Deforestation is responsible for 20% of the global emissions that are contributing to climate change. But it’s also taking a grave toll on the communities living in or near these forest communities. In the far northwest of Cambodia, near the Thai border, a group of Buddhist monks are confronted with illegal logging that has been destroying the regional forest that is essential to the survival of local communites. In response to this, in 2002, Venerable Bun Saluth, head of Samrong Pagoda in Oddar Meanchay Province, established protections for an 18,261 hectare area now called the Monks Community Forest (MCF). Venerable Saluth felt it his personal mission to conserve this Cambodian forest, based on Buddhist principles of respect for nature and for all life. “The tree is a symbol of life, and sacred to Buddhists: Buddha was born under the tree, attained enlightenment under the tree, and died under the tree,” he explains. The monks say they wish to conserve this area as Cambodia’s living heritage, and to ensure that poor communities living near the MCF benefit from the forest for years to come. These Samrong monks are setting a powerful example for the 90% of Cambodians who are Buddhist. In this region, the pagoda functions as the town’s community and spiritual center. Villagers living close to the MCF have stepped forward to help patrol the forest and support of the monks’ conservation efforts. These daily forest patrols, in addition to tree ordination ceremonies, have substantially curtailed illegal activities in the majority of the MCF. Locals assert that the MCF is the best part of what remains of the local forest. The current level of protection would not be possible, they say, if the monks were not at the helm of conservation efforts.
What’s special about this project?In the MCF, people are free to collect non timber forest products, such as bamboo shoots, wild ginger, resin, mushrooms, and to fish using traditional methods. These activities are a vital source of income in a country where the per capita income is about $700. The Samrong monks’ commitment to conservation has inspired and engaged the local community. Help raise $20,000 to support the patrols and protection of the Monks Community Forest in Cambodia.
Covenant Community: Sisters of St Francis of Rochester, Minnesota Updates:With generous support from the Sisters of St. Francis in Rochester, MN and individual contributions, the community of monks were able to purchase scooters for their patrols through the local forest to curb illegal logging.Venerable Saluth was one of 25 recipients of the Equator Prize for 2010! The Equator Prize is awarded to recognize and celebrate outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation of biodiversity. The Monks Community Forest was chosen from a pool of nearly 300 nominees from 66 different countries. Learn more about the award >> June 2011: The Monks Community Forest was featured in Time Magazine's article, "Battle of the Jungle." Full text >> |
Founded by Mother Mary Alfred Moes in 1877,