Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
Adaptive collaborative management of community forests in Asia ...
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Chapter 4: Improv<strong>in</strong>g Forest Quality and Livelihoods <strong>in</strong> Indonesia • 123<br />
Another limitation <strong>of</strong> ACM relates to its communicative learn<strong>in</strong>g. Although<br />
this k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g resulted <strong>in</strong> positive changes, only <strong>in</strong> conditions <strong>of</strong><br />
relative equality <strong>of</strong> power did this learn<strong>in</strong>g lead to the formation <strong>of</strong> more<br />
<strong>in</strong>clusive views 14 . In other words, <strong>in</strong> situations <strong>of</strong> balanced power, learn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
transformed stakeholders’ perspectives to become more open and <strong>in</strong>clusive<br />
towards alternative views. For example, <strong>in</strong> Jambi, the orig<strong>in</strong>al women and<br />
the settler women adapted their ways <strong>of</strong> valu<strong>in</strong>g the other group. On the<br />
other hand, where perceptions were affected by severe power imbalances,<br />
transformative learn<strong>in</strong>g hardly occurred. Some Jambi customary regulations,<br />
for example, rema<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>flexible towards settlers.<br />
Lessons learned and discussion<br />
As noted before, the limited success <strong>of</strong> participatory forestry <strong>in</strong>itiatives<br />
<strong>in</strong> Indonesia is due to their <strong>in</strong>adequacy <strong>in</strong> handl<strong>in</strong>g divergent claims on<br />
<strong>forests</strong> and address<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>flexibility <strong>of</strong> <strong>management</strong> systems <strong>in</strong> deal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with complex changes. These shortcom<strong>in</strong>gs are <strong>of</strong>ten reflected <strong>in</strong> paralysis<br />
<strong>of</strong> decision mak<strong>in</strong>g at various forest <strong>management</strong> levels. This section<br />
discusses the lessons we have learned from apply<strong>in</strong>g ACM and highlights<br />
the conclusions we have drawn about whether ACM can do better. Our<br />
discussion focuses on forest decision mak<strong>in</strong>g—the area where we believe<br />
ACM can best contribute <strong>in</strong> Indonesia.<br />
We learned that change is not likely to emerge without sufficient motivation<br />
for people to <strong>in</strong>itiate learn<strong>in</strong>g and <strong>collaborative</strong> action. The need for change<br />
was present at the start <strong>of</strong> the project, but it did not motivate local actors<br />
until facilitated action research encouraged them to develop the confidence<br />
necessary for tackl<strong>in</strong>g problems themselves. This trigger was similar at both<br />
sites: actors were fac<strong>in</strong>g rapid and complex social and political changes,<br />
<strong>in</strong>effective leadership, policies, and <strong>in</strong>stitutions and social disorder.<br />
We also learned that ACM <strong>of</strong>fers to exist<strong>in</strong>g forestry programs a structural<br />
approach to deal<strong>in</strong>g with divergent claims and related complexities.<br />
After all, deal<strong>in</strong>g with such challenges demands work<strong>in</strong>g structurally.<br />
Stakeholders need to work at the system level <strong>in</strong> handl<strong>in</strong>g multiple claims<br />
across different social entities and jurisdictions—factors that can complicate<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g, engender conflict and prevent collaboration. By improv<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
social organisation among stakeholders, trigger<strong>in</strong>g learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> complex<br />
environments and balanc<strong>in</strong>g power, ACM encourages stakeholders to<br />
organise themselves <strong>in</strong> structures <strong>of</strong> collective decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g.