An academic term that refers to the many different groups of forest hunter-gatherers living in, and on their margins, of the central African forests. It is considered offensive by many, but is increasingly being used by 'Pygmy' activists in recognition of the shared problems they face. Having the merit of being generally understood, the term is used throughout our reports to refer to these hunter gatherer peoples of the region, who often find themselves marginalised and discrimated against when forests are developed.