DECLARATION OF THE FIRST CONGRESS
‘SAVE THE PEOPLES AND FOREST OF PAPUA’
PORT NUMBAY, 21 November 2009
WE, THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE FIRST CONGRESS, RECOGNIZE THAT ADAT COMMUNITY UNDERGOES MARGINALIZATION AND NEGLECTION FROM THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT IN RELATION TO THE EXPANSION OF PALM OIL PLANTATION, MINING, DECENTRALISATION, MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITIES AND LOGGING CONCESSION IN WHICH THESE ACTIVITIES DO NOT RESPECT AND REGONIZE ADAT COMMUNITY RIGHTS AND CAUSE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE LAND OF PAPUA.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PAPUA ADAT COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN THE KEY PLAYERS AND MAIN ACTORS IN NATURAL RESOURCES BASED-LOCAL WISDOM MANAGEMENT FOR CENTURIES. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES SHOULD INVOLVE ADAT COMMUNITY AND ALL OF THE OUTCOMES SHOULD BE MAINLY INTENDED TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF PAPUANS REFLECTING THE REALITY, WE, THE PARTICIPANTS OF FIRST CONGRESS, “SAVE THE PEOPLE AND FOREST OF PAPUA, WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER CUSTOMARY LEADERS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, CSO/NGO ACTIVISTIS, WOMEN REPRESENTATION, EXPRESS OUR CONCERN AND POSITION TO PUSH FORWARD FOR A RECOGNITION, PROTECTION OF ADAT CUSTOMARY RIGHTS AND EMPOWER ADAT COMMUNITY.
