With the theme Roots of Change: Indigenous and Local Youth Leading Resilient and Inclusive Forest Landscapes, YEEHA! 2025 focused on practical, hands-on sessions exploring inclusive forest governance, sustainable landscapes, and youth-led strategies for the crises our planet face today. The program emphasized capacity-building in mapping, research, documentation, and the transmission of Indigenous Knowledge, Systems, and Practices (IKSPs) to generations to come. More than just training, the camp fostered deep reflection, creativity, and solidarity; grounded in the realities of the participants’ own communities and territories.

After nearly three years, NTFP-EP is bringing back Voices from the Forest with a fresh edition-not just as a newsletter, but as a platform to amplify stories from the ground up. More than updates, Voices from the Forest now brings you firsthand narratives of the resilience, innovations, and enduring efforts of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPs&LCs) across the NTFP-EP network.

A disastrous flood that submerged newly planted rice fields and several public facilities shook the collective consciousness of the Simancuang community in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The community made the difficult decision to report the illegal loggers that caused the flood to the authorities. And for the first time, a community report was followed up by a judicial process. Yudi Fernandes, member of the KKI Warsi team working with the community, reports.