Extended Dialogue on Forests, Livelihoods and Peace: Monitoring & Evaluation (A Path to The Hague Initiative)

Nov 15, 2023 | EnPAx Forest Interest Group and M&E Interest Group
Online

Monitoring and evaluation play a crucial role in addressing and mitigating forest conflicts. These conflicts often arise due to competing interests, such as economic development, conservation, and indigenous rights, all centered around limited forest resources. To effectively manage and resolve such disputes, ongoing monitoring and evaluation processes are essential. By systematically analyzing data and assessing the effectiveness of conflict resolution efforts, stakeholders can make informed decisions to balance ecological, economic, and social interests, ultimately working towards sustainable forest management and peaceable coexistence among those with vested interests in the forest.  Presentations from:  Dr Leigh Ann Winowiecki, Global Research Leader: Soil and Land Health, CIFOR-ICRAF  Dr. Leigh Ann Winowiecki is the Global Research Lead for Soil and Land Health at CIFOR-ICRAF based in Nairobi, Kenya. A soil scientist, her research focuses on scaling farmer-centered landscape restoration, understanding drivers of degradation and quantifying the impacts of land management on soil health Since 2009 she has co-developed and implemented the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) in over 40 countries, building the largest soil health database across the tropics. She has published widely on soil organic carbon, ecosystem services and land degradation across sub-Saharan Africa and the tropics, including a coherent set of open access datasets. She co-leads the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH), which aims to catalyze investments in soil health for human well-being and climate. She co-leads the Landscape Restoration Transformative Partnership Platform. She is also a founding Board Member of the International Union of Agroforestry (IUAF).  Dr Amanda Woomer, Senior Consultant, Oxford Policy Management & Co-Chair of the EnPax M&E Interest Group  Dr. Amanda Woomer is a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) practitioner with a thematic focus on environmental peacebuilding, climate security, and conflict sensitive natural resource management. She supports international development and environmental conservation organizations in developing effective and accessible MEL frameworks that take into account the interconnectedness of the environment, climate, conflict, and peace. Her partners (past and current) include Conservation International, the Center for Conservation Peacebuilding, the Environmental Law Institute, and Columbia University. Dr. Woomer also conducts assessments and evaluations of related interventions, including recent evaluations of the Global Center on Adaptation’s Africa Work Program and the Global Climate Fund’s Investments in African States. She takes a utilization and learning-oriented approach to her work, seeking to engage and empower rather than just inform.  Moderated by Nora Moraga-Lewy, Conservation International  The Forest Interest Group of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association is holding bi-monthly meetings for the Extended Dialogue on Forests, Livelihoods and Peace. The discussion is open to all interested stakeholders, including researchers and practitioners, government leaders, farmers, community facilitators, women and youth, and private sector representatives, with an interested in issues related to forests, livelihoods and peace.  The dialogue series provides a platform for participants to share ideas, knowledge, experiences, challenges, approaches, methods, and tools to answer the driving question of how sustainable forest management can promote peace rather than conflict. Underpinning these discussions is a recognition that diverse perspectives result in unique insights and lead to better solutions. It is hoped that lessons learned can be captured, shared, and applied to tackle a diversity of challenges.   This event is a Path to The Hague event in lead-up to the Third International Conference on Environmental Peacebuilding, which will be held in June 2024 in The Hague. The Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPAx) and Conference partners are working with institutions around the world to convene a consultative series of events and initiatives—the "Path to The Hague." This process will feature a number of regional, national, and thematic events engaging people from around the world on environmental peacebuilding issues relevant to their communities.  The topic of the discussion on 15 November will focus on Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and will be conducted in partnership with the Monitoring & Evaluation Interest Group of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association. To attend the event, please register here.