View/Open - Sokoine University of Agriculture

Through the Rubeho Environmental Action Plan, TFCG have been working in theRubeho Mountains since 2005. In addition, their experience with mountain forestsand the Eastern Arc stretches back to the early 1990‟s (TFCG 2011).8.1.2. Tanzania Community Forest Conservation Network (MJUMITA)MJUMITA is a national network of community groups involved in PFM and haveoperated since 2000 with support from TFCG, but was officially registered as anindependent NGO in 2007. It currently has 72 affiliated community networks and itsmembers are present in 318 villages in 22 districts of Tanzania. For these groups itprovides capacity building, advocacy and serve as a forum for communication(MJUMITA 2011).Many lessons have been learned through MJUMITA‟s network members regardingcommunity forestry networking and PFM, particularly after the four years of intensivesupport from the EU-financed EMPAFORM programme. This programme, whichaims at strengthening and empowering civil society for Participatory ForestManagement in East Africa, and which has worked to build organizational capacityparticularly amongst the local networks, learning about policy, law and guidelinesgoverning participatory forest management processes as well as engaging in dialoguewith relevant authorities concerning policy and practice in forest governance (TFCGand MJUMITA 2009), has resulted in MJUMITA acquiring extensive experience notonly within PFM but also in taking into consideration and including external factorsand stakeholders.A typical claim by MJUMITA‟s members is that the revenues from PFM are notsufficient to cover the costs of forest management and that incentives must beincreased if the village forests are to be protected in the long run (TFCG andMJUMITA 2009).8.2. “Making REDD work for communities and forest conservation inTanzania”As shown above, TFCG and MJUMITA possess extensive knowledge on PFM,advocacy, environmental education, community development and research, andmethods to reduce deforestation, knowledge which they will use when implementingand running their REDD pilot project (TFCG and MJUMITA 2009). In addition, their221