Jean – Christophe Bokika, Executive Chairman of Mbou-Mon-Tour, in Paris: a look back at the Biodiversity & Development Conference!

Should we act for, with and/or by local populations in  biodiversity conservation projects? This was the subject of the round table discussion moderated by Victor Narat and organised on 18 October as part of the “How can we improve synergies between international cooperation players in the regions? ” by the  IUCN French Comittee with the support of  AFD – Agence Française de Développement &  Office français de la biodiversité !

Jean-Christophe Bokika, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Congolese NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour, and partner of the PPI, was present alongside nicolas hubert, researcher at UQAM | Université du Québec à Montréal, Hannah Mowat, Campaigns Coordinator at the Fern NGO, and Judicaël Fétiveau, Natural Resources Management Project Officer at the GRET NGO!

Addressing international donors, our partner reiterated the need to support initiatives that emanate from local civil society, and stressed the importance of raising awareness and mobilising indigenous populations upstream of the creation of Protected Areas. In his view, supporting the emergence of initiatives emanating from local communities, and then accompanying them in the implementation of projects, is the ideal way to take action for the integrated preservation of biodiversity, capable of responding to local socio-cultural and economic issues.

In this respect, the trajectory of his association is a fine example of success: by mobilising 9 villages in the Bolobo area to conserve the bonobos, Mbou-Mon-Tour has helped to create the first community forests in the DRC. Today, these forests are managed entirely by the local populations, who have always considered the bonobos to be fully integrated into their territory!

👉 To know more about Mbou-Mon-Tour : https://lnkd.in/eQ8svxWg