The 2nd Social Science & Conservation Training Series WebEx “Working with Local Communities and Indigenous People”
Hosted by Supin Wongbusarakum, Karen Wong, and Nina Hadley
Session #1 (North America and Latin America)
How can we work most effectively with local communities and indigenous peoples to achieve conservation goals, contribute to their well-being, and ensure project sustainability? It’s no small task! Throughout the world, biodiversity conservation efforts and managing natural resources often involve local communities and indigenous peoples. In fact, in an April 2011 survey of 235 Conservancy staff, 81% of the respondents said that at least half to most of their work required interaction with local human communities and stakeholders.
This recording is the 2nd Social Science & Conservation Training Series WebEx in which this question was addressed. We present a brief 15-minute summary of selected principles and guidelines concerning local communities and conservation, followed by a 45-minute interview of our panel of guest speakers on their experiences and lessons on how to work effectively with local communities and indigenous peoples. The last 30 minutes were open for listeners’ questions and discussion.