'Plasma' is an NGO in East Kalimantan (Indonesia) which addresses
environmental issues as well as human rights. Formed in 1988, it
responded to an urgent need for information by people facing
dramatic changed to teir environment and way of life. Plasma works
with communities to defend their land from commercial logging,
timber plantations and transmigration sites. It is a vital group
in East Kalimantan being the only organisation of it's kind which
provides information nationally and internationally of issues
concerning forest protection, indigenous peoples rights and human
rights.
Plasma has a number of projects in progress including;
* the initiation of a forum made up of 9 Dayak (Borneo's
indigenous peoples) groups.
* the production and distribution of 'Gaharu' (Ideas for New
Hope) Bulletin - a bulletin which reaches remote communities to
help communities participate in discussions and share ideas and
actions to protect the lands and lifestyles of local peoples.
* a mapping project centred around Dayak community based forest
management.
* the Early Warning System (EWS) program to serve as an indicator
of potential environmental degradation.
* other smaller communiy based initiatives,
* the Sponsor a Worker (SAW) program, aimed to share environmental
expertise and experiences between Plasma's Indonesian field
workers and their internation sponsors.
* national and international networking.
All these projects and the entire existence of PLASMA is
threatened by a severe lack of core funding.
There are 10 fulltime members who represent a wide field of
expertise - most are university graduates. They have given freely
of their time and resources to this point - but need to cover
basic core costs to continue their work.
For More Information contact: PLASMA
Jl. Pertahanan Perum Yeschar No.1
Sempaja, Samarinda 75119
Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia.
tel/fax +62 541 35753rom
commercial logging, timbeM* a
mapping project centred around
Dayak community based forest
manageme