http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/news/?206207/FORMADATs-Trans-boundary-Annual-Meeting-in-Bario-plants-a-future-for-a-Sustainable-Homeland-in-the-Heart-of-Borneo
Posted on 18 September 2012
On the July 25th 2012 in Bario, Miri, YBhg Pemanca Philip
Lakai, Paramount Chief of the Kelabit officiated the 7th FORMADAT
Trans-boundary Annual Meeting.
FORMADAT is an Alliance of the Indigenous Peoples of the Highlands
of Borneo. The alliance is a trans-boundary, grass-roots initiative
started by the indigenous peoples in the Highlands in the Heart of
Borneo (HoB), which include the Lun Dayeh/ Lun Bawang, Sa’ban and
Kelabit.
This year, the meeting was organised in conjunction with Bario’s
annual Slow Food Festival, where FORMADAT celebrated with their local
members its vision and heritage for their homeland.
Mr. Lewi Gala Paru, Head of Indonesia FORMADAT outlined the vision
for a sustainable future for Borneo. “We, the Indigenous People of the
Highlands in the HoB, who share a common heritage and a common land as
the Lun Dayeh, Kelabit, Lun Bawang, and Sa’ban people, come together in
the Alliance of the Indigenous People of the Highlands of Borneo
(FORMADAT) to: increase awareness and understanding about the highland
communities, build local capacity and encourage sustainable development
in the HoB”.
The highlands of Borneo comprise the Malaysian sub districts of
Bario, Ba’kelalan and Long Semadoh in Sarawak, Long Pasia in Sabah, and
the Indonesian sub districts of Krayan and Krayan Selatan in East
Kalimantan. This area constitutes one geographical, environmental and
cultural land in The Heart of Borneo, which is one of the few remaining
places in South East Asia that still holds huge tracts of tropical
rainforest.
Penghulu George Sigar, Head of Malaysia FORMADAT, said: “We
established FORMADAT in October 2004 as an indigenous organization to
facilitate and share information, as well as to discuss common issues
and strategies with regard to the future of the highlands. Our missions
are to create awareness and understanding about the highland
communities, maintain our cultural traditions, build local capacity and
encourage sustainable development in the Highlands in the HoB, by
protecting our natural resources and traditional knowledge. Our
organization has been registered in Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia, and
Kalimantan in Indonesia. WWF-Malaysia and WWF-Indonesia has been our
partner in helping us on conservation, livelihood and capacity building.
We look forward to welcome more partnerships with the governments of
Malaysia and Indonesia and other organization to support our initiatives
towards achieving our sustainable conservation goals in the HoB”.
In conjunction with WWF-Malaysia and WWF-Indonesia in Bario, FORMADAT
planted trees as part of the conservation activities. This year’s tree
planting program was leaded by Y.B Dato Henry Sum Agong, Lawas
Parliamentarian, and YBhg Datu Ose Murang, Deputy State Secretary of
Sarawak.
Launched last year by YB Senator Dato Sri Idris Jala, the tree
planting program has planted more than 3,000 local species trees such as
Meranti, Agatis and many more.
Cr. John Tarawe, FORMADAT Coordinator in the Kelabit highland
stated: “We, the FORMADAT, are actively promoting awareness on
conservation and global warming. In some of our small ways, we promote
tree planting and we hope the rest of the world will also do the same.
And if everybody do the same, we believe that we’ll have a friendlier
planet. We hope to promote ‘one visitor, one tree’ to all the areas in
the Heart of Borneo. We love our homeland and want to sustain it”.
Dr Henry Chan, WWF-Malaysia’s Head of Conservation for Sarawak
Programme said: “The tree planting activity symbolises a continuation of
life. As the seedling mature and bear fruit, I hope FORMADAT will also
be able to help the members achieve a sustainable future”.
