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Communities and Markets: Communities Network Project
Why the Forest Communities Network?
Communities are finding it more effective to strengthen their capacity by interacting with other enterprises that share similar goals and objectives and face similar hurdles to build effective, viable and culturally sound business models.
Therefore, Forest Trends wants to facilitate the creation of a neutral space which is used by forest communities and which builds upon their capacity to reposition themselves in the marketplace and develop their enterprises and resources.
Forest Trends is committed to make the Forest Communities Network a powerful medium the communities can and do use. Our agenda is open-ended, providing communities the opportunity to help shape according to their needs.
Community-led online communications tool, reflecting their interests and objectives
Space for inter-community exchanges of knowledge, ideas, and joint actions
Cost-effective to its members, Forest Trends provides the software and the base costs of the system and provides community-led technical assistance
Governed by communities; are are piloting the system with communities who will jointly define the rules of engagement, access, and privacy. |
Objectives and Outcomes
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Improve community knowledge
- Link communities with common interests
- Enable community led coalitions to push for policy reform
- Inform outreach organizations of community needs
- Increase community incomes from electronic product promotion
- Link communities to new market opportunities and interested market players
- Link communities to financial and TA resources
Timeline: |
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January 2005:
February 2005:
March 2005:
2006:
2007: |
Pilot with original community association partners
Expanded pilot testing system with 50 users
Public launch of the system
Expand organically within within Latin America and begin Asia program
Expand organically within Latin America and Asia, and begin Africa program. |
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