Current & recent activities
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Global Beacons of Hope are places carefully chosen to symbolize the imagination, exploration, and moral behavior needed to move the world toward greater justice and sustainability.
We believe putting a spotlight on them will help change minds and inspire action.
This project has its own website:
THE POSITIVE SPIRIT OF A PLACE
Depicting the spirit of a place by drawing on the positive values represented in its history and environment can be a practical, even a powerful, tool for understanding and guiding discussions about the future of a place or region -- and inspiring action toward greater justice and sustainability. Read more:
The Positive Spirit of a Place
This group is part of the World Commission on Protected Areas of IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature. InterEnvironment Institute has provided its chair and secretariat since it started in 2005.
The Specialist Group has its own website:
URBAN PROTECTED AREAS
Are critically important because:
>> They provide opportunities for large numbers of urban people to experience nature, including many who may not be able to visit more remote protected areas.
>> Conservation everywhere depends on support from urban voters, donors, and communicators. Yet people living in cities have less and less contact with nature.
The Natural Neighbors initiative seeks to introduce greatly increased numbers of people to the natural and cultural heritage of the regions where they live, by promoting and strengthening metropolitan and regional alliances of conservation and historic preservation agencies, museums, zoos, aquariums, botanic gardens, and other organizations devoted to protecting and interpreting their regions' natural and cultural heritage.
CHRONICLING THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
We were pioneers in producing print and online information guides in this field including six editions of the World Directory of Environmental Organizations. Two basic documents from that effort continue on this website: