Co-hosted by

The Alliance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for Conservation in Africa (AICA) and Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI)

In collaboration with

The Community Leaders Network for Southern Africa (CLN), the Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT), and the Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organizations (NACSO)

Background

Africa contains 25% of the world's biodiversity and maintains an extensive network of protected regions over 17% of its landmass. These include national parks, game reserves and forest reserves, and their expansion is on the rise. More than 20 African countries have already committed to increasing the number of protected areas to at least 30% by 2030.

However, many of these current and potential protected and conserved areas overlap with the territories of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who have historically protected these ecosystems through innovative governance strategies, collective ownership, and ancestral ecological knowledge since time immemorial.

Some of these communities have even been criminalized and expelled from their territories, undermining their livelihoods and knowledge systems. To articulate a rights-based, people-centered conservation strategy in Africa and truly value Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ often-ignored contributions to nature conservation and climate, AICA, CLN, IMPACT, NACSO, and RRI will co-host a 3- day Conservation Congress in Windhoek, Namibia.

This Congress will facilitate cross-regional learning experiences on community-led conservation and knowledge systems and will provide the opportunity to discuss and recognize Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ priorities around rights-based, people centered conservation strategies.

Who will attend?

The Congress brings together various stakeholders from grassroots communities, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, development partners, conservation NGOs/CSOs, African government representatives, and other important actors from 41 countries across the continent.

Available for interviews

- Patrick Kipalu, Africa Program Director, Rights and Resources Initiative

- Ole Kaunga, Director of the Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT), Kenya

- Malidadi Langa, member of the executive committee of the Community Leaders Network for Southern Africa (CLN)

- Maxi Pia Louis, NACSO, Namibia

To receive more information or request an interview, please contact Daiana Gonzalez at dgonzalez@rightsandresources.org or +1 440 488 0770.