Join the Conservation & Environmental Management Forum (CEMF)!
The need for the Forum varies and the debate has been raging for a while but in it’s simplistic form:
1) To provide a platform for conservationists/environmentalists to apply their collective integrity, skills, experience and knowledge to deliberations around current conservation challenges facing the country at the local, provincial, national and international scales.
2) To debate and explore innovative and brave solutions to achieving the objectives of sustainable development, within the unique socio-economic context of South Africa.
3) To seek to rise above institutional/organizational affiliations and interests in creative problem solving.
4) To seek to influence and support bold decision-making in the conservation/environmental sector
5) To provide a platform of learning and sharing so as to reduce the gap in the efficient dissemination of lessons learnt on current relevant issues, thus enabling the more experienced to provide leadership and guidance to the next generation of conservation managers.
The proposed Forum model will be as follows:
1) The Forum will exist as a blog
2) The blog discussions will be recorded and consolidated
3) Although there is no cost to participate in the blog, to be a member of the Forum we are suggesting an annual membership fee of R200.00 (this process is to be developed in due course). The idea behind the membership fee is to provide the forum with finances to eventually appoint an independent administrator to assist in the management of this forum. The function I have volunteered to do until such time. It would cover costs of correspondence with various organisations, etc. The end result is a constituted non-profit organisation that will represent our needs and assist in ensuring the appropriate management of our natural heritage.
4) There will be a myriad of interactions based on the blogs and the resulting actions coming from them, probably in the form of small project related meeting groups.
5) There will have to be a “Steering Committee” of sorts that will guide the direction of the Forum. This Steering Committee will provide the strategic direction of the Forum.
6) There will be an annual event/conference where all members will be invited to a networking and learning event.
Currently, the blog and the Forum’s interface is kindly being run and sponsored by The Nature Conservation Corporation. Although hosted by NatConCorp, I will be the facilitator of the development of the Forum until the leadership structure is in place.
So if you are interested, go to http://www.natureconservation.co.za/blog , register on the blog and get blogging. When we are ready, we will contact all on the blog mailing list as how to become a member.
Please distribute widely to anyone you feel may be interested in becoming a member.
Thanks, Cheers, Have fun and Watch this Space!
Augustine Morkel
CEMF Development Facilitator
083 324 7877
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