Breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and environmental degradation in Africa

Our Vision and Strategic Approaches

Conserve Africa believes that:

Empowerment of individuals and communities and improving the capacity of people to address environmental problems by encouraging action-based projects are a key to tackling environmental injustice.
Programmes which aim to educate people about the links between consumption patterns and environmental degradation should be prioritised.
Environmental information should be widely accessible so as to enable people to take action, make choices and input regarding sustainable management of natural resources.
The poor, and especially women, should be included in information sharing and training programmes designed to promote the effective management of natural resources at grass roots level.
Poverty leads to over-utilisation of natural resources which may result in deforestation or land degradation. Sustainable management of natural resources by enhancing land productivity is a key for eradicating hunger and malnutrition and for improving food security in Africa.
Effective management and conservation of bioresources can increase the opportunities to discover or develop new natural products for food and medicine or agricultural crops derived from indigenous plants.
Local communities must be empowered and given opportunity to participate effectively in the design, management and operation of protected natural areas. Local needs should have priority and economic benefits must accrue to the local communities.
Biodiversity should be protected as the resource on which nature-based tourism is dependent. Caution must be exercised against over-commercialisation or overuse for recreation.
The right of all citizens to have access to clean water and basic water services (the provision of potable water supply and the removal and disposal of human excreta and waste water) necessary to afford them a healthy environment on an equitable and economically and environmentally sustainable basis shall be supported.
Support should be increased for investments in sound water resources management and sustainable water and sanitation service provision in Africa.

Values and Principles

The Organisation is committed to:

Reflect the priorities and needs of African society and of members in all activities;
Reflect the diversity of the African environmental NGO sector in its work;
Apply equal opportunities practices in governance, services, and as employer;
Reflect member's needs, aspirations and knowledge in all strategic and programme activities;
Work with and learn from other environmental voluntary organisations;
Encourage African voluntary organisations to learn both from each other and from wider best practice;
Be strong voice for the African voluntary sector and raise the profile of NGO sector in Africa;
Promote partnership and adopt ways of working that encourage local communities involvement;
Promote projects aimed at tackling gender issues.

Strategic Approaches

Based on the knowledge that the African environment and rural economic growth are inextricably linked, CAF programmes will focus on activities that address linkages between poverty and environment, strengthen local capacity; working with the business community to promote green technologies and contribute to preservation of the continent's rare and endangered species and ecosystems.

Conserve Africa Foundation will work with active local networks of community-based environmental groups that can help raise environmental awareness, conduct environmental education, engage in environmental advocacy and serve as a local environmental watchdog. It acts as a focal point and a platform for African NGO sector to respond local environmental needs as well as encourage co-operation in the area of sustainable development.

The organisation will encourage local environmental associations to become more organised and active in addressing issues and concerns relating to sustainable development through facilitating and encouraging collective voice and action, advocacy, networking, providing training, information and knowledge.

Conserve Africa Foundation will work with active local network of community-based environmental groups that can help raise environmental awareness, conduct environmental education, engage in environmental advocacy, serve as local environmental watchdogs, and achieve ecologically sustainable solutions within their own communities.

We aim to reach out to rural people so they take simple steps to save their land from degradation, and at the same time we must reach out leaders to ensure that future environmental and sustainable development policies are formulated and enforced.

The following key elements constitute our strategic action:

providing individuals, groups and associations with opportunities to be actively involved in sustainable development mechanisms, policies and events;
helping them to gain a variety of experiences in, and a basic understanding of, sustainable development principles;
promote the monitoring, watchdog and awareness building functions of African NGOs in the area of sustainable development and environment protection;
strengthen African NGOs and associations to become more organised and active in addressing sustainable development issues by facilitating and encouraging collective voice and action, networking, information exchange, research and development initiatives;
build the capacity of local NGOs and associations and to sensitize the public to manage and protect the environment in a manner that ensures both national and global benefits;
promote community action in the field of sustainable development and environment conservation by supporting small and medium scale projects which empower local communities to develop their own solutions to their environmental and development challenges.

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General Outcomes

The capacity of our members is enhanced through training and exchange of experiences and information among them;
The experiences, know-how and visions of members are communicated to the public and to international decision makers, with a view of influencing both national and global development decision-making;
African Non-Government Organizations are empowered to address sustainable development issues and poverty alleviation;
Strengthened NGO capacity to monitor and influence governments to take their role and responsibility in implementing mechanisms and policies related to sustainable development
Developed collective action of national and regional networks for mutual support as well as developing common advocacy positions.

Membership

Membership to CAF is open to NGOs, community groups and other non-profit entities with active interest and involvement in the environmental issues in Africa. Member organisations' activities may include, among other things, implementing various environmental activities at the community level, arranging meetings and seminars, holding symposia on environmental subjects, co-ordinating local community advocacy, promoting educational models and providing information to their members and the general public. CAF is organised around National Focal Points (NFPs) that work to facilitate cooperation among member organisations within their respective countries/regions.

The CAF Secretariat is based in England. It's main functions are: communicating with members in their regions/countries; collecting and disseminating relevant information to the public; progressing the views of the African region at international meetings and informing CAF members and supporters about the outcome of these international fora; establishing linkages and partnerships and maintain contacts with relevant international networks; organising conferences, seminars and training workshops for members and other African NGOs on sustainable development issues.

Conserve Africa National Focal Points

Their role is:

To represent Conserve Africa in relevant international events in the region and at the global and national levels and inform Conserve Africa partners and affiliates about the outcome of these meetings.
To create inks to relevant regional and national institutions, organisations and donors.
To coordinate and implement Conserve Africa activities in their regions (e.g. workshops, conferences, roundtable discussions, exchange visits, etc).
To bring interested partners and affiliates in national and regional issues-based consultations for developing proposals and action plans.
To recruit new partners and affiliates and encouraging them to join Conserve Africa.
To inform the Secretariat about new trends and developments in the area of sustainable development, the environment and natural resources I their regions.

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