The Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD Project

InfiniteEARTH has chosen to use the Phinisi and its hand-­‐crafteddesign in order to promote and preserve this traditional woodenshipbuilding industry. The ship will be constructed fromsustainably harvested local hardwoods (preferably from firedamaged areas) by the local craftsmen who keep this vital part ofIndonesian history and culture alive.Capacity Building ProgramsBelow are presented a number of specific capacity buildingprograms, researched by project proponents as potentiallyapplicable to Project Zone community needs. However, the finalprograms will be designed in collaboration with the communitiesto ensure that they address current community concerns andprioritize community needs for capacity building.Indigenous Peoples Eco-­‐Tourism Knowledge TransferenceAccording to WWF-­‐Indonesia, “Ecotourism can create economicvalue for conservation areas. As long as local communities cantake part in the development of ecotourism, it can become animportant conservation-­‐based enterprise and livelihood strategy.Ecotourism can also be socially and ecologically sustainable as faras fair partnerships are forged between communities, localgovernment, and private sector” (WWF-­‐Indonesia 2008).The Phinisi has a special place in the history and development ofIndonesia. First built by the Konjo people of Sulawesi, thesemajestic hand-­‐made ships date back to the famous Spice Routeperiod, when they were the main mode of transportation forwood, spices, and rice among islands stretching from Australia tothe Southeast Asia coast. Phinisi have been sailed by the Bugispeople for generations and are still being built in the sametraditional fashion today.As part of a broad capacity-­‐building program, project proponentswill develop “knowledge transference” programs with indigenouspeoples in other parts of the world who have built successfulecotourism industries around swamplands. Specifically,InfiniteEARTH will facilitate and finance a “sister city” programbetween the communities bordering the Rimba Raya Reserve andthe Seminole Indian Tribe of the Florida Everglades.For nearly fifty years, the Seminole Indians haveprovided tourism services revolving aroundswamp tours, traditional village tours, and wildlifeshows. The Seminole Tribe of Florida currentlyemploys more than 2,000 non-­‐Indians and143