Local Institutions

Facing the Problem

Over thousands of years, ethnic minority communities, particularly those living in mountainous areas, have developed diverse and rich cultures. They have gained experience in sustainable resource management and exploitation, forming a precious cultural capital that has helped create core rules governing the behavior of community members. Vốn văn hóa quý giá này đã giúp tạo nên những quy định cốt lõi nhằm điều chỉnh hành vi của các thành viên trong cộng đồng.

Traditional institutions are preserved and developed by the community to ensure the maintenance of strength and linkages within the community, as well as to shape the community’s behavior towards nature and external factors.

Over time, these local institutions have continued to develop. Some have been regulated to comply with legal requirements and are recognized, while others still only follow indigenous customs practiced individually. This is because they are either not suitable or not included in regulations or are contrary to the provisions of the law.

Meanwhile, most of the world’s socio-economic policies are built in a general and inclusive direction, and then applied uniformly across all regions, with little or no adjustment for individual differences or impact assessments for regional variations.

Ignoring the differences in indigenous customs is making it difficult to implement many new policies in some communities.

Therefore, prioritizing the study of traditional (informal) institutions and developing formal institutions based on them is necessary in the process of building and implementing policies and programs, especially in mountainous areas and ethnic minorities.

The forgetting and disappearance of indigenous knowledge threatens the goal of sustainable development and breaks the fabric of the community.

HOW TO SOLVE

These Problems?

In recent years, Vietnam has prioritized the development of laws and policies related to sustainable development that also respect local customs. For example:

The Law on Forestry recognizes communities as forest owners
The Law on Land recognizes communities as legal persons with the right to use land

Development programs have also emphasized local regulations to ensure effectiveness and enforcement.

Government agencies are also involved in assisting local institutions, such as community regulations and conventions, to develop or adjust them. This ensures the preservation of customs and traditions while also ensuring compliance with Vietnamese law,

Solutions From CEGORN

CEGORN is a research center that conducts research and provides policy consulting services. We evaluate local institutions in ethnic minority communities in the North Central provinces and study the relationship between those institutions and social capital in the process of community development. CEGORN uses information from studies to implement pilot models that protect and develop natural resources, forest resources associated with customs, practices, and community regulations in North Central and Central Highlands provinces, as well as northern mountains. Some typical programs include

Land allocation to the community in Quang Binh and Kon Tum
Community-based wildlife conservation activities in Phong Nha Ke Bang and special-use forests in Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province.

These programs harmoniously combine community regulations and conventions with the roles of local government and related agencies and departments, such as the Forest Protection Department, Department of Agriculture, and Commune People’s Committee. Using research results and lessons learned from pilot models, CEGORN and its partners have made policy recommendations to central and local levels, including laws such as:

Forest Law
Law of the Land Decrees
Circulars and support programs
Policies for ethnic minority communities.

CEGORN, development of timber forest products, forest restoration with native trees, indigenous knowledge, Local knowledge, Mã Liềng, sustainable forest management, traditional institution, Tri thức bản địa