Who are we

PACOS TRUST is a community-based organisation (CBO) dedicated towards supporting indigenous communities in Sabah. Although registered under the Trustees Ordinance (Sabah) only in 1997, it has been actively involved with communities since 1987 as a different legal entity. PACOS TRUST sees itself as on organisation that strives to empower indigenous communities through systematic building and strengthening of community organizations, which can act collectively on its own. PACOS TRUST also sees the need to support networking among organisations struggling to assert right over community resources and revitalizing indigenous systems.

PACOS TRUST support community organisations in 14 districts (an increase of four from 2000/1) involving 23 geographical areas (including 7 new areas from last year), with each organization determining and implementing its own area plan and work programme. It has 60 personnel; almost all are working in their own community but also contributes to the organization by being part of different ad-hoc committees as resource persons depending on their skills and knowledge.

PACOS TRUST hopes to have contacts in all 21 rural districts in Sabah with at least one community organization in each district. It also plans to boost its work on Land Rights by planning a 4-year land campaign, continue its effort to ensure active participants in regulating and protecting access to biological diversity and indigenous knowledge, participate and contribute actively in the Malaysia and Asia network, and provide input into development-related issues faced by indigenous communities.

Much of the financial resources of PACOS TRUST are accrued from outside the country but it also raises funds through various activities (such as the research on forest-related knowledge with JOFCA-Japan, hosting international conferences) and contribution in kind by communities and its personnel. Among current major funding partners are the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (funding land/ resource management projects), DANCED (Pilot project on Wildlife Management in two areas, Community Research and Information), International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (Land Campaign), and Bernard Van Leer Foundation (Early Child Care and Development).

Our vision

PACOS Trust would like to see peaceful indigenous communities, united and well-equipped with the knowledge and expertise to manage their resources and opportunities to support a comfortable life.

Our mission

PACOS Trust mission is to improve the overall quality of life of indigenous communities.

Our goals

1. Ensure that indigenous communities have their customary land (NCR) and the right to use resources in other areas
2. Strengthen indigenous knowledge systems in the management of natural resources
3. Strengthen positive values, culture, language, and belief systems of indigenous peoples

Our strategies

PACOS Trust uses two main approaches:
(i) develop integrated human resources and
(ii) establish and strengthen the Community Organisation (CO), to enhance the ability of indigenous communities to act collectively on their own.

PACOS Trust also continues to support 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 (NGOs).

Our programmes
Above approaches are incorporated in the six main programmes: (i) Community Organising Training, (ii) Natural Resources Management, (iii) Socio-economic Development, (iv) Land Rights, (v) Community Education, (vi) Adat and Culture.

PACOS Trust (PACOS)