IUCN Peace Parks book explores how protected areas can resolve conflict

Just in from the IUCN:

A book which examines how environmental conservation can be used to contribute to peace-building in conflict zones has just been published.

Peace Parks, with a foreword by the World Conservation Union’s Director General, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, explores how the parks can help resolve political and territorial disputes.

The book, edited by Saleem Ali, who is a member of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas, describes real-life examples such as the Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor in Africa and the Emerald Triangle conservation zone in Indochina. It also looks to the future and investigates the peace-building potential of envisioned parks in security-intensive areas, such as the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea and the US-Mexican border.

In her foreword, Julia Marton-Lefèvre wrote: “The linkage between a healthy environment and peace is increasingly apparent. Many of the roots of current and future conflicts stem from competition for scarce natural resources."

Read more - and find out how to order from the IUCN. We look forward to reading it too.

Learn more about our Sustainable Peace Programme which we run in partnership with the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation as well as the Roots of Reconciliation: Humanising Enemies wilderness based course.

WFUK on BBC Radio 4 Programme "Excess Baggage"

The Wilderness Foundation UK was recently invited to participate in the popular BBC Radio 4 travel programme "Excess Baggage". The edition on which WF-UK Director Jo Roberts guested was broadcast on Saturday 26th May 2007, with the theme of the show being "wilderness".

From the BBC Radio 4 website:

Once upon a time the wilderness was everywhere but mankind brought about a distinction between hearth and home and the great outdoors. Agriculture tamed and harnessed the wilderness of the natural world. In the twenty first century how much of it is left and should we even contemplate going to what remains?

John McCarthy asks what is wilderness and talks to Jo Roberts, Director of the Wilderness Foundation and to DrNick Middleton, Supernumerary Fellow in Physical Geography at St Anne's College, Oxford whose main research interest is in the nature and human use of deserts and their margin

Jo described the work of the Foundation and how it acts to promote and protect the value of wilderness areas. She also discussed the importance of wilderness areas and wild landscape, in Scotland and South Africa, as a forum for establishing a lasting peace between former adversaries in the Northern Ireland conflict, under the Glencree Sustainable Peace Programme.

The broadcast was very well received. Thank you to everybody who took the time to contact the Foundation and offer congratulations to Jo on raising the profile of wilderness.

Don't forget that you can aid us in our work through renewing your membership or making a donation.

If you missed the programme when it was broadcast you can use the BBC iPlayer "Listen Again" feature.