Capacity Development for Community Empowerment: The Case of the Mashpi Community

by Cidee Despi | Jan 18, 2023

In the northwest part of the district of Quito, in one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world, lies the Mashpi Reserve. A known bird watching paradise, the Mashpi community provides a sense of symbiosis between human and nature. However, despite the promise that Mashpi brings, a glaring problem persists: the government fails to prioritize its waste recollection services. Esteban Barriga, an EXCELerator 2021 alumnus, saw this and how the waste management issue has affected the Mashpi community, and decided to do something about it.

The Successes and Pitfalls of COP15: Why We Will Continue to Talk About Half

by Cidee Despi | Jan 6, 2023

The recently concluded COP15 is a historic event, and it has given us much to think about. The gathering of world leaders and conservation actors has resulted in the drafting of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). This is a landmark deal indeed, as it gives us a framework on how to move forward in the protection and conservation of the planet’s biodiversity. However, while we acknowledge the significance of such a feat, we are also aware of its pitfalls.

Hallowed Ground: How the Montreal Protocol can Guide our Hand at COP15

by Cidee Despi | Dec 6, 2022

35 years ago, all 198 UN Member States convened for a historic summit in Montreal. There, they negotiated and signed the world’s most successful environmental accord, the Montreal Protocol, saving our ozone layer and curbing greenhouse emissions. Now, 35 years on, these same parties are poised for another landmark event: the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), wherein will be designed the subsequent decades’ worth of international wildlife and nature targets. The question on everyone’s minds is “How can we follow one historic success in Montreal with another?”

WiNN Nepal 2022: A Safe and Empowering Space for Women in Nature

by Cidee Despi | Oct 27, 2022

Last 3-4 September 2022, two of CoalitionWILD team members, Fátima Gigante and Asmita Rawat, had the honor to join the Women In Nature Network Global Networking (WiNN) Event 2022 held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Learn how WiNN 2022 was able to fulfill its motto of “empowered women, empower women.”

Read about Fatima and Asmita’s experience here: https://wild.org/blog/coalitionwild/winn-nepal-2022/

Helping Communities Help Themselves by Teaching Conservation

by Cidee Despi | Oct 26, 2022

Marine biologist and 2021 EXCELerator graduate Zara Guifarro is committed to contribute to conservation, but she also knows that true conservation can only be achieved if the local communities are similarly engaged. This is why she and her team started the Ocean Youth Program—a marine conservation program for the youth.

Towards a Protected and Thriving Africa: 2022 IUCN APAC Recap

by Cidee Despi | Oct 20, 2022

There is a need to acknowledge the necessity of a development paradigm that places the critical role of protection and conservation of biodiversity as a priority to achieve a sustainable future in Africa. As the world faces the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, it is necessary for the African continent to band together, hence, the IUCN Africa Protected Congress (APAC) held last 18-23 July 2022 came at an opportune time, right when Africa, and the world at large, needs to talk about these issues more.

Towards long-term coexistence of humans and wildlife: peace and harmony in Lake Jipe

by Cidee Despi | Oct 14, 2022

Zacharia Mutinda Muteti wants to see human and wildlife coexisting in peace and harmony, so he decided to pursue a project to help with just that. Learn how this young advocate is helping a community create sustainable livelihood in Eastern Kenya.