Tuesday, July 24, 2007
BRUNEI Darussalam is ahead of the three governments involved in the Heart of Borneo (HOB) initiative, according to a consultancy firm commissioned to produce the sultanate's blueprint for action in the ambitious conservation project.
Managing Director Dr G Balamurugan and Project Director Dr Mikaail Kavanagh of the ERE Consulting Group told The Brunei Times that Brunei government had shown exemplary leadership in initiating and maintaining the momentum of the HOB.
This could be seen from the country's initiative to conduct the original workshop that launched the HOB, said Dr Kavanagh, former executive director of World Wildlife Fund Malaysia and Brunei's HOB advisor. The workshop, held in March 2005, saw the participation of the three Bornean governments.
Brunei had also made efforts to raise public interest by making the workshop open to stakeholders. The presence of the stakeholders in the workshop enhanced the process of launching the HOB, said Dr Kavanagh.
In spite of the presence of technical personnel and experts, only stakeholders could give insightful viewpoints, since they were involved in the process on the ground.
"In the end, conservation doesn't work if you don't know the people (involved in it)," he stressed.
The project implementation framework, a collaborative effort between Brunei Shell Petroleum Company and the Brunei government, also demonstrated the country's leadership in the initiative.
"We would also like to acknowledge the leaderships of the government here," added the project director, noting the direct and close involvement of the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Ahmad, the deputy minister and Permanent Secretary Dato Paduka Hj Mohammad Hamid.
The project's endorsement by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam also carried an enormous impact.
"The fact that His Majesty really encourages (the initiative) is really important. It is something that people outside of Brunei really respect," Dr Kavanagh said.
Both Dr Balamurugan and Dr Kavanagh said that working in Brunei, with the government and the private sector, was a privilege.
"Brunei is an easy place to work in," they said. "Once everybody gets behind an idea (they really support it)."
The Brunei Times
Managing Director Dr G Balamurugan and Project Director Dr Mikaail Kavanagh of the ERE Consulting Group told The Brunei Times that Brunei government had shown exemplary leadership in initiating and maintaining the momentum of the HOB.
This could be seen from the country's initiative to conduct the original workshop that launched the HOB, said Dr Kavanagh, former executive director of World Wildlife Fund Malaysia and Brunei's HOB advisor. The workshop, held in March 2005, saw the participation of the three Bornean governments.
Brunei had also made efforts to raise public interest by making the workshop open to stakeholders. The presence of the stakeholders in the workshop enhanced the process of launching the HOB, said Dr Kavanagh.
In spite of the presence of technical personnel and experts, only stakeholders could give insightful viewpoints, since they were involved in the process on the ground.
"In the end, conservation doesn't work if you don't know the people (involved in it)," he stressed.
The project implementation framework, a collaborative effort between Brunei Shell Petroleum Company and the Brunei government, also demonstrated the country's leadership in the initiative.
"We would also like to acknowledge the leaderships of the government here," added the project director, noting the direct and close involvement of the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Ahmad, the deputy minister and Permanent Secretary Dato Paduka Hj Mohammad Hamid.
The project's endorsement by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam also carried an enormous impact.
"The fact that His Majesty really encourages (the initiative) is really important. It is something that people outside of Brunei really respect," Dr Kavanagh said.
Both Dr Balamurugan and Dr Kavanagh said that working in Brunei, with the government and the private sector, was a privilege.
"Brunei is an easy place to work in," they said. "Once everybody gets behind an idea (they really support it)."
The Brunei Times