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Culture Identity and Resources Use Management (CIRUM)

Hanoi, Vietnam
Joined March 2021

Vietnam, mountainous areas, ethnic minority, advocacy, action research, advice, land allocation, forest protection, livelihood security, customary law, participatory, community-led, evidence-based



Presence in: Vietnam
Focus: Community / Customary Land Rights, Environmental Justice, Policy Advocacy, Traditional / Customary Justice

Culture Identity and Resources Use Management (CIRUM), is a Vietnamese Non-Government Organization (NGO) that has been working over the past 20 years with 19 different Ethnic Minority (EM) groups in upland forested provinces around Vietnam and more recently in neighbouring countries.
With a small highly experienced team and guided by a strong and representative Governing Board, CIRUM has built a substantial body of evidence and experience in working with ethnic minority communities on forest & land rights and management issues and advocacy across a diverse range of stakeholders, especially across all levels of government and investors/companies
The recent changes to the Forestry Law 2017 has proven that CIRUM’s research and policy advocacy approach is effective in enhancing use and protection rights over customary forest and forest land for ethnic minorities. Our focus now is on applying this approach of action research and community mobilization via LandNet for local advocacy and campaigning to address the issues of economic investments affecting forest communities’ livelihoods and existence.
With Vietnam recognized by the UN as one of 5 countries likely to be most affected by climate change and rapid development of 44 Special Economic Zones (SEZ)
LandNet (The Forest People Land Rights Network) is an informal Network in Vietnam set up since 2013. CIRUM works as partnership with LandNet to lobby land law and forestry law for ethnic minority communities for their rights  over customary land & forest tenure in Vietnam)  and we have expanded the LandNet to affected communities from large scale investments in Vietnam (from Son La hydropower) and hope to expand to Laos (affected people from SEZs). This is called LandNet Plus. LandNet Plus is the ones who are champions representing affected communities in Vietnam and Laos, to involve in action research and advocacy activities. We are working closely with them to support affected communities to regain their rights)