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Implementing Agenda 21 Saving the Plants that Save Lives in the South Pacific by Kerrie Strathy
As part of the National Environment Awareness (NEA) Campaign1 that was carried out by the South Pacific Action Committee for Human Ecology and Environment (SPACHEE), women were involved in an experiential workshop to explore their relationship with forest ecosystems in July 1992. This article outlines the initial Women and Forests Workshop that encouraged women to recognize the importance of biological diversity in forest ecosystems and to protect forests for the future. It highlights the traditional medicine documentation and promotion programme that emerged from it. The Women and Forests Workshop and follow-up activities were made possible with assistance from the Environmental Education Officer of the Department of Forestry, Asenaca Ravuvu, who was keen to be involved in this programme because women involved in a three-day workshop on forestry issues in 1991 indicated an interest in learning more. The Pacific Islands Developing Countries report to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) the nations of the South Pacific region are custodians of a large portion of the earth's surface. Their combined Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) occupy 30 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean;an area three times larger than China or the United States of America and ten times the size of India. Land makes up only 1.8% of that total and the island's population is estimated at 5.8 million.2 South Pacific islanders depend on the biological resources of their small islands and surrounding ocean to meet their needs. This economic and cultural dependence gives them a close and special relationship with their environment. The main activities on the islands continue to be fishing and agriculture, and for some islands these are the only source of export income. Island ecosystems, however, are extremely fragile and must be handled with care if they are to continue to meet the needs of current and future generations. For many generations Pacific islanders have used forest resources sustainably and could go on doing so in future if the living value of these forests is recognized. Increasing pressure to accumulate cash is now threatening the survival of rainforests in Fiji and other Pacific countries. Solomon Islands, for example, estimates that if current rates of logging continue all useful timber species will be gone within the next seven years. High population densities and growth are also putting increased pressure on such resources as trees, and on the environment in general. Since many of the islands making up the South Pacific region are isolated from one other, they have a high degree of ecosystem and species diversity. Many of the plants found on these small land masses are endemic and found nowhere else in the world. These plants are essential to the health and well-being of islanders who use them for food, fuel and medicines.
The Need for Environment Education A sustainable future for fragile island ecosystems and for the earth, itself depends upon a healthy environment, economy and lifestyles. But the future well-being of Pacific islanders also depends on an awareness and commitment to improve all three;every day, not just on Earth Day, 22 April. Our survival and that of future generations is being seriously threatened by our current actions. Effective environmental management ultimately depends upon the widespread adoption of an environment ethic or code of conduct reflecting environment awareness and the need for sustainable development and biological diversity. Environmentally sound and sustainable development requires far more than action on the part of United Nations agencies and governments. Cooperation among them is crucial, but sustainable development is not possible without public participation in decision making and the information necessary to make sound decisions. We have the ability to make rational decisions about our future. We must learn to live within the limits of our natural resources and find better ways of using, protecting and sustaining them. The people and economies of Pacific islands depend on developing and managing natural resources wisely. When we do not live on our income;on our renewable resources;we are destroying our capital. Development options that impoverish the environment have no vision. Forest depletion is just one of the ways humans are testing the earth's capacity and destroying their capital. With the earth's forests disappearing in excess of an acre a second, a sense of urgency is merely common sense. Solutions are based on environmental awareness;people who are aware of trees' protective functions will not uproot them. Since many of the plants found in the South Pacific are used primarily by women, the SPREP report highlighted the need "to facilitate the access to environmental information for all groups, in particular women and youth, in order to enhance the management of resources and the environment." Chapter 8 of Agenda 21 also recognized the need to involve all concerned in decision-making and land use management. The need to involve women in managing fragile ecosystems was also highlighted in Chapter 12. Agenda 21 also emphasized the particular role of women in the conservation of biological diversity (Chapter 15). In response to concerns voiced by local women's organizations and the above considerations brought back by the SPACHEE representative to UNCED, a pilot Women and Forests Workshop was organized. Women living in the interior of the larger Pacific Islands, such as Fiji, depend on forests to meet their basic needs for food, fuel, medicines, craft materials and much more. Agenda 21, the SPREP report and the workshop organizers recognized that if forests are used wisely women will continue to be able to meet the subsistence and cultural needs of their families, and to contribute to its economic needs.
Women and Forests Workshop Organizers of the 1992 Women and Forests Workshop quickly abandoned the idea of holding the week-long workshop entirely in Suva, Fiji's capital. So instead of spending a week hearing about forest ecosystems and the need to conserve biological diversity, participants had an opportunity to experience first-hand why this is important. Participants met in Suva, where they had a brief introduction to forest ecosystems. They then spent five days with Nadovu villagers who live in, and depend upon, Fiji's productive rainforest. Holding part of the workshop in Nadovu had very positive benefits for the women of Nadovu, for the community, and for workshop participants, who came to understand the true meaning of rainforest since it rained every day except on the last one! Participants began the workshop by naming their favourite tree and explaining the reasons for their choice. Many named the coconut tree because all its parts;leaves, husk, fruit, wood;are useful. They also identified fruit and nut trees, trees to supply craft materials, trees used for traditional medicine and a variety of other useful trees, such as hibiscus. This initial exercise clearly demonstrated the importance of biological diversity to women, their families, and their communities. Dr. Randy Thaman, Professor of Biogeography at the University of the South Pacific (USP), encouraged participants to view living trees and forests as capital. Forests, he argued, were traditionally perceived in this way, but with the introduction of the monetary economy, many people came to view logging and other activities that earn cash as the only value of trees and forests. Dr. Thaman concluded by telling participants that, "We must live on the interest, not the capital, provided by our natural resources [such as forests] if we are to provide a good future for our children." For the remainder of the workshop, participants looked for ways to encourage others to value living forests. Another goal of the workshop was to look at various ways to communicate messages about environmental protection and forest conservation. Participants learned how songs, posters and videos can convey important information about environment concerns. Songs, such as "Take Care of Our Island" and "Mati Sobu, ua mai" (High Tide, Low Tide) were so popular that participants wanted to perform them at the public opening held on the first evening3. They later wrote their own songs and poetry and suggested printing T-shirts and/or sulus with clear messages as a means of stimulating environment awareness throughout Fiji and the South Pacific. The manager of a small logging operation in the next village heard we were in the area and invited us to see the sawmill, an exciting and stimulating opportunity for workshop participants. They were immediately struck by the waste and destruction of some logging operations. Leftover bits of trees were pushed down hillsides and sawdust left lying in big heaps that were being washed towards the river;along with the soil that was being eroded as a result of the loss of forest cover. Earlier, several participants had noticed the red muddy river flowing through Nadovu after the torrential rains the day before. Participants also noticed that the sawmill itself was leaking oil, which was running towards the river. The visit to the sawmill had a major impact on participants, many of whom have undertaken a number of follow-up activities since the pilot workshop. They developed ongoing community awareness programmes related to forest conservation and protection. A Rainforest News Alert education kit was prepared and a video, Protect the Earth and She Will provide for You was produced. SPACHEE's representative to UNCED began working with the Forestry Department to develop more education kits and programmes after she graduated from USP. Another participant carried out research into pulp logging operations in Fiji. Some developed the Lali Theatre Company as a result of the enthusiastic response to the popular theatre video they saw, and to villagers' reactions to their performance3. Other participants have been involved in planting traditional kau salusalu plants, fruit and medicinal trees.
Traditional Medicine Workshop Phase two of the women and forests programme was the Regional Traditional Medicine Practitioners' (TMP) Workshop held in August 1993. Since many of the participants in the pilot workshop had a particular interest in traditional medicine, they played an active role in the planning and implement the TMP workshop. These women were keen to encourage regional information sharing about traditional medicines and threats posed to them by loss of biodiversity brought about by rainforest destruction. The TMP workshop was held at Nadave, Fiji with participants from seven Pacific island nations. They represented governments and non-government organizations in Tahiti, Cook Islands, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. They included traditional medicine practitioners, western or so-called 'modern' medical practitioners, educators, conservationists and supporters who explored the practice of traditional medicine in the Pacific. This workshop was jointly organized by SPACHEE, the Fiji Forestry Department, and the YWCA. It generated such interest that the USP, and the South Pacific Forestry Development Programme (SPFDP) offered to assist. There was also assistance from the Fiji-German Forestry Project, and the International Women's Development Agency (IWDA). It had initially been thought that this workshop would have only two Fiji participants to countries were represented in a balanced way. Organizers, however, felt that it would be useful to have a larger Fijian group to assist with the Fiji follow-up workshops included in the 1993 Women and Environment Education Project. Much of the work was done in small groups, with the Fijians often working together to ensure they would accomplish something concrete by the end of the workshop;they did manage a rough draft of a traditional medicine handbook for use by village health workers and women in rural communities. The basic aim of the workshop was to encourage the documentation and promotion of indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants. Fiji participants brought samples of the plants they use for traditional medicines, and regional participants brought photographs of theirs. In fact, the workshop began the day before the official opening as participants identified a medicinal use for virtually every plant they encountered on the short walk from the dormitories to the dining hall. There was much excitement when participants learned that other islanders were using the same plant species, or that plants they were not currently using had medicinal uses in other countries. Participants noted that while traditional medicine is important to the health and well-being of Pacific Islanders, some plant species are becoming hard to find. Another issue was proper identification of medicinal plant species, and the conditions they were used to treat. A one-day field visit was organized to the Nakavu Natural Forest Management Project (part of the Fiji-German Forestry Project) to involve participants in an inventory of traditional medicine plants. Dr. Ken Chen, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Adviser for Traditional Medicine in Manila, spoke about WHO's interest in the area of traditional medicine and stressed its important role in achieving WHO's goal of Health for All By the Year 2000. Dr. Wolf Forstreuter, of the Fiji Forest Inventory Project, talked about how minor forest products, such as traditional medicines, are included in their forest inventory in recognition of the fact that a forest can provide much more than timber. SPACHEE's Chairperson, Dr. William Aalbersberg, talked about the need to document traditional medicine practices and some USP research initiatives to ensure the efficacy and safety of medicinal plants. He also addressed the issue of indigenous knowledge and how researchers should recognize this knowledge, and of the rights of landowners to compensation for their knowledge and the use of their plant species. The rest of the programme, like the earlier one, involved participants as resource persons and facilitators in discussion groups. Cook Islanders talked about the traditional medicine demonstration garden started by their Conservation Department. Participants from Tahiti talked about the Traditional Healers' Association they launched in the early 1980s. Participants developed plans to encourage the promotion of traditional medicine practice and the conservation of traditional medicine plant species. These plans include the establishment of traditional medicine associations at national level and demonstration gardens such as the one established at USP as part of the official closing ceremony4.??? Participants were keen to initiate follow-up activities at home. Less than a month after the workshop ended the two participants from eastern Fiji started the Lomiviti Traditional Healers' Association and secured a piece of land in Levuka for a traditional medicine demonstration garden and nursery. Another demonstration garden may be incorporated into the Mount Evans Range ecotourism development. Work is progressing on the traditional medicine video, and these are just a few examples of the many exciting follow-up activities and already underway. The workshop aimed to determine the need for a network of traditional medicine associations in the South Pacific, but went one step further and established a Regional Traditional Medicine Association. Workshop participants appointed a provisional executive committee to develop a constitution for the association, encourage national follow-up plans, and plan the next workshop to assess progress on documentation and promotions. Participants also developed the Pasifica Declaration on Traditional Medicine. A presentation was made about the workshop to the 1993 South Pacific heads of forestry meeting. It generated a great deal of interest and discussion. The theme of the meeting was "What Value Forests and Trees" and papers were to focus on non-timber uses. As a result of the presentation the final statement from the meeting included reference to the medicinal value of forests and the need to conserve medicinal plants. Heads of forestry also identified the need for research on the usefulness and income generating potential of medicinal plants, which could encourage communities to retain and use their forest resources sustainably. The interest shown by participants at the heads of forestry meeting led the New Zealand ODA representative to offer to assist the UNDP/FAO South Pacific Forestry Development Programme to work with SPACHEE and the Fiji Forestry Department on a follow-up workshop. The SPFDP and GTZ also provided assistance for regional participants to attend, while support from the Canada Fund made it possible for the Fiji participants to join their Pacific sisters. Due to the interest shown by heads of forestry representatives from countries not involved in the first phase of our work Kiribati, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands were included in the second Regional Traditional Medicine Workshop, held in April 1995. At the conclusion of this workshop, it was announced that the Fiji healers and conservationists had worked together to register WAINIMATE, the Women's Association for Natural Medicinal Therapy, as a charitable trust. These healers shared their experience with those at the second Regional Traditional Medicine Workshop, and are anxious to continue working with their Pacific sisters to ensure the conservation of traditional medicine plants, and the integration of traditional medicines into national health delivery systems. With assistance from the Canada Fund, Fijian healers are working on the Fijian Traditional Medicine Handbook drafted at the August 1993 workshop. This handbook;or 'cookbook' of traditional medicines;is designed to be easily understood and used by the layperson, particularly village women. They have also assisted in verifying documentation being compiled for the World Health Organization's publication on traditional medicine in the South Pacific by chemistry professors based at the USP.
Conclusion The Pacific, like the rest of the earth, is facing a life threatening assault on its environment, as discussed at UNCED. For many Pacific Islanders, it is already late, but not too late to take action. While the world situation can be described as desperate, it is not hopeless. There is still time for people to move forward together to build a future that is just and sustainable. To prevent further degradation of fragile island ecosystems, it may be useful to consider the consequences of our actions on the next seven generations, as some societies do. The continuing work on traditional medicine documentation and promotion is one example of how a group of women is moving forward to ensure the protection of forest ecosystems and biological diversity. Fiji participants have held several workshops to continue documenting and promoting traditional medicine. These women believe that if people know the medicines found in their forests, they can more readily be convinced to protect them for future generations.
Notes 1. The NEA Campaign was part of the National Environment Management Project to develop a National Environment Strategy for Fiji. It was designed to stimulate awareness and action to prevent environmental degradation in Fiji. Public awareness was stimulated through community workshops, radio spots, and the production and distribution of posters and leaflets. 2. SPREP, 1992. 2. Participants were encouraged to write their own songs in local languages;and to translate those taught by the singer/songwriter who led this session. 3. The Lali Theatre Company had its first public performance on World Environment Day (5 June) 1993 at the launch of SPACHEE's Low-Income Urban Community Participatory Primary Environment Care Project. This drama, which focused on forest loss, was very well received. 4. At the Official Closing of the Workshop participants and invited guests, including Jim Samisoni (Director of the Fiji School of Medicine), Dr. Lefebre (WHO), Tang Hon Tat and Klaus Enevoldsen (SPFDP), Ruth Lechte (World YWCA), Matron of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, and representatives from UNDP, the South Pacific Commission's Community Education and Training Centre, the PNG Embassy, the British Embassy, and several others assisted with the establishment of a Traditional Medicine Demonstration Garden at USP's main campus in Suva.
PASIFICA DECLARATION ON TRADITIONAL MEDICINE We, the women traditional medicine healers, conservationists and supporters, who have come together for the first time at the SPACHEE/YWCA/Fiji Forestry Department Regional Traditional Medicine Practitioners' Workshop, held at Nadava, Fiji, from 23-27 August 1993, do hereby declare that we are committed to Save the Plants that Save Lives. We are concerned about the health and well-being of the people of the Pacific and their island environments. We recognize that the loss of traditional medicine knowledge and plants is a serious issue which needs to be urgently addressed as outlined in the Chiang Mai Declaration of 26 March 1988. In response to our concern we have formed a Regional Women Traditional Medicine Healers' Association to:
We draw attention of the governments of the Pacific Islands, regional organizations (including Pacific regional offices of international agencies), non-government organizations and the people of the Pacific to:
We, the participants of the Regional Traditional Medicine Practitioners' Workshop, call on all people of the Pacific and the world to Save the Plants that Save Lives.
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