Do not let anyone tell you that dreams do not come true – this is a story about a dream that came true and that can change the future for wildlife and the world. It began in 2008 when thousands of people including national leaders and conservation practitioners from around the world gathered in Barcelona, Spain, to attend the IUCN’s World Conservation Congress (WWC). The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), based in Switzerland, is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has committed $500,000 to support the upcoming World Conservation Congress event in Honolulu. The award was presented to the National Host Committee, which includes fiscal sponsor East-West Center and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Officials are more than halfway to their $10 million fundraising goal for next year’s “Planet at the Crossroads” World Conservation Congress. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress 2016 will be held in Hawaii for the first time in its 68-year history.
With a mammoth conservation event heading to Honolulu in less than a year, organizers are ramping up to be ready to host up to 10,000 delegates from around the world. “Hawaii is indeed a microcosm of what’s happening worldwide,” Enrique Lahmann, IUCN global director, told reporters Wednesday at the Hawaii Convention Center. Randall Tanaka, WCN executive director, said it’s appropriate that Hawaii is the host with the 2016 theme being, “Planet at the Crossroads,” not just because of where the islands are located geographically but because of the universal nature of so many issues that the state struggles with and has found solutions for.
Several thousand leaders and decision-makers from government, business, academia and indigenous communities are gathering for the IUCN World Conservation Congress at the Hawai‘i Convention Center from Sept. 1 to 10, 2016. The theme of this year’s conference, to be held for the first time in Hawaii (and the U.S.), is “Planet at the crossroads.” The Congress is divided into two parts – the Forum, which is open to the wider public, and the Members’ Assembly, a global environmental parliament where member organizations discuss and vote on a wide range of issues that guide the IUCN work program and partnership initiatives. A call for contributions went out in June for any interested groups that want to host an event during the conference’s Forum.
The world’s largest conservation event is heading to the Aloha State in 2016. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Council has selected Hawaii as the host of the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress.The Congress is held every four years and “brings together leaders from government, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, business, UN agencies and indigenous and grass-roots organizations to discuss and decide on solutions to the world’s most pressing environment and development challenges”, the organization says.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will hold its 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Hawaii. This will be the first time a U.S. location is hosting the WCC since IUCN’s inception in 1948.“This is both an honor and opportunity for us to show the entire conservation community, the world over, how Hawaii has adopted a leadership role in preserving and protecting resources, developing sustainability programs on multiple-fronts, and addressing many of the issues associated with global climate change,” Gov. Neil Abercrombie said.
It’s a first for Hawaii, and a first for the country, too.The International Union for Conservation of Nature Council on Wednesday selected Hawaii to host the world’s largest conservation event in 2016.Hawaii beat out Turkey, the other finalist, to earn the global convention. It will be the first time the World Conservation Congress will be held in the United States, and coincides with the 100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service.
The state is showcasing its position in a bid to host the 2016 World Conservation Congress, presented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. If Hawaii is successful in its bid, it would be the first time for the US to host the international event. “Based on our success hosting the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Conference, I believe we have a compelling case as to why the United States and Hawaii provide the ideal venue to host this gathering,” said Governor Neil Abercrombie in a department press release.