The SASHI Foundation, supported by Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), facilitated the verification and validation process of the Customary Communities of Paking and Punan Plen – Semolon on November 16, 2024. In early step to preparing the verification and validation activities for the Customary Communities of Paking and Punan Plen – Semolon, a coordination meeting was held on November 12, 2024. This meeting involved the Head of Paking Village, the Traditional Leader of Paking, the Traditional Leader of Punan Plen – Semolon, as well as the Village Heads and Traditional Leaders from the surrounding areas. This activity was deemed essential as a form of coordination, among stakeholders to prepare all necessary aspects for the verification and validation stages of the two customary communities.
On November 14, 2024, a preparation meeting for verification was conducted by the team from the Customary Community Affair Management Agency (Badan Pengelola Urusan masyarakat Adat – BPUMA) at the Office of the Environmental Department of Malinau Regency. During this meeting, it was declared that the Customary Communities of Paking and Punan Plen – Semolon, had fulfilled the requirements according to Regent Regulation No. 75 of 2018 and could proceed to the verification and validation stage.
Finally, the verification and validation activities for the Customary Communities of Paking and Punan Plen – Semolon, were carried out on November 16, 2024, at the Paking Village Hall and attended by 115 participant. The event’s agenda included an opening, a prayer, remarks by the Traditional Leader of Paking who also officially opened the event, the reading of the customary community’s profile documents, a verification results session, the signing of the minutes of the verification results, and a closing session. Based on the document verification, follow-up actions are needed including document improvements for the Customary Communities of Paking and Punan Plen – Semolon, and it must be resubmitted to BPUMA. These document improvements were carried out on November 22, 2024, and focused on updating the profiles of each customary communities such as revising the history of village establishment, correcting the names of communities, and refining the names of objects in the Abay and Punan languages.
