By Riley Clark | Creative Development Assistant
Leadership Building Workshop | Akumal and Punta Allen
Activity overview: We recently held a very productive in-person workshop for our 2011 Generation—which is working to develop projects focused on the establishment of sustainable regional fisheries and marine protected areas in the Mesoamerican Reef Region—in Akumal and Punta Allen, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The purpose of the
workshop was to open a space for an exchange of experiences and knowledge about fishery management tools for the involvement of key stakeholders in conservation processes. Our fellows also took part in leadership skills trainings and worked with an expert consultant team to further design the activity and social development components of their projects. The meeting was attended by members of our 2011 Cohort—from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico—and a number of international and national experts in fisheries management, project design and group integration, such as Paquita Bath (AligningVisions), Luis Bourillón (Community and Biodiversity, AC), Maria José González, (MAR Fund); Omar Ortiz, (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas), Eduardo Rolon, (Community and Biodiversity, AC), Lorenzo Rosenzweig, (Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature, AC), Paul
Sanchez-Navarro, (Centro Ecológico Akumal), Carlos Terzano, (PDA) and Amy Hudson Weaver, (Niparajá Natural History Society, AC).
Results: Fellows’ projects’ strengthened by stakeholder involvement component; leadership skills such as influencing public policy and dealing with the press bolstered; 2011 Cohort Network Charter defined.
New website and Groupsite
Overview: On June 24, we launched our new bilingual website (http://www.liderazgosam.org). We also launched the MAR Leadership Groupsite—a “virtual meeting place” that is designed to promote collaboration, exchange and
communication between the members of the MAR Leadership Network. In addition to the website and Groupsite, the program has its own Facebook page as well as a YouTube page, which serves as an interactive platform between our program and an international audience–including organizations and individuals—with similar interests and
professions. We have included videos of our fellows to give interested applicants an idea of what the program is all about and have uploaded informative videos to educate our channel’s audience about the work we are doing and how we are going about doing it.
What’s new: Website | Leave comments, tweet and “like” posts, donate online via PayPal or GlobalGiving; Groupsite | Fellows can share, comment, and revise colleagues’ project proposals; collaborate on the design of MAR Leadership agendas; and build event calendars for further dissemination of regional conservation activities
New call for applications 2012
The MAR Leadership Program launched its 2012 Call for Applications on June 23: Establishment of a Network of Multifunctional Marine Reserves [Deadline to receive applications: 08 / 31 / 2011].
If you are an individual dedicated to the conservation of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and have a project or idea that facilitates the establishment of a network of Multifunctional Marine Reserves in the MAR, we invite you to apply.
We’re looking for individuals from all sectors and professional backgrounds. We strive to integrate diverse fellows in our program with the ability to cooperatively form a group vision for the conservation of the MAR. For more information, download the 2012 Call for Applications here: <<Convocatoria_2012>>.
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Synergies among fellows
Synergies among our 2010 Fellows continue to evolve. Pablo Besquin, upon meeting Maricarmen Garcia, came to understand the infrastructural needs of the Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve, where Maricarmen is park director. Following sustained communication, Pablo’s company decided to donate 12 AMAs® for placement within the biosphere reserve. The fruits of this collaboration are pending; funding is required to cover the transportation cost associated with moving the structures to the site. An important collaboration also took place between Yanú and Esvin this past year. Yanú is looking to replicate Esvin’s community tourism model in Honduras, after performing an analysis of the model’s compatibility and similarities between the two countries’ tourism and geographical profiles.
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