Written by Matheus do Nascimento*
On 25 October, the GLFx Africa-based chapters held the regional Community Meeting, a digital event where local restoration leaders leverage the power of knowledge-sharing and nurture collaborative opportunities among each other. The meeting started off with a presentation from Leonard Chibwana, from GLFx Lilongwe, about the Restoration Education curriculum, an ongoing project led by GLF, together with the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and Wageningen University and Research (WuR). This group of organizations seek advancing Pan African Restoration Education and engage multi-actors, including valuable voices like GLFx chapters to create a brighter future for African landscapes and communities. Leonard is involved in this development from its early stage. So far, he participated in several summits and workshops that are contributing to framing a comprehensive restoration education curriculum.
After this keynote presentation, three chapters representatives conducted a session on GLFx achievements at GLF Nairobi 2023 Hybrid Conference. Eva Makandi, from GLFx Meru, opened the floor by listing the sessions created and co-created by GLFx and partners to take part into shaping A New Vision for Earth. Eva, also known as Kandi, our representative described the event as a remarkable success that united voices from all over the world in a shared mission of restoration. “Speakers from Indonesia, Uganda, Peru, Kenya, and more iluminaste how their passions for conservation and restoration grew from personal backgrounds and are driving real changes” she highlighted. Kandi also stressed the discussion on challenges faced by local change-makers, which include financial support, gender inequality, and the disconnection between policy and practice.
Immediately after, Ekoaba Cevie from GLFx Nkambe shared her role as inspirational speaker at the Landscape Talk: Visionaries for Earth’s renewal where she conveyed a powerful message about making peace with Mother Earth and the importance of restoring the planet for the betterment of humanity. Ekoaba emphasized on the principles for an effective inspirational speech including authenticity, captivating the audience, organizing thoughts, exuding confidence, believing in the message, ensuring structural excellence, thorough preparation, flexibility, clarity, and an engaging tone. These tips underpinned the art of delivering an inspirational speech to deeply reach out to the audience for landscapes restoration.
Building upon the momentum, Caren Otieno from GLFx Nairobi described her experience participating in several learning and networking sessions in the road up to GLF Nairobi and in the main event. “It was a dynamic gathering uniting passionate individuals dedicated to landscape restoration” she stressed. Caren’s journey started at the Landscape Leadership Workshop created by Youth in Landscapes in partnership with the Global Landscapes Forum, the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), where she got a wellspring of inspiration from youth leaders coming from three world regions. Caren also represented the GLFx delegation in a networking session with CIFOR-ICRAF experts and peers, in the GLF-led Restoration Experiences, and the Youth-led climate circle. Among the main takeaways of these curated sessions, she highlighted the power of storytelling, the importance of consistency, motivation, and self-belief in driving change, and how multi-stakeholder collaboration, often guided by policies, played a pivotal role in achieving restoration goals.
In a third block, the community meeting also showcase the achievements and insights of chapters-led Watch Parties, organized by 10 chapters in Africa and Latin America, and gathering more than 280 local actors. Sunday Geoffrey, from GLFx Yaounde, and Yacinthe V. AGBADJAGAN from GLFx Porto Novo kicked off the presentation by remaking the type of stakeholders engaged, discussion topics, and collaboration agreements stem from these gatherings.
Brief presentations from GLFx Ibadan, GLFx Bawku and GLFx Juba chapters enriched the conversation by sharing tips and lessons to develop a successful Watch Party. Speakers agreed on highlighting how these events made GLF Nairobi 2023 accessible to a broader audience and enabled a safe environment for diverse voices come together to discuss, learn, and inspire action in the realm of landscape restoration and climate-conscious initiatives.
Followed by a round of closing words, the Africa Chapters Community Meeting finished with a shared feeling of celebration for the invaluable dedication of those working tirelessly in the field of restoration and conservation. Behind every restoration goal mentioned, there is the talent and determination of a GLFx chapter.
*in collaboration with Adrian Leitoro and Ana Yi