The ABN was first conceived in 1996, in response to growing concern about threatened biodiversity and community livelihood in Africa – mainly due to the effects industrial commodification – and the need to develop strong African positions and legislation, as well as African led solutions, to protect Africa’s heritage. By 2002 it was formalised in name and structure. Regional and Thematic Coordinators were designated.

The network now comprises over 300 concerned Africans who are engaged in promoting these activities in Africa and strengthening alliances with like-minded others regionally and internationally. It has partners in 12 countries: Benin, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.

How We Work

ABN partners work at a grass roots level in 12 African countries, always informed and led by local knowledge and solutions. We use our collective strength and experience to build knowledge, skills and relationships across civil society organizations. Our solidarity, grown through consultation and reflective learning, makes us a powerful force to lobby regionally and internationally for policies that protect the livelihoods of rural communities and the biodiversity upon which they depend. Partners come on board as they begin to pioneer culture-centred approaches with communities, or advocacy strategies, and then share their experiences. Partner organizations within the ABN are responsible for developing and implementing their own community work, coalition building, legal and policy work. The ABN provides an overall structure to facilitate research and the flow of information, experiential learning through workshops and exchanges, training support for community initiatives and to catalyse wider actions, as well as developing collective advocacy strategies. ABN encourages and supports partners to innovate and pilot new strategies and processes which emerge from and with communities.

The ABN secretariat is based in Kenya.

Funding

Financial support for the network has been secured from mainly European donors, particularly The Dutch Biodiversity Fund, Swedbio, The European Commission, HIVOS and NORAD. The ABN is grateful to the following organizations for their support: The Gaia Foundation, Siemmenpuu, Artist's Project Earth (APE), Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), Restore UK, Global Green Grants, Comic Relief, African Women's Development Fund (AWDF), Network for Social Change, the Waterloo Foundation, the Christensen Fund, the Swift Foundation, Bread for the World, NORAD and The Funders Network (TFN).