PROSPER is a five-year program (2012-2017) that builds on USAID investments in the forestry and agricultural sectors to introduce, operationalize, and refine appropriate models for community management of forest resources in target areas of Liberia. The project aims to:
- Expand educational awareness and institutional capacity to improve environmental awareness, natural resource management, biodiversity
conservation, and environmental compliance; - Improve community-based forest management leading to more sustainable practices and reduced threats to biodiversity in target areas;
- Enhance community-based livelihoods derived from sustainable forest-based and agriculture-based enterprises in target areas.
Working with project partners (including communities, educational institutions, government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector partners, community-based organizations, and other donor programs) at all levels of implementation, PROSPER is designed to improve environmental awareness and wise stewardship of natural resources, extending community-based forest management and agricultural enterprise development throughout Liberia.
Pursuant to these goals, PROSPER implemented the first year of an outreach and awareness campaign called “Make Community Forest Rights Real” in 2013. This report provides an overview of:
- The process and approach used to design and implement the outreach and awareness the campaign;
- Campaign goals, objectives, and activities; and
- Community and project stakeholder reactions, responses, and feedback on Year 1 of the campaign gleaned from campaign “Lessons Learned Consultations”.
The stakeholder feedback that was provided on Year 1 of the campaign will be used to improve and re-plan the campaign for Year 2.