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News, Updates and Stories
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International Day of Ethical Conservation celebrated
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The International Day of Ethical Conservation was celebrated on 6 November, 2024, on the first anniversary of the launch of the Ethical Conservation Alliance.
ECA members spread messages highlighting the need to recognize the important role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in nature conservation. ECA also organized a panel discussion moderated by BBC presenter Luxmy Gopal to mark the occasion.
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Together, we can build a more just and sustainable future for people and biodiversity
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Update on Training Workshops
ECA continues to deliver workshops in ethical nature conservation as well as community engagement to conservationists around the world. The Alliance has so far conducted 20 introductory orientation sessions or full training workshops, to 410 conservationists from 56 countries, where 51% of the participants have been women.
Our recent workshops include:
Workshop on ethical nature conservation, Washington DC, USA
This workshop took place on 8-9 October, 2024 at the headquarters of the National Geographic Society with the participation of 42 NGS staff.
Orientation session on ethical nature conservation, Voi, Kenya
A half-day orientation session was held on 12th November 2024 for 55 participants associated with the Future for Nature Awards, including 37 laureates from 23 countries.
Workshop on ethical community engagement training, Tezpur, Assam, India
A two day workshop was held on 31st October and 1st November 2024 for 23 conservation practitioners from states in North-east India. This workshop was carried out on behalf of the Canopy Collective.
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Workshop on ethical community engagement, Nameri, Assam, India
A two day workshop was held on 24-25 January 2025 for 19 conservation practitioners and Indigenous leaders. The ECA undertook this workshop for the Eastern Himalaya program of the Nature Conservation Foundation.
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Training-of-trainers in ethical community engagement, Hustai and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
A four day workshop was held in Hustai National Park and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 3rd to 7th February, 2025 for 8 conservation practitioners from 7 countries. This workshop was conducted with support from the Darwin Initiative to the International Snow Leopard Trust.
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ECA at the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties in Cali, Colombia
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The Ethical Conservation Alliance and Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program hosted an event at the 16th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cali, Colombia. The event focused on advancing ethical conservation practices to achieve the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The event saw high attendance, with participants expressing immense interest in enabling the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) in global conservation efforts.
Historically, conservation efforts and creation of protected areas have marginalized local communities, often leading to conflicts and undermining biodiversity goals and human rights. This event highlighted the urgent need to correct these injustices and foster partnerships that empower IPLCs as conservation leaders. By emphasizing respect, inclusivity, and ethical practices, the discussions centered on achieving Target 3 of the GBF, which aims to protect 30% of the planet’s land and marine areas by 2030.
One of the themes of the event was the potential of Other Effective Conservation Measures. These large, multiple-use landscapes can complement Protected Areas by formalizing governance structures and integrating traditional knowledge with modern conservation science. Discussions were held on how community-centric conservation fosters biodiversity while supporting sustainable economies and well-being of IPLCs. Aligned with COP16’s motto, Peace with Nature, the discussions illustrated how ethical conservation practices promote harmony between humans and ecosystems. The session was moderated by ECA member Dr. Koustubh Sharma (India, Kyrgyzstan), accompanied by Dr Alifereti Tawake (Fiji) who spoke about the importance of community-leadership in biodiversity conservation.
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ECA Strategic planning meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya
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A group of ECA members gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, to initiate the drafting of the Alliance’s vision and 4-year strategic priorities on 16th and 17th November, 2024. The meeting was attended by Dr. Alifereti Tawake (Fiji), Ms. Bayarjargal Agvaantseren (Mongolia), Dr. Charudutt Mishra (India), Mr. Epanda Manfred Aime (Cameroon), Dr. Hotlin Ompusunggu (Indonesia), Dr. Micaela Camino (Argentina), and Dr. Rodrigo Medellin (Mexico), and facilitated by Dr. Suri Venkatachalam (India). During the two-day meeting the group identified elements of ECA’s bylaws, vision, mission and its key strategic priorities over the next four years. These are expected to be finalized with inputs from the entire membership and made public over the next few weeks.
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Congratulations to our members!
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ECA member Tanzin Thinley (far right) and others from the Kibber community receive the 2024 Wildlife and Tourism Initiative Award in New Delhi, India
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Kibber Village in the Indian Trans-Himalaya receives Wildlife & Tourism Initiative Award
ECA Member Tanzin Thinley’s Spitian community received the Wildlife & Tourism Initiative Award of 2024 in New Delhi, India on 6th December. From a community that once used to persecute snow leopards, the Village of Kibber today is a model of community-led conservation, where visitors from around the world gather each winter to see and photograph snow leopards and other high mountain wildlife.
Thinley, an Indigenous leader and conservation practitioner, received the award on behalf of his community along with four other community members. He says, “We feel so delighted and honored that our small, faraway community’s modest conservation and tourism efforts have received such great recognition. We feel proud that this award has connected us to the larger outside world.”
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Impressions from ECA’s Community Engagement Training-of-Trainers
Fatima Mannapbekova
Part of social justice work is about staying curious and about pushing the boundaries of social norms, decentering and deconstructing. In August, when I got accepted to attend the workshop on Ethical Community-Engagement for Conservation, I tried to come with an open mind. Little had I anticipated that it would be one of my best learning experiences.
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Community-Engagement Training delivered by Indigenous leader
Tanzin Thinley
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Meeting and engaging with conservationists through PARTNERS workshops has always been a learning experience for me. My colleague Deepshikha and I recently had the opportunity to engage with conservationists from very different backgrounds…
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4-8 March, 2025, Kathmandu, Nepal: Training-of-Trainers in ethical community engagement.
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4-5 June, 2025, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan: Session on identifying gaps and opportunities in delivering ethical and effective conservation programs and policies during the Ministerial segment of the Steering Committee Meeting of the 12-nation intergovernmental Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program.
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Do you work with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and are facing issues you would like to discuss, or get assistance on?
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Photo credit: Farwiza Farhan
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We request you to please forward this newsletter to at least ONE more person who might find it useful
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Photo credit: Sonam Tashi Lama
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If you’d like to make a donation to the Ethical Conservation Alliance, please write to us here
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Ethical Conservation Alliance is financially supported by:
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