The Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (Iwokrama) last Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Toshaos Council (NTC) to collaborate on initiatives relating to collaboration on community development, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and climate change including but not limited to research, training, capacity development and education and awareness to further national development. The MOU also allows Iwokrama and the NTC to make joint funding proposals and to collaborate on project implementation.
In April this year, Iwokrama supported the NTC’s mentorship of Indigenous villages and communities in South Central & Deep South-Rupununi to prepare their Village Sustainability Outline Plans (VSPs) under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.
The simple signing ceremony held at the NTC’s Hadfield Street Secretariat was attended by Vice Chairwoman, Toshao Sonia Latchman, Iwokrama’s CEO, Mr. Dane Gobin,  Director for Resource Management and Training, Dr. Raquel Thomas, and Iwokrama Special Projects and Certification Coordinator – Anne-Marie Ford and Executive Members of the NTC.
Mr Gobin, in brief remarks stated that he was pleased to have engaged formally with the NTC which he says will widen the scope for collaboration between the two entities in order to support activities under the LCDS 2030. These activities will  include but not be limited to collaborative research, sustainable natural resources management and preserving indigenous language and culture to name a few. He further noted that Iwokrama has a long standing Collaborative Management Agreement (CMA) with the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), which represents the communities of the North Rupununi.
In her remarks, Vice Chairwoman of the NTC, Toshao Sonia Latchman said that she was happy to have engaged with Iwokrama and the NTC looks  forward to a fruitful relationship as they move forward with  development plans for the villages and communities in Guyana. She thanked Iwokrama for the recent support in which an NTC
Executive, Toshao Michael Thomas assisted the villages and satellites in South Central and Deep South Rupununi to  develop their Village Outline Plans.
