Community Forest International's executive directors Jeff Schnurr and Mbarouk Mussa Omar, pictured at at Cape Jourimain, are hoping that lessons learned in Tanzania can be applied to how natural resources are managed in New Brunswick. (CBC)
New Brunswick and a small island village in Tanzania face similar problems with their natural resources, according to a community leader from Africa.
Community Forest International is an organization with offices in Sackville, N.B., and Pemba Island, Tanzania in East Africa.
Mbarouk Mussa Omar, founder of the organization, said that New Brunswick and his small island village share a lot in common regarding environmental concerns: coastal erosion, climate change, a decline in old growth forest and lack of employment.
“In New Brunswick, the natural resources is a little bit good, but it is time to support our nature,” Omar said. “The nature is not for you and me only, but it is for our future generations.”
Omar said his community has worked hard to re-forest the land, and make agriculture a viable industry, and New Brunswick can make changes too.
Jeff Schnurr, also a group founder (from Sackville), said that while Tanzania may be a developing country, its troubles are, in fact, not that different from the ones faced in New Brunswick.
“We sometimes are seeing companies that are working in our own interest, both in Tanzania and New Brunswick, or sometimes the policies don't impact the people in a positive way,” said Schnurr. “Since we've been working together we're realizing how similar we are.”
Community Forest International says the next step is to bring the lessons learned in Tazania, to New Brunswick.
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