Solutions often originate through example. These site-specific examples represent tangible examples of people coming together and creating holistic, powerful and long-term outcomes that promotes an economic and social paradigm that benefits indigenous communities, local economies and the long-term health of the environment.
Solutions
Haida Gwaii, Canada
- Haida Blockade, Haida Gwaii, Canada, March 2005.
The Haida First Nations community have been struggling to reintroduce their sustainable way of life onto the island of Haida Gwaii, located off the west coat of Canada, since colonization. In recent years, they have had remarkable success. As a result of sustained campaigning, in 1987, the Canadian Government agreed to convert approximately a third of the Haida's land into a national park, called Gwaii Haanas, and provide $126 million for alternative economic developments, such as tourism.
In April 2005, as a result of a Haida-led and community-supported sustained 24/7 month long blockade that halted all corporate logging activities on the island, the Government of British Columbia agreed to recognize the Haida's alternative vision for how the land of Haida Gwaii should be managed. The Government agreed to a new approach to land use planning that connects land and resources to community viability with the intent to design a sustainable island economy. In 2006, the Haida go to Supreme Court of Canada to argue for the right to co-manange the island.
Great Bear Rainforest Agreement, Canada
- Spirit Bear, Canada
On February 7, 2006, after a 15 year campaign that included wars in the woods between industry and environmentalists, to boardroom negotations, to hundreds of solidarity demonstrations at retail outlets in the United States, the Canadian Government agreed to protect 5 million acres of forest in the Great Bear region on the western coast of Canada. Some scientific groups, such as the David Suzuki Foundation, have criticized the Great Bear Agreement for failing to adequately protect enough of the region. Some First Nations groups are also not in support of the Great Bear agreement.
Specifically, the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement means:
- 5 million acres is protected from logging
- The application of better, lighter-touch forestry by March 2009
- Comprehensive First Nations involvement in management over their entire traditional territory
- The diversification of the economy based on conservation, and
- An injection of $120 million into conservation and sustainable business ventures in First Nation territories.
New Zealand Government
In 1991, forestry interests and the environment and conservation organistions that made up the New Zealand Rainforest Coalition came to an agreement on how to manage New Zeland's forests. In 2000, the New Zealand went a step further and issued a ban on old growth logging on public land.
Tasmania, Australia
- Activists campaigning to protect Tasmania's endangered forests.
In an effort to save Tasmania's temperate rainforest system, leading conservation groups have released a comprehensive package of proposals representing a lasting solution to the intractable forests problem in Tasmania. The package would enable the protection of old growth and high conservation value forests currently threatened by logging, and grow employment levels in the timber and tourism sectors, ensuring that no jobs are lost to the state.
Many activists are campaigning to implement such a vision. A key goal right now is to stop Gunns company from logging Tasmania's endangered forests.
