Bringing The Forest To The People: The Respect Journey

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Ariela Summit, Ecoagriculture Partners,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 11) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

 Chapter 11. Christine Gibb, CBD and FAO. Verbatim.

RESPECT exhibit at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Canada.

© Boreal Communications

Ontario, Canada in the winter.

© Jim Ross/Boreal Communications

RESPECT team members: Chris Young (photojournalist),

Louise Larivière (chef-de-mission) and Tomi Grgicevic

(videographer).

© Boreal Communications

Ontario lake and forested shoreline.

© Chris Young/Boreal Communications

Images tell stories that might otherwise not be heard. Cameras record life’s moments, both momentous and mundane; photos evoke emotions, questions and answers. The power of photography to tell a story is central to RESPECT, a modern-day odyssey that brings the boreal forest to the people. It is one example of the creativity and passion people bring to raising awareness about the beauty, fragility and even brutality of biodiversity.

Mainstreaming Biodiversity Into Education

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Ariela Summit, Ecoagriculture Partners,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 11) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

 Chapter 11. Leslie Ann Jose Castillo, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. Verbatim.

The programme uses street theatre, creative workshops, exhibits, games and ecological tours to stimulate creative thought and to motivate learners to act on environmental issues. Trainers from PA WB-DENR conduct school and community extension activities, train other prospective trainers, distribute IEC materials to forest occupants, local leaders, youth and school teachers. To date, Dalaw-Turo has trained 543 regional counterparts and brought the IEC campaign to 55 839 students in at least 460 schools in the Philippines.

Lifestyle Choices

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Ariela Summit, Ecoagriculture Partners,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 11) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 11. Verbatim.

Both rising population levels and increasing levels of consumption in the developed and developing world are responsible, to a large degree, for biodiversity loss worldwide. In the “population versus consumption” debate, some people set up a situation of extremes where they blame biodiversity loss either on rising population levels in the developing world, or on developed (mostly Western) nations who use a disproportionate share of water, fossil fuels and other natural resources.

Connections Between Gender And Biodiversity.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Ariela Summit, Ecoagriculture Partners,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 11) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 11. Marie Aminata Khan, CBD. Verbatim.

The importance of biodiversity to individuals varies by gender. Gender refers to the social roles that men and women play and the power relations between them, which usually have a profound effect on the use and management of natural resources. Gender is not based on biological differences between women and men. Gender is shaped by culture, social relations and natural environments.

Gender and Biodiversity Conservation

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Ariela Summit, Ecoagriculture Partners,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 11) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 11. Verbatim.

In their role in the domestic sphere, and often as the primary caregiver in one-parent families, women have a central role in conserving plant genetic resources. Often, the work they do in this area is undervalued because no money changes hands in domestic transactions. Kitchen gardens maintained by wives, mothers and daughters provide an important source of micronutrients through leafy vegetables and herbs. In lean years, wild plants can be an important supplemental source of calories.

Multi-Stakeholder Processes

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Ariela Summit, Ecoagriculture Partners,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 11) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 11. Verbatim.

Multistakeholder processes are an important tool for creating lasting solutions for biodiversity conservation. Essentially, they are a process by which different interest groups – whether they be governments, businesses, agriculturalists or real estate developers – consult to create a plan to achieve a particular objective. Though multistakeholder processes may vary widely in scope and scale, they have certain elements in common. Typically, they are based on the democratic principles of transparency and participation.

Biodiversity and People

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Ariela Summit, Ecoagriculture Partners,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 11) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 11. Verbatim.

Biodiversity conservation is impossible without the participation of everyone who impacts the ecosystem – from loggers who harvest forest timber, to consumers who buy food at the supermarket, to city governments who put restrictions on building in ecologically sensitive areas.