Forest Education

Forest Education and Media Centre

An initiative undertaken by Live & Learn Solomon Islands since June 2009 seeks support from all stake holders to end unsustainable forestry activities that occur in the forests industry sectors of the Solomon Islands. Its broad objective is to mobilise public action for a sustainable use of the forests in the Solomon Islands. The project is expected to achieve three main results:

1. Establishment of a forest education and media centre.
2. Establishment of an information data base on the technical, environmental and social issues affecting forestry in the Solomon Islands.
3. Raising public awareness on current and future forestry practices through media and education programmes

Positive progress and achievements so far includes:

• The establishment of the forest education and media resource centre
• Gathering and publication of 12 communities logging feature stories in local news papers
• 37 regular ‘forest alternative focus’ radio programs on impacts of logging broadcasted nationwide every Sunday night weekly by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Cooperation (SIBC)
• Development of the an investigative journalism guide resources for journalism
• Development of 5 interpretive display materials on logging data base, logging history and posters
• Development of 1 documentary CD on forestry alternative focus and impacts of logging for communities and public viewing
• Training of 20 Honiara base professional Journalism for investigative journalism.

The impacts of the Forest Alternative Focus Radio programme on SIBC every Sunday night has led to certain individuals reconsider their decisions on becoming engaged in logging industries. The Radio advocacy programme had also influenced key policy and decision makers from government institutions to reconsider time frame for logging industries in the Solomon Islands. The forest education programme encourages individuals and media groups to link with Live & Learn to continue advocating for forest and livelihood issues. The forest education and media centre continued to provide a hub for students to do their research, resource owners and other interested individual to come and provide stories of the impacts of logging.