National Federation of Indigenous nationalities Climate change and REDD partnership program conducted   “Climate Change REDD+ and Indigenous Peoples’ ConcernNational TOT for Indigenous Peoples organization” in Biratnagar from October 10 to 12, 2012. The aim of the three days TOT was to generate a pool of trainers who will in turn raise awareness in their community at the grassroots level. 30 participants from different indigenous people’s organizations were trained in this training program. The Resource persons for TOT were Dandu Sherpa (the treasurer of NEFIN), Kamala Thapa Magar (the Climate Change Monitoring Information Network Officer) and Devraj Chaudhary (the chairman of NEFIN Morang district). The main objective of TOT programme was to build the capacity of participants in Climate Change and REDD+ and concern of indigenous peoples on it.

Methodology

Both the opening and closing ceremony of national TOT were formal events. Chief persons from concerned organizations, body and offices were invited. Invitees expressed their views on climate change, REDD+ and on the concerns of indigenous peoples and on the scope of such training programs and its necessity. Reporters from radio, television and newspapers were also present in the formal programme. Resource persons gave presentation on climate change, concept of REDD+, concern of indigenous people on climate change and REDD+, SES, FPIC and R- package. Resource persons put their best effort to make the participants understand more by showing relevant climate change and REDD related documentaries and cartoons. In each and every session of training programme, participants were allowed to interact with each other and with resource persons about the subject matter and issues of indigenous peoples. During the sessions participants shared jokes, poems, gajals, sayari etc for refreshment. Entertainer of each day entertained the participants by singing, dancing and sharing jokes, poems and gajals. Resource persons made training programme more effective and meaningful by showing documentary on climate change and REDD+. Resource persons also taught the participants how to conduct and deliver the training programmes four groups of total trainee were given three questions and were told to present it within 30 minutes. The chart paper presentation was presented by less interactive participants of the groups.

At the beginning of each day of TOT sessions, reporter, analyzer, timekeeper and entertainer were elected voluntarily. Timekeeper helped to run the training programme smoothly on time primarily according to schedule, entertainer refreshed the participants during the sessions and reporter reported the report of the preceding day before the beginning of sessions and analyzer analyzed the report of the reporter. The voluntarily elected candidates were inclusive.

TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS
Opening Session

Laxmi Rajbansi member of NEFIN Morang welcomed the participants. Bhaktaraj Rai (ANIJ) told that the trainees will be playing a great role in dispersing the information of climate change in their communities. Ganesh Chaudhary (the assistant officer DFO Morang) shared his views on bottom up approach necessary for raising awareness of the people at grassroots level. Lila Subba (officer of DDC Morang) encouraged the participants to lobby for the benefits of REDD in favour of indigenous people. Dandu Sherpa, the treasurer NEFIN, highlighted the importance of training programme.

Outcome

The National TOT provided a great platform to disseminate the information on climate change, REDD+ and rights and concern of indigenous people on it. Participants were well informed about the issues of indigenous people on climate change and REDD and REDD+. Participants shared their experiences on climate change and were more responsive towards issues of indigenous peoples. Benefits sharing of REDD, FPIC, ILO 169, UNDRIP was the effective part of the program.

Conclusion

National ToT training was successfully conducted where 30 participants took part. Participants revealed the effects of climate change in most of the districts; medicinal plants commonly called Phindir and Kildang have vanished from Sindhupalchowk district, likewise commonly called Nigalo is in the verge of extinction. Commonly named Anadi rice is in brink of extinction due to shortage of water in Chitwan distict. Some of the participants shared that there is great variation in ecology with in the short range of altitude (100 m). The number of Lophophorus impejanus has reduced much in the vicinity of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. The group work during the last session of the training programme was more effective since participants put their   best effort to conclude the given topic. Groups discussed that indigenous people should have good understanding of climate change and REDD+ because IPs livelihood is directly linkedwith nature and its impact is severe especially to IP in the sector of health, agriculture, forest and also in their customs and traditions. Therefore, it is essential for IPs to understand and engage in full and effective participation while developing National REDD+ strategy; to make policies favorable for indigenous people and to share the benefits of carbon trade; to increase the access of IP on it; and to monitor deforestation and forest degradation, whereby promoting healthy environment. The participants pointed out that collective identity of IPs are not fully accepted which has become the main challenge. Similarly, lack of education and awareness level of IPs, lack of full and effective participation of IPs in policy formulating level, lack of understanding between developed and developing countries, lack of interest of developed countries in REDD+ are the challenges that the groups stated. Participants provided suggestions on addressing the challenges by disseminating the issues of IPs, concept of ILO 169 and UNDRIP, climate change and REDD+ to grassroots level; networking with the IP nationally and internationally; forcing the government to make clear policies; raising the voice of each and every groups of IPs for their rights; and sustaining resources within the control of IPs.

Recommendation

The participants identified some recommendations for the organizer for improvement in future trainings. Training day was very limited for the discussion and interaction, thus training days-should be at least 5 days for more in-depth discussion. Participants also suggested that refreshment training should soon be conducted for the updates in future.