Third youth summit to be held
A panel of wildlife experts and activists will engage with the delegates and challenge them to develop possible solutions to the current threats of wildlife crime.
Building on the success of the 2014 World Youth Rhino Summit and 2015 Winter Summit, Project Rhino will host a third world youth wildlife summit to empower 150 youth leaders to become ambassadors for wildlife conservation.
Delegates will gather at the South African Wildlife College from September 21 to 24.
The platform will provide a forum for passionate teenagers, mainly from southern Africa, with a focus on those near transfrontier conservation areas, but also Asia and other concerned countries to engage with leading conservation experts and experience African wildlife first-hand.
The late Dr Ian Player, world-renowned rhino conservationist and speaker at the 2014 World Youth Rhino Summit, at the time suggested that the older generation pass the baton on to the youth.
Driven by criminal organisations and rebel militias, the illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth up to $23 billion. Wildlife poaching also puts human lives at risk, as it is estimated that over 1 000 park rangers have been killed in the line of duty over the past 10 years.
The summit will maintain a focus on rhinos as an iconic species, but also broaden its emphasis to other threatened African animals such as the elephant, pangolin and lion.
A panel of wildlife experts and activists will engage with the delegates and challenge them to develop possible solutions to the current threats of wildlife crime.
Francois du Toit, CEO of African Conservation Trust (a founding member of Project Rhino) and the summit director, said they are bringing the youth together at a critical time with species loss on a global scale. “Wildlife crime is a profitable business, where communities and the conservation sector bear the cost.”
Topics for discussion and debate at the summit will include the sustainable use of wildlife resources and the biodiversity economy, strategies for demand reduction, the link between poverty and poaching, habitat loss, and the role of education and awareness.
The youth delegates will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to host, in partnership with local conservation organisations, mini summits and regional leadership workshops.
“We’re planning to host these World Youth Wildlife Summits every two years, and work with the delegates in developing realistic actions to support the wildlife and biodiversity economy. We will support them in their career and enterprise choices and their vision of the world they want to live in,” added Du Toit.
The summit continues to build on the Rhino Art – Let Our Children’s Voices Be Heard campaign. An initiative of African celebrity explorer Kingsley Holgate and Project Rhino, it has reached close to
600 000 young people in Africa, Asia, the UK and New Zealand with a conservation message since 2013.
Delegates will experience the life of a ranger first-hand, including poaching simulations and sleeping in their tented regiments.
Enquiries on how to support Project Rhino in this endeavour can be sent to Francois du Toit on 082-852-6466 or at ceo@projectafrica.com.
