gives them further ownership of their forests and will hopefully strengthen their efforts to gain legal land rights from the government.

This community is reliant on support from the Welsh people – please donate if you can.

Defnyddio ffonau deallus i ddiogelu coedwigoedd.

Yn 2011 gofynnodd y cymunedau Wapichan yn Gaiana i’r llywodraeth am hawliau llawn dros eu tiroedd traddodiadol. Gwnaethant hyn drwy lunio map a chynllun rheoli, yn egluro sut y byddent yn  defnyddio ac yn gofalu am eu coedwigoedd mewn modd cynaliadwy, fel y maent wedi bod yn ei wneud am genedlaethau.  

Un dull newydd y mae’r gymuned yn ei ddefnyddio i fonitro a rheoli eu coedwigoedd yw casglu data ar ffonau deallus!

Gyda chefnogaeth Maint Cymru a’r Forest People’s Programme, sefydlwyd tîm rheoli cymunedol o 8 person ac fe’u hyfforddwyd i ddefnyddio’r dechnoleg newydd. Maent yn casglu tystiolaeth ffotograffig i fonitro’r fforestydd ac ansawdd y dŵr, sy’n sicrhau bod y coedwigoedd yn cael eu defnyddio’n gynaliadwy. Os oes unrhyw arwydd o ddifrod amgycheddol yn dod i’r amlwg yn sgil y gwaith monitro, maent yn rhoi gwybod i’r awdurdodau, gan ei fod yn aml yn gysylltiedig â gweithgareddau anghyfreithlon a bygythiol fel torri coed a mwyngloddio.

Ar ôl ychydig fisoedd o fonitro gyda’r ffonau, darganfu’r tîm ddwsin o safleoedd a oedd yn cael eu defnyddio ar gyfer gweithgareddau anghyfreithlon. Drwy fapio’r gweithgareddau hyn, yn enwedig y mannau a ddefnyddir gan y mwyngloddwyr i groesi’r afonydd, gall y gymuned gymryd camau i herio’r defnydd anghyfreithlon o’u tir.

Un o amcanion eraill y gymuned yw creu gwefan i hyrwyddo diwylliant y Wapichan a meithrin cysylltiadau â gweddill y byd. Y gobaith yw y bydd hyn hefyd yn rhoi proffil cenedlaethol a byd-eang i frwydr y gymuned i hawlio eu tiroedd a diogelu eu fforestydd.

Mae gweithio gyda’r dechnoleg newydd hon wedi helpu’r cymunedau Wapichan i ddiogelu eu fforestydd; mae’n eu galluogi i berchnogi eu coedwigoedd ymhellach, a’r gobaith yw y bydd yn cryfhau eu hymdrechion i sicrhau hawliau cyfreithiol dros eu tir gan y llywodraeth.

The Wapichan’s story was presented at the Rio+20 summit in an indigenous peoples’ international conferences on sustainable development and self-determination, and their experience is even going to be published in a book! The community has also been invited by indigenous peoples in Suriname and Venezuela to visit and share their experiences and lessons learned. In terms of progress on the ground, almost all the individual villages and smaller settlements have now lodged formal requests to secure title to their ancestral forests. The Wapichan are now finalising their project so that they can take their proposals for caring for their forest forwards towards practical implementation. They plan to do this by developing community-based forest monitoring, care for sites of wildlife, livelihood and cultural importance as well as following-up on land title applications.

None of this would have been possible without generous support from around the World, including the people of Wales.

Gweithiais yno am flwyddyn ar ôl cael swyddi yn Jamaica a Somalia (dau le peryglus), felly roedd yn teimlo fel lle tawel a gwâr, gyda thai pren hardd ar stilts (i osgoi llifogydd gan bod y morglawdd yn methu’n gyson) a choedwig law dros ran helaeth o’r wlad. Dyna’r lle cyntaf, a’r unig le, i mi weld jaguar gwyllt, ac fe gefais gwrdd â llawer o bobl anhygoel. Mae Guyana yng ngogledd ddwyrain cyfandir De America, ond mae’r boblogaeth frodorol Amerindian yn llawer llai niferus na gweddill y boblogaeth, sydd â’u hanner yn fras yn Affro Guyanaidd, a hanner yn Indo Guyanaidd (disgynyddion gweithluoedd a fewnforiwyd o Affrica ac India i weithio ar blanhigfeydd siwgr) a nifer fach o deuluoedd o Bortiwgal, Prydain a Tsieina.

Cefais wyliau yn cerdded yn yr ardal Rupununi (ychydig i’r gogledd o leoliad y prosiect hwn). Ni fyddaf byth yn anghofio’r tirweddau unigryw o safanau a choedwigoedd heb unrhyw brysg rhwng y ddau. Roedd rhaeadrau hardd a phentrefi brodorol anghysbell nad oedd modd cyrraedd atynt ond ar droed neu drwy awyren fechan. Roedd y bobl yno yn siarad Saesneg ag acen Brydeinig, yn wahanol iawn i’r Saesneg Caribïaidd sy’n cael ei siarad gan y mwyafrif o bobl sy’n byw ar hyd yr arfordir. (Roedd Iesuwyr Prydeinig yn aml yn athrawon ysgol yn yr ardaloedd gwledig, anghysbell).

Mae gan Guyana hanes hir o ddiddordebau busnes o wledydd eraill (yn hanesyddol o Brydain, ac yn fwy diweddar cwmnïau rhyngwladol o Asia ac o Ganada a mwynwyr o Frasil) yn manteisio ar ei hadnoddau, gyda rhy ychydig o’r buddiannau yn cyrraedd at y boblogaeth leol. Mae’r prosiect mae Maint Cymru yn ei gefnogi yn cael ei redeg gan y cymunedau brodorol Amerindian Wapichan sydd wedi bod yn ymgyrchu ers nifer o flynyddoedd i gael rheoli ac amddiffyn y tiroedd y maent yn byw arnynt erioed. Ar 7 Chwefror eleni, cyflwynodd pobl Wapichan ganlyniadau proses ymgynghori cymunedol hir i’r Llywodraeth genedlaethol. Mae’r argymhelliad hwn yn dangos sut maent am reoli a chadw tiroedd eu cyndeidiau.  Rydym ni, a nhw, yn gobeithio y bydd hyn yn cryfhau eu hawl ar y tir ac yn lleihau’r peryglon o ganiatáu mwy o drwyddedi diwydiannol a strwythurol a all fygwth y coedwigoedd a’r cymunedau sy’n byw yno.

Gallwch helpu’r bobl Wapichan drwy gyfrannu yma.

Hannah Scrase

The world’s rainforests absorb almost a fifth of man-made carbon dioxide emissions. Size of Wales aims to help protect an area of tropical forest equivalent in area to Wales and, in turn, inspire other countries to do the same.

The money raised from Cardiff will help fund a range of actions that will protect the rainforests and support the indigenous Wapichan people in Guyana to secure legal title to their customary forests and develop plans for conservation for a size of rainforest equivalent to the size of Cathays and Roath combined.

European Politics student Pippa said: “On October 19th, along with other members of Cardiff University Fashion Society, we will be hosting a Go Green Tea Party at Milgi Cafe on City Road. We are encouraging everyone from Cardiff to come along in their fashionable green outfits, enjoy tea and green-themed treats. We are hoping to raise money through our raffle and by selling wristbands and will have some collection boxes around the university buildings in Cardiff.

“In the weeks after Go Green Day we are hosting our own fashion show at the Student Union, in aid of Size of Wales. We will be featuring both vintage and high street styles on the catwalk. As our own feature we are incorporating a line of our very own sustainable clothing, which we are fashioning ourselves out of recycled goods.”

Currently studying for her undergraduate degree, Pippa believes that: “As students living and studying in a nation whose size is often used negatively to describe everything from the size of an oil slick to a forest fire and the alarming rate of deforestation that is occurring globally, we want to encourage others within the local community and afar to take positive action and help protect an area of rainforest equal to the size of this beautiful and diverse country. With our fundraising events, we aim to do so in style!”

European Politics student Pippa said: “It is a fantastic project that is easy to get involved with – from getting your colleagues or classmates to wear green for a small donation, to buying a wristband and painting your face or setting up events like cake sales. Through our events we are aiming to raise £500 which will be doubled by Size of Wales’ partners. It only takes a small action to send a big message.

You can help by donating here. Find more information on Go Green Day

To join in Cardiff’s events contact [email protected]

Be sure to follow us: @sizeofwales

I had a holiday walking in the Rupununi region (just north of where this project is). I will never forget the unique landscapes of savannah and patches of forest with no intermediate scrub between the two. There were beautiful waterfalls and remote indigenous villages accessible only on foot or by small plane. The people there spoke English with a British accent very unlike the Caribbean English spoken by most of the population who live along the coast. (British Jesuits were often school teachers in the remote rural regions).

Guyana as a long history of business interests from elsewhere (historically Britainand more recently Asian and Canadian multinationals and Brazilian miners) exploiting from its resources with too few benefits reaching the local population. The project Size of Wales is supporting is run and driven by the indigenous Amerindian Wapichan communities who have been campaigning for many years to be allowed to manage and protect the lands they have always inhabited. On 7 February this year, the Wapichan people presented the results of a long community consultation process to the national Government. This proposal shows how they want to manage and conserve their ancestral lands.  We, and they, hope this will strengthen their land rights claim and reduce the risks of further industrial and infrastructure permits being granted which can threaten the forests and the communities who live there.

You can help the Wapichan people by donating here.

Hannah Scrase

Through the vision, persistence and hard work of our past and present Wapichan Toshaos (leaders) a dream has finally become a reality. Ten years ago, a Wapichan land use map and management plan were just ideas that came out of discussions in our village meetings and in meetings of our District Toshaos Councils (DTCs). Putting forward our own plans to have our lands secured, to save our forests, wetlands, mountains and savannahs from harmful development and to determine our own future was something we used to “gaff” (chat) about in our “manores”? (collective work parties).

Now we have our plan, “Thinking Together for Those Coming Behind Us: An outline plan for the care Wapichan territory in Guyana”, in our hands and we are ready to share it with the government and allies like the Size of Wales. Our territorial plan is the fruit of several years of tears, sweat and very hard sacrifice. It means a lot to us. Our map and land use plan will be used to guide our communities in coming up with collective agreed actions and decisions reflective of the true visions, aspirations and struggles of the Wapichan people in Guyana. We hope that these documents and the agreements they contain will help our communities to deal with certain issues and move into the future with secure rights to our customary lands.

The territorial plan sets out key steps on how we use and care for our lands and resources. These steps are guided by proven customary law and traditional knowledge. Some of the actions aspire to conserve key sites and areas important to our communities, including sacred sites, cultural heritage sites, places with key livelihood resources and habitats important for rare birds, fish and animals. As part of our agreements,Wapichan villages have agreed to set up a WapichanConserved Forest over much of our forest lands.

Our inter-community agreements in the plan are part of our efforts as a people to guarantee respect for our rights and the continued proper management of important areas in our territory. Our Wapichan communities anticipate the plan will greatly assist the government to better understand our relationship between our lands and resources. We hope that it can greatly inform, influence affirmative action and improve government policies that affect our lands and the very resources upon which we rely for our livelihood and way of life. Ultimately, our villages and communities aim to work together to make sure that our lands and its resources remain healthy and strong so that our future generations, Wapichanand Guyanese, will have secured futures.

We finally hope that this initiative will add to strengthen the international knowledge base on how indigenous peoples, like the Wapichan, can contribute to proper management of the environment, sustainable use and conservation of lands and the environment.

Find out more about the Wapichan Land Rights Project by clicking here.