PACOS Trust is an indigenous community-based organisation dedicated towards supporting indigenous communities in Sabah, Malaysia. PACOS is an acronym for ‘Partners of Community Organizations in Sabah’.
PACOS Trust’s mission is to improve the overall quality of life of indigenous communities by working towards three main goals:
- Ensure that indigenous communities have legal title to their customary land and the right to use resources in other traditional areas
- Strengthen indigenous knowledge systems in the management of natural resources
- Strengthen positive values, culture, language, and belief systems of indigenous peoples
PACOS Trust uses two main approaches: (i) develop integrated human resources and (ii) establish and strengthen Community Organizations, to enhance the ability of indigenous communities to act collectively on their own.
PACOS Trust also supports a network of indigenous organisations that are fighting for ancestral land claims and their natural resources. PACOS Trust acts as an intermediary between community organisations and foreign entities whether government agencies, private companies or non-governmental organisations (NGO).
Country: Malaysia
Website: pacostrust.com
X/Twitter: @PACOSTrust
Facebook: @pacostrust
Instagram: @pacostrust
A Tombonuo women resting at their mangrove forest after collecting shells for their daily livelihood. PACOS 2017.
A Dusun youth trying to catch fish using “rambat” in their territory, Buayan Village, Irene Tani 2021.
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Main areas of work
- Building and enhancing capacity of community representatives to address the threats and other issues that their communities face.
- Training and supporting communities to develop economic projects to help them achieve self-reliance and independence.
- Community Education – through Community Learning Centres that are not only used for formal education but are also serve for meetings, resources, information, and other community-related activities, to share traditional knowledge with preschool and primary children, youth, adults and the elderly (native languages, handicrafts, traditional medicine, and other skills).
- Natural Resource Management – using existing traditional systems such as river fish conservation (Tagal), community resource maps, construction of gravity water feed facilities and other installations that conserve watersheds while improving the communities’ standard of living.
- Land Rights – promoting communities’ rights to customary land (NCR) titles through support in systematic and appropriate documentation of indigenous settlement history and claims.
- Revitalising relevant, positive beliefs, customs and cultures of indigenous communities that can strengthen their identity, enhance their dignity and contribute to their holistic and balanced development.
- Public awareness activities on a wide range of issues, particularly related to the recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights, bio-piracy, gender, health, environment, sustainable development and rural development.
An elder and his son showing their catch from their river during open tagal session. PACOS, 2014.
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Focus of work in the Transformative Pathways project
PACOS’ role in the project is to build capacity and awareness on CBD and Climate Change and on the relationship between Indigenous Knowledge and conservation. PACOS works with communities to implement Community-Based Monitoring and Information System (CBMIS), support Indigenous Knowledge Documentation on conservation practices and facilitate inter-learning community visits. PACOS also works with the government agency Sabah Biodiversity Centre and other relevant agencies to promote the Sabah Biodiversity strategies and National Policy on Biological Diversity.
Sungai ethnic men explaining on the types of animal traps using materials from their forest. Tony/PACOS, 2015.
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