ABCG Meeting: Faith and Conservation in Africa 

Faith-based communities comprise the largest social organizations in Africa, representing a repository of opportunities to spread the cause for sustainability in the continent. Conservation leaders should reach out to religious communities to collaborate in implementing these recommendations, with a view to enhancing the capacity for value-based sustainability decisions that link nature and human well-being.
-  Dar Vision on the Future of Biodiversity in Africa

Caption: Harvesting a woodlot planted by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ghana, courtesy ARC

Background
Religious faith plays an enormous role in the lives of people around the world, helping to provide an understanding of the world around us and lighting a moral path to follow in times of uncertainty, need or joy. The intersections of faith and conservation are an important element of the Dar Vision on the Future of Biodiversity in Africa, in which experts from throughout Africa came together to articulate multidimensional approaches to biodiversity conservation in Africa. Recently, the Biodiversity Analysis and Technical Support program of USAID’s Africa Bureau commissioned a report on religion and conservation in Africa. This work, From Practice to Policy to Practice: Connecting Faith and Conservation in Africa, was written by Amy Gambrill of IRG, which explores some of the current practices of connecting faith and conservation, provides information on some of the faith groups doing conservation work, and presents several case studies on faith-based conservation.

This meeting will explore the interconnections between faith and conservation in Africa and will showcase some exciting examples of partnerships and opportunities in the field.

Speakers include:
Tom Dillon, Senior Vice President, Field Programs, World Wildlife Fund, US – Meeting Chair
Amy Gambrill, IRG Consultant
Martin Palmer, Executive Director, Alliance for Religion and Conservation
Zeenat Rahman, Deputy Director, USAID Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives
Alice Macharia, Director for East Africa Programs, Jane Goodall Institute

Remote access will be available - please email nbailey@abcg.org for further information.