I'm so excited to finally share that I've begun my placement project for my Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership program at University of Cambridge in partnership with TRADITIONAL ECOSYSTEMS SURVIVAL TANZANIA (TEST), an indigenous-led conservation NGO in Arusha, Tanzania.
For the next (3)-months together with TRADITIONAL ECOSYSTEMS SURVIVAL TANZANIA (TEST), I have the incredible opportunity to visit local communities in Tanzania, and participate in community listening sessions to better understand community needs, and inform conservation policy and practice using a human-centric approach that advances human and indigenous rights.
With insights gained from these sessions, TRADITIONAL ECOSYSTEMS SURVIVAL TANZANIA (TEST) and I will work together to implement our findings into (TEST)'s organizational strategy, and will develop a community engagement strategy and business plan to advance (TEST)'s mission to achieve a world in which people, livestock, wildlife, and nature co-exist in peace, health, and harmony.
The goal of this work is to facilitate effective collaborations that reduce conflict, improve natural resource management, and enhance the sustainable wellbeing of local people, livestock and wildlife in Tanzania’s natural ecosystems. (TEST) aims to integrate indigenous voices and wisdom into formal systems, and believes that indigenous knowledge is essential for the well-being of the natural ecosystems and the people who live in them.
*(TEST) believes that indigenous people deserve to have strong voices to influence the decisions that affect their lives and lands.*
More about (TEST)'s work:
* Despite their global importance, Tanzania’s landscapes face significant challenges and threats such as biodiversity loss, climate change, population growth, environmental mismanagement, and commercial agricultural expansion.
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* (TEST)’s Indigenous Livelihoods program integrates these key activities:
1. Experts staying with communities and working together to develop plans to address livelihood challenges such as water resources, sustainable energy solutions, food security and pastoralism value chains.
2. Advocating for these plans to be adopted by local, regional, or national governments with resources allocated for their implementation.
3. Supporting partnerships between private companies and community organizations to successfully implement these plans.
4. (TEST) works to improve Tanzania’s landscapes by collaboratively engaging with all stakeholders (government, tourism sector, communities, decision-makers, and other sectors), to develop locally led solutions to these challenges.
5. (TEST) focuses on landscape improvements that also support the economic and cultural wellbeing of indigenous communities living in these landscapes.
Environmental communications | #SciComm
4 个月A great place to work!