Tapping the Potential of Social Solidarity Economy in Ensuring Inclusive Economy Development workshop, 26 March 2018

KITA Principal Fellow Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria participated in Asia Pacific Peoples’ Forum for Sustainable Development 2018 (APFSD 2018), a United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) event which took place in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 27 March 2018.

In a workshop on “Tapping the Potential of Social Solidarity Economy in Ensuring Inclusive Economy Development in Cities and among Forest Based Communities” which is part of side events of APFSD 2018 Forum, Dr Denison highlighted a recent KITA study on village economy of the Rungus, a forest-based community at Gumantong Hill in Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia. The study noted that Malaysia Forestry Department handed over 590 hectares of the forest on the hill to thirteen villages at the foot of the hill as a community forestry project. By forming an inter-village committee among the local leaders, the community now actively involve in ensuring conservation, prevention of poaching and theft of timber in the area. They also undertake forest-friendly social enterprises such as guided mountain climbing and study of biodiversity, bee rearing in the forest for wild honey as well as homestay eco-tourism projects. The study illustrates an example of how conservation and economic generation is being undertaken by the local communities in a sustainable way.

Source: Adapted from Denison Jayasooria. 2018. Tapping potential of SSE for SDGS. Blog post. Tenth Year @KITA-UKM, 28 March.