Transforming Ancestral Forests into a Model Where People and Nature Grow Together: Adang Ajor

In the eyes of Adang Ajor, the ancestral forest is not merely a natural resource: it is his home, his source of sustenance, and the living heritage passed down from his Akha ancestors. This deep connection inspired his vision for Responsible Community-Based Tourism. A leading member of the Akha Network for Peace in the Mekong Region, Adang established a community-based homestay to share Akha wisdom with visitors. This initiative has generated stable local incomes and raised the community’s profile, transforming the village into an open classroom for the wider world.

His mission gained new ground with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s “Promoting Ethnic Youth and Local Communities Engagement for Responsible Business Practices” initiative, funded by the European Union. This partnership was a turning point, allowing him to link up with Indigenous youth networks across the country to strengthen their community business models. Crucially, it aims to promote the understanding of Indigenous peoples as “Development Partners.”

For Adang, ensuring access to basic rights for Indigenous communities is about more than livelihoods. It is the essential condition for empowering a new generation to protect natural resources and drive a sustainable grassroots economy.

“Peace is achieved when we recognise the value of every culture and empower communities to shape their own future,” he notes, convinced that Indigenous communities are vital contributors to the Sustainable Development Goals, and as capable custodians of their resources whose voices belong in development decisions that affect their communities.