In 2011 We launched Partners in the Spotlight - a monthly update featuring interviews with some of our partners. Re-visit the page each month to read new interviews or email us to sign up to our monthly mailings and have them sent straight to you! 

Partners in the Spotlight, February 2012...

2012 marks a year for celebration for the African Biodiversity Network. This time a decade ago, in 2002, the ABN was officially consolidated into a network during a meeting held at the ‘Valley of a 1000 Hills’ in Durban, South Africa. Now comprising of 36 partners in 12 countries, the network has grown both in size and impact. Over the course of a ten year journey new approaches to working with rural and indigenous communities across the African continent have emerged, been shared and spread. Principles which underpin the work have deepened and set the ABN apart from other organisations and networks working in the environment and development sectors.

To mark the start of the anniversary year we interviewed Gathuru Mburu, the Director of the African Biodiversity Network, to find out more about the principles and approaches which define this unique African movement for change. Click here to read the interview.  

An interview with Walter Mugrove, Regional Facilitator of Rescope, Malawi

Walter shares the story of the Children's Caravan, a group of children aged 9 - 19 who sang their way across COP17 in Durban last December to remind delegations that the children are our future. The Children's Caravan performed at a number of side events and meetings across the COP, including the launch of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA). Read the interview here.

Partners in the Spotlight - November 2011...

Karangathi Njoroge explains what is Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in this interview with ABN

MEAP is working with communities living adjacent nine forest stations. These communities are at different stages in the Participatory Forest Management(PFM) process. Apart from facilitating communities to engage in co-managing forests, they are also encouraged to participate in reforestation and farm forestry as well as biodiversity conservation. Plans are currently underway to facilitate the forest stations to develop participatory forest management plans (PFMP). More information on PFM can be found here.

Gathuru Mburu of African Biodiversity Network explains the role of AFSA at the COP 17 meeting in Durban, South Africa

The ABN will be at the conference in order to host the launch of the ‘Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa’. This is a platform that is bringing about eight regional networks in Africa, all whom are involved in promoting environmentally friendly, ecological, organic, permaculture based farming strategies in Africa. They are promoting the use, revival and protection of indigenous seeds. All of the networks are trying to look for ways of addressing the issues that are brought about by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) – hybrid imposter seeds, poor yields, loans, debts and chemical based agriculture. The interview is found here.

Partners in the Spotlight, October 2011...

Lawrence Mkaliphi answers the interview questions from ABN about Biowatch

In 1997, with little civil society capacity to monitor the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in South Africa and a growing awareness of the injustices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the patenting of life forms, Biowatch South Africa was launched by two activists, with a Board of Trustees being established in 1999. Read more about the interview here.

Gebremedhine Birage responds to questions on the role of ETHIOSCOP and GM

ETHIOSCOP is planning to hold a national Green Forum event on 9-10 Nov 2011, where panel discussion/debate on whether GE is opportunity or threat to Ethiopia. Gebre will be among those who believe it would never be an opportunity given current trends. He will be happy if any body from ABN shares latest info what s/he has on GMOs in Kenya and/or beyond. Please read the interview from ETHIOSCOP here.

Partners in the Spotlight, September 2011...

Gertrude Pswarayi responds to questions from ABN on the work of ACHM based in Zimbabwe

The Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) is a local and regional organisation that was founded in 1992 by Allan Savory. Savory is a former wildlife biologist, farmer, and politician and a true pioneer in a field that he virtually created himself - the field of Holistic Management. ACHM was formed to work and learn together with people from the Hwange Community, Zimbabwe and the Southern African region to manage our lives and resources holistically. We are working primarily in the Hwange Communal Lands in Zimbabwe. Interview is found here.

Thomas Lenaruti talks to ABN about the work of Nainyoyie based in Samburu, Kenya

Nainyoyie is working in a number of different areas – around education, women’s rights, AIDS prevention and fighting child labour, but it’s our Environment Programme that brought us into contact with ABN. We have been working closely with Samburu pastoralist communities for a number of years now. We help the Samburu to manage their relationship with their land – it’s vital that they carry out their nomadic livestock grazing practices in a way which is environmentally sustainable – a way that will suit both the livestock, the environment (that being the forest, water sources, wildlife and so on) and of course, the people. Full interview is found here

Partners in the Spotlight in July 2011...

Chabari Zevario talks to ABN about his work with the Rural Initiatives Development Program, Kenya.

As RIDEP's Programme Officer, Chabari Zaverio has been working with the communities of Tharaka and Tigania for over 6 years. In 2008 he witnessed the breakout of violence in the region as communities turned against one another following the national general elections. Here he talks to ABN about the unrest and how RIDEP was able to reunite the communities, and resolve the conflict by holding dialogues with community Elders and recognising the power and beauty of cultural diversity. Read the interview here!

Chester Chituwu from the Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Management Trust talks to ABN about his work in Zimbabwe.

The Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Management Trust (CELUCT) work with communities in the remote mountainous Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe. Some twenty years ago they established a community Training Centre in the heart of the village. The Training Centre is a space where the community come first - it's their centre and it's run by them. It is now a hub of activity as communities from across Zimbabwe come to learn about ecological farming practices and reviving traditional culture in this very special space. Find out more about CELUCT's work and the 'Culture Club' which was created in 2007 by reading the full interview!