2015 When The Forest is Home
This film documents the story of India’s first internationally certified community forest project to receive funds from sales of carbon offset credits under the United Nations REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) program. It tells the story of the charismatic former youth leader of the indigenous Khasi who helped unite ten kingdoms into a Federation to protect and restore the forests of the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. This project demonstrates the success of community management and innovation in helping to conserve India’s environment in the Northeast, while generating livelihood opportunities for the local people.
2015 Planting a Future the WeForest Way
This short film documents the partnership between the indigenous Khasi and WeForest, a Belgium-based NGO. The tree project is helping to empower Khasi women as leaders and innovators to manage 43 home-based nurseries, each comprising 600 saplings of local, indigenous broad-leafed species funded by WeForest. The saplings will grow into healthy trees inside the forest and the women leaders will further strengthen and empower indigenous institutions for the future. The contract is renewable for ten years at which time a total of 5,000 hectares will be reforested with over 4 million trees.
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2015 Trekking through History: Meghalaya’s David Scott Trail
This short film highlights the community restoration of a 16 km segment of the David Scott Trail, an historic horse-cart route constructed by the British in the 19th century to connect the modern states of Assam, Meghalaya, and Bangladesh. The trail is an eco-adventure meandering up and down through forests, across arched stone bridges, and sparkling vistas.
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2014 Restoring India’s Cloud Forests: Khasi Hills Community REDD+
The Federation of Indigenous Khasi are enabling thousands of people to engage with forest protection in north east India. They are also enabling businesses to balance their carbon footprint, work with communities close to the forests, and help protect forest ecosystems.
It is a Plan Vivo project that reduces carbon emissions from deforestation, protects forest ecosystems and helps to create income for rural families. For more information contact www.clevel.co.uk
2012 Khasi Hills Community Carbon Project
This is the amazing story of the Khasi of the northeastern state of Meghalaya, India. For the first time, the Khasi united 10 kingdoms to form a Federation in order to conserve their natural resources and help alleviate climate change by developing India’s first REDD project.
2007 Forest Mountain Voices
This series of short films is an indigenous community media project from Ratanakiri, Cambodia. Staffed entirely by young Tampeun, Jarai, and Kreung indigenous people, FMV makes media in indigenous languages about their culture, community, and the essential connection between the indigenous people of Ratanakiri and their environment.
2006 Cambodia’s Forest Stewards
This film documents the experiences of two forest-dependent communities in Cambodia. It describes their efforts to manage the forests on which their livelihoods depend. The film explores issues of the growing gap between urban and rural society, traditions of forest use, forest protection strategies, and pressures of changing land use. Community forestry is presented as a mechanism for ensuring the communities’ rights to sustainable forest management. The film is in Khmai with English subtitles. In addition, there are two special feature interviews with H.E. Ty Sokhun, Head, Forestry Administration and Dr. Mark Poffenberger, CFI Executive Director. The film was made by Mat Wyatt with assistance from Amanda Bradley, CFI Country Director, Cambodia.
2006 Buddha Still Lives in the Forest; How Buddhist Monks in Cambodia are transforming their Community Forests.
Buddha Still Lives in the Forest presents three case studies of how the monks and pagoda system are providing assistance and training in community forestry to local Cambodian communities. In addition, the film stresses how Buddhism is an important reference point for community forestry and how the Cambodian heritage reflects this relationship. The film was produced by the Association of Buddhists for the Environment and Community Forestry International. It was filmed and directed by Mat Wyatt.
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2005 Sacred Forests of Meghalaya, Wisdom from the Mother’s Hearth
This film documents the resurgence of sacred and community forests in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. The film begins with a Khasi matriarch discussing the fundamental values of the culture and the challenges the society is currently facing as the outside world collides with indigenous community values. The story depicts traditions of forest protection that date back over 500 years, the important role forests play in Khasi culture, and how new grassroots initiatives are emerging to revitalize traditions
2003 We Have a Dream, How Women’s Self-Help Groups Are Changing the Future of Rural India
This is a documentary film of CFI’s study of women’s self-help groups and federations in central India. The one strong thread weaving these stories together, is the passionate drive of the villagers, especially the women. From a poverty status to planning a future for their children which includes education, is a big leap forward, almost an attitudinal change. For most women, this is a direct result of true security, of food and work and a widening of their horizons to include outsiders bringing in fresh ideas and potential. The film was made by Minnie Vaid of Little Doc Productions, Mumbai, India.
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