Conserva Aves Initiative Regional Workshop: Constructive dialogue and strategic reflections for bird conservation in Latin America

Conserva Aves Initiative Regional Workshop: Constructive dialogue and strategic reflections for bird conservation in Latin America

On October 6, 2023, the Conserva Aves Initiative successfully held a Regional Conversatory under the virtual modality, bringing together 11 participants from eight organizations, including: Audubon Américas, Asociación Armonía in Bolivia, Fondo para la Acción Ambiental y la Niñez (Fondo Acción) of Colombia, Fondo de Inversión Sostenible (FIAS) of Ecuador, the Network of Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Funds (RedLAC), Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN), Fundación Natura of Panama, Fondo de Promoción de las Áreas Naturales Protegidas del Perú (Profonanpe). The diversity of voices included the participation of three men and eight women, all committed to the protection of birds in the region.

The main objectives of the Conversatory were to foster a constructive dialogue through the exchange of experiences, share and discuss the progress of the Conserve Aves Initiative at the national level, and identify areas of success and opportunities for improvement in its implementation at the regional scale.

Following the presentation of the Initiative’s progress by country, common challenges were discussed, such as: each country’s approach to Other Effective Measures for Area-based Conservation (OMEC), strategies for the creation of sub-national protected areas, sustainability of protected areas, as well as effective post-project management, among others.

During the Conversatory, FMCN and Fondo Acción identified elements of interest to share knowledge bilaterally, such as a tool known as “FOCO” that works as a diagnosis of institutional capacities provided by Fondo Acción to its partners and is accompanied by a strengthening plan, which is a successful instrument for the implementation of long-term calls for proposals.

This Regional Conversatory not only strengthened collaboration among the participating countries, but also highlighted the collective dedication and knowledge towards bird conservation in the Latin American region.

During the event, participants shared valuable reflections on the challenges and strategies for the sustainability of the Initiative. Among the agreements, the importance of continuing with these meetings periodically was highlighted. A new session is expected in early 2024.

Finally, this discussion highlighted the importance of teamwork based on principles of diversity, equity, justice and inclusion. The diversity of local actions, experiences and needs was recognized, and the need to convert these elements into positive impacts on a hemispheric scale was underscored. The objective is to obtain concrete results that transcend borders and generations, ensuring a more sustainable future for life in the Americas.