By Wendy Griffin

After the Conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 regarding the world ecological crisis, many countries signed the Convention on Biological Diversity. Since then, the signatories have met every two years to analyze the victories and remaining challenges, in the struggle to protect the environment.

The Equator Initiative, which works to protect the environment, wish to recognize the finest projects in the world that protect biodiversity, while reducing poverty in tropical areas. With this criteria in mind, in 2004 the Garifuna Emergency Committee of Trujillo was chosen as one of the 26 best projects.

Representatives of the Garifuna Emergency Committee of Trujillo will travel to Malaysia this month to present their work to signatories of the Convention of Biological Diversity. During this meeting, the six best projects will be announced and each will receive a cash donation towards the continuation of their projects. These awards, for Sustainable Development in Tropical Eco-Systems, are given by the Equator Initiative members. These members include the United Nations Development Program, the government of Canada, Conservation International, Nature Conservancy, the UN Foundation, the government of Germany and Brazil Connects.

The biodiversity projects of the Garifuna Emergency Committee have been greatly affected by Lethal Yellowing, a disease which kills coconut trees. The Garifunas obtained coconut trees resistant to Lethal Yellowing, which they planted on the beach and in their agricultural plots.

The Garifunas have been hunters as well as fishermen. Many of the protected areas (parks) of the North coast, such as Punta Sal, Capiro and Calentura, the Guaymoreto Lagoon and Rio Platano Biosphere are home to Garifuna communities, because they migrated from forested areas.

The Garifunas used the raw materials from these forested areas to make canoes, mortars, graters, drums, etc. The trees used for these crafts, however, have become increasingly scarce. Recently the Garifunas have started a reforestation project of hardwood trees including mahogany, cedar, and bay trees.

Their basketry crafts have also been affected. The destruction of the vine “bealire”, which provides the material used to make basket sifter and strainer. This product is then used to make cassava. Together with an agronomist from the Foundation for Capiro and Calentura and the Guaymoreto Lagoon (FUCAGUA), the Garifuna began the first project to reforest this wild plant.

Their projects to preserve biodiversity also contain a component to reduce poverty. While the projects help to reforest the raw material, at the same time they give young people the chance to learn crafts. Not only does this create job opportunities, but it keeps alive the Garifuna’s unique traditions.

Biodiversity includes edible plants, along with the other species of fauna. Following Hurricane Mitch, the Garifuna’s root crops, like red grow yams, white yams, “badu” and arrowroot were very scarce. The Garifuna Emergency Committee struggled to obtain “seed” tubers for the distribution of crops in Garifuna communities.

At the petition of local communities, the Committee supported the cultivation of fruit trees such as oranges, avocados, cacao and coco-plums. The Garifunas have problems with lands left fallow for five years and places where their firewood, medicinal plants, craft plants, and wild fruits grow. People who are not Garifuna come and chop down the forest and claim the land as owners of “the improvements”.

Together with the committee the Garifunas are planting trees to show they are clearly the owners. Later they will sell the fruit in the Garifuna market ‘Wabagari’ (Our Life), established by the Committee in Trujillo.

In spite of the fact that the Garifunas are in the running for an award offered by the UNDP, the Committee is not currently a recipient of UNDP funds. The Garifuna Emergency Committee was nominated for the prize by GROOTS, an organization which works with grassroots organizations. GROOT and the Huairou Commission believe that the development projects that have the most impact and are most successful are those that come from initiatives of the beneficiaries, especially women. These organizations would like international aid agencies to economically support these valuable efforts. Currently all UN projects, such as those of UNDP and the World Bank, go through government agencies.

In fact Honduras was a past recipient of a UNDP project for the Garifunas. However the project, named Cultural Rescue, did not implement many of the projects requested of the Garifuna Emergency Committee. Most of the money was spent on studies, consultancies, reports, and workshops without ever really implementing projects that would help the poor or the environment. The Garifuna Emergency Committee avoids needs analysis studies by having people identify their own needs and requesting the projects in writing.

As most Garifuna farmers are female, women account for the majority of the beneficiaries on the committee’s projects. Women also comprise the greater part of the Executive Board and tend to play an important role at all levels in the organization. The Huairou Commission, a worldwide organization of women’s grassroots organizations, has also chosen the Garifuna Emergency Committee as a “best practice” development project. The Huairou Commission has sent representatives of the Committee to Turkey, Germany, Thailand, India, and New York to share their experiences. The Garifuna emergency Committee can be reached at afro@hondutel.hn.