IPSI Welcomes Ten New Member Organizations
During May 2013, the IPSI Steering Committee convened in Kathmandu, Nepal to consider, among other things, applications from organizations seeking to join IPSI. Ten new organizations from eight different countries were welcomed into IPSI on this occasion.- Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) (USA)
- Green TV Japan (TREE, Inc.) (Japan)
- Fondazione Romualdo del Bianco – Life Beyond Tourism (Italy)
- Japan Environmental Education Forum (JEEF) (Japan)
- Micronesia Conservation Trust (Federated States of Micronesia)
- Nepal Indigenous Nationalities Preservation Association (NINPA)
- Pogany-Havas Association (Romania)
- Taiwan Ecological Engineering Development Foundation (Chinese Taipei)
- Tropical Science Center (Costa Rica)
- World Wildlife Fund (USA)
Save the Date!
IPSI-4 coming in September The Fourth IPSI Global Conference (IPSI-4) will be held from 13-14 September in Fukui, Japan|
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14 Sep (Sat) |
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Regional Workshop on the Satoyama Initiative held in Kathmandu, Nepal
From 14-15 May 2013, a wide range of IPSI members and other interested stakeholders gathered in Kathmandu for a two-day workshop on the Satoyama Initiative. A total of 61 experts from 16 different countries attended the workshop, which was co-organized by the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC), Government of Nepal and the IPSI Secretariat.
The two-day regional workshop brought together participants from across Asia, and was inaugurated by Hon. Minister Tek Bahadur Thapa Gharti of the MoFSC Nepal, who performed the ceremonial lighting of the traditional lamp and watering of the plant. The workshop’s co-chairs, Ms. Yoko Watanabe (Programme Manager, Senior Biodiversity Specialist, Secretariat of the Global Environment Facility) and Dr. Krishna Chandra Paudel (Secretary, MoFSC Nepal) guided the two-day workshop towards achieving its three objectives: (1) To share information and experiences from the Asian region relevant to the Satoyama Initiative; (2) To further promote IPSI activities and understanding of the partnership in the region; (3) To contribute to the further development of the IPSI Strategy and Plan of Action.
To frame the day’s discussions, three plenary presentations were delivered. First, Dr. Gopal S. Rawat (Chief Scientist, Ecosystem Services, ICIMOD) introduced the transboundary landscape approach that ICIMOD has been promoting throughout the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. Then Mr. Gopal Raj Sherchan (National Coordinator, The GEF Small Grants Programme, Nepal) introduced activities under the Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama Initiative (COMDEKS) project. Finally, Mr. Ram Prasad Lamsal (MoFSC, Nepal) who introduced how Nepal’s community-managed landscapes have been supporting the conservation of biodiversity.
Lively and dynamic small group discussions followed, intercut with plenary sessions to share outcomes from each group. Participants shared information and experiences from the Asian region relevant to the Satoyama Initiative, there were opportunities for further promoting IPSI activities and understanding of the partnership within the region, and the expert insight provided by the participants contributed directly to the further development of the IPSI Strategy and Plan of Action. <Full Website Report>
As the regional workshop drew to a close, Dr. Krishna Chandra Paudel (MoFSC Nepal) echoed his appreciation and left all of the participants with a final sentiment: “Biodiversity is a business for all, and every day is a biodiversity day.”
Snapshots: The Regional Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal
Workshop Participants Engaging in Dynamic Small-Group Discussions
Hon. Minister Tek Bahadur Thapa Gharti (MoFSC Nepal) and Workshop Co-Chair Yoko Watanabe (The GEF Secretariat)
Voices of IPSI Members attending the Kathmandu Workshop
New Member Introduction: Taiwan Ecological Engineering Development Foundation (EEF)
By: Ms. Hui-Ying Lui, EEF Taiwan Ecological Engineering Development Foundation (EEF) is established in 2007. The purpose of EEF is to research and promote ecological engineering for promotion of harmonious relationship between human and natural environment. We provide not only professional suggestions on ecological conservation of infrastructure, freeway construction for example, but also strive with other NGOs to set up the communication platform among government officers, NGO, and the public, especially in the fields between ecology and engineering. In recent years, we make more effort to revitalization of traditional waterways and agricultural landscape through economical improvement and environmental education. We expect that the concept of socio-ecological production landscape will bring Taiwan a new country land management direction, and what we are trying to work with Villager of Bayien, a small rural area of north Taiwan near Taipei City, is just a tiny but good beginning in the succession.
New Member Introduction: Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT)
By: Mr. Willy Kostka, Executive Director, Micronesia Conservation Trust Formally established in 2002, MCT is a charitable and irrevocable corporation organized to provide sustainable financing and capacity building/training support for biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and related sustainable development programs. In 2006, the five Micronesia Challenge (MC) jurisdictions (FSM, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guam and CNMI) selected MCT as the financial mechanism for the Micronesia Challenge Initiative. MCT is Micronesia’s only conservation trust fund, and works closely with local resource owners, traditional leaders, conservation and other NGOs and local governments to develop and fund project proposals that focus on improving management and addressing key threats to high-priority ecological sites designated through science-based and collaborative planning processes, such as National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans. MCT also provides capacity-building programs and services to local partners/grantees and coordinates two regional peer-learning networks, the Pacific Islands Managed and Protected Areas Community and Micronesians in Island Conservation. MCT’s stakeholders and project beneficiaries include the 650,000+ citizens and residents of Micronesia, including women and children.New Member Introduction: Nepal Indigenous Nationalities Preservation Association (NINPA)
By: Mr. Ngwang Sonam Sherpa, Executive Chairperson Nepal Indigenous Nationalities Preservation Association (NINPA) is an organization established for the promotion and protection of Traditional Knowledge and Biological Diversity as well as protects Indigenous people's rights and land tenure. Nepal Indigenous Nationalities Preservation Association was formed with the goal of protecting, documenting and preserving the cultural knowledge of the Indigenous Peoples of Nepal and to assist them in developing and obtaining equal rights. NINPA is a nonprofit non partisan, national level social organization. Register under Nepalese Government and affiliated with social welfare council of Nepal and accredited with Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2005 and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2009. The Major Activities of NINPA are as follows:- To make the indigenous nationalities, residing all over Nepal, self dependent by skill and personality development and organizing income generating and poverty alleviation program.
- To raise awareness of the rights provided by the constitution and laws of the country to indigenous nationalities and helps them gain access to these rights.
- To preserve the Language, culture, and Traditional knowledge.
- To work for intellectual property right and for the preservation of Biological Diversity
- Advocacy Program related with UN instrument.
- Capacity Building Program to the indigenous communities on the issues of UNDRIP, ILO 169, Traditional Knowledge and Biological Diversity.
- National and International level intervention on the CBD Processes and UN instrument
- Awareness program of equitable sharing and sustainable use of natural resources.
- To raise issues of Trans national boundary problem to international regime.