Forests for People

Abstract

With this book, we want to offer insights into good solutions for the challenges of our time. Not everything in Rwanda is working, and we want to make it clear that we do not support all political measures of the country. Our engagement in Rwanda was preceded by an intensive evaluation process, at the end of which the country’s forest policy was awarded with the Future Policy Award for 2011. However, the conference in Kigali showed us that in addition to the scientific analysis, “seeing is believing” holds true for us as well. Experiencing the reality gives us greater motivation. For this reason, it was important not just to sit in a conference room with experts from Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia but also to travel the country, talk to people and experience real solutions first hand.