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🌞First Day of the 138th Canton Fair @Fixdex & Goodfix GROUP 🔥Full of excitement and surprises! Come explore new products at [Booth No.: 9.1E33-34, 9.1F13-14 ] Oct.15-19, Phase 1 🤵A professional team will answer questions and share in-depth industry solutions. ✨Visit the fair and receive a gift. 🙏Thank you to everyone who visited us! Cooperation starts here.
Concerts SA’s Norwegian Invasion
We’re currently in Norway alongside our partner venues and some valued friends. Among our activities shall be a meeting with Norwegian Live Music Association to talk about the Live Music Sector in Mzansi and Norway. Oh yes, we’ll also be attending the Oslo Jazz Festival, yay!
More images below, courtesy of Jozi Unsigned.
Virtual Session Recap: Economics and Environmental Conservation
Sara Kross, Ph.D.
Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UC Davis and The Nature Conservancy
Last Tuesday, our Iceland Virtual Exchange participants met with Ms. Sara Kross, Ph.D., a Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of California, Davis and The Nature Conservancy. She discussed her work with NGOs and farmers on a number of avian conservation projects and how they quantified and communicated the economic benefits of conservation and preservation of those species.
While studying for her doctorate at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, NZ, Ms. Kross worked with local grape farmers in Marlborough, New Zealand to reintroduce falcons. She explained to our Icelandic participants how she first examined the economic motivations of restoring bird habitats for farmers. In this instance, she made the case that grape farmers would lose less of their crop to pests if falcons were reintroduced in the lowlands. Given that this area was also a big wine-producing region, the less crops lost to pests, the more money they would save and the more wine would be produced. Once farmers were on board with this argument, the next step involved helping local residents overcome their fear of falcons. She helped start a non-profit organization, the Marlborough Falcon Trust, dedicated to raising awareness of and educating the public on the species. Ms. Kross also stressed the importance of getting a diverse group involved, not just scientists or environmentalists. Environmental NGOs must be inclusive, get the community involved (local businesses, volunteers, students). In one case, she partnered with a local hunting store and asked hunters to go out and hunt for food for the falcons instead of killing the falcons themselves. Advocacy efforts also included outreach at a local school as well as with a rugby team. In 2012, New Zealand residents voted the falcon as “bird of the year.”
Following her time in New Zealand, Ms. Kross discussed her work in California where she is currently working on individual projects to revitalize old ecosystems in the state’s Central Valley. She decided to apply the same methods she used in New Zealand to her projects here. Her research showed that many farms had a lot of overused land that was no longer viable planting ground. They also used a lot of pesticides to protect their crops. She thought, why not utilize some of that space to replant native species and help bring back or keep native birds who would also act as natural pest deterrents? Although these projects have not yet been completed, early data shows there are some benefits to from having more birds around the fields.
One question that generated from this conversation was in regards to the falcon project, but could apply to any similar types of projects, “What was the real goal of the project? Bringing falcons back to the lowlands, or protecting the farms?” Although her initial permit was specifically awarded for falcon conservation, Ms. Kross told the visitors that conservation should be seen as beneficial to everyone. If there is a way to have a win-win situation, that’s a good thing. Personal relations are also important. If you work for an organization that is known for getting things done, you will have a positive reputation and people will put their trust in you.
Virtual Session Recap: Grassroots Organizing and Public Mobilization
You’ve established a sound policy for your organization
You’ve built sustainable partnerships with the private sector
You’ve developed social media accounts and created a message strategy for your organization
The next step: How do you organize the public and effectively utilize volunteers to help with your mission?
Members of two U.S. environmental organizations met with our participants this week to build upon previous meetings on messaging and social media to learn how to use those messages to mobilize the public in support of a cause. Mr. Quinton Bauer, the Statewide Program Manager at SOLVE, a non-profit organization located in Portland, Oregon, shared his appreciation for “citizen scientists” and talked about volunteer efforts that the community participates in to restore Oregon’s natural spaces and maintain the diverse features that the state is so proud of. The participants learned that Ms. Mary Cerullo, Associate Director, and Mr. Peter Milholland, Citizen Stewards Coordinator, both from the Friends of Casco Bay marine stewardship organization in Portland, Maine are engaging the public in many similar ways as SOLVE.
Both organizations, seek effective solutions to problems that threaten their natural resources and use advocacy, education and outreach to build collaborative partnerships with the public. SOLVE holds regular beach and riverside cleanups, native tree planting events, and creates an average of 50,000 volunteer opportunities in 185 communities across the state of Oregon.
Friends of Casco Bay devotes its work towards the environmental health of the Casco Bay and their signature program of “Bayscaping” is a six-step program for homeowners on environmentally friendly lawn care. Some participants plan to work with these organizations to learn about ways that they can become involved in their efforts internationally, especially in regards to Friends of Casco’s Bay international “Waterkeeper” movement, an effort to safeguard waterways for the entire population.
From west coast Portland (Oregon) to east coast Portland (Maine), this session highlighted the ways in which volunteers help organizations and environmental causes thrive and provided the participants with many innovative ideas to engage the public through# organized programs.
Empowering female youth and cultivating women's leadership. Now, THAT is a cause we can get behind
It's also the focus of our Pakistani International Visitor Leadership Program group's current visit to the States. Read more
We asked staff at the U.S. Department of State and Cultural Vistas, as well as a virtual intern at the University of Michigan who is currently working for the Department of State, to share what they are thankful for this year. This video is designed to bring a bit of American Thanksgiving culture to the ten participants on the IVLP virutal project with Iceland.
Virtual Session Recap of Policy Solutions: Environment Policy and Conservation
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014, the participants had their second virtual appointment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is “working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people”. This is the only U.S. Government agency with this as their primary mission. Major responsibilities of this agency include migratory birds, endangered species, certain marine mammals and freshwater and anadromous fish. This agency aims to protect and promote a healthy environment for people, fish and wildlife while also providing Americans with resources to conserve and enjoy the outdoors and our living creatures.
At the start of the session, the participants introduced themselves to the representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The goal of this session was to provide participants with a variety of tools utilized by the United States government agencies to protect and conserve wildlife. The difference between preservation and conservation was a point of discussion during the appointment. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discussed protected areas and wildlife reserves as a way to preserve fragile ecosystems, specifically National Protected Areas and Wildlife Refuges. Participants expressed interest in conservation of ocean wildlife. A meeting with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be arranged for the participants.
Check out these photos from our first ever #IVLP #VirtualExchange with Cultural Vistas and US Embassy Reykjavik Iceland! The participants started the day with a series of virtual meetings with Washington, then had a traditional American-style BBQ at the Embassy. On a typical IVLP project, participants would share a meal with an American family, so this was our way of bringing U.S. culture to them -- and thankfully the BBQ wasn't virtual!
