Visualising Community Conservation in Nicaragua (Workshop)

How do you create an effective, community-driven action plan that transcends language barriers in an area under constant threat? The Rama and Kriol peoples of Indio Maiz, Nicaragua have faced hurricanes, fires, illegal invasion, persecution and civil conflict in efforts to protect their ancestral lands. Through remarkable determination, they have worked together to create a visual action plan, designed to be simple, but not simplistic, clear and accessible to all community members – regardless of linguistic background, literacy or age. These communities have taken full ownership of their plan, in contrast to conventional plans produced by conservation ‘experts’.

With representatives of the Rama and Kriol people, the first part of the workshop will review the participatory planning process the communities undertook, examine the resulting unique visual action plan, and describe community-led actions to implement it. The second part of the workshop will be a challenge exercise for participants to find ways of presenting complex concepts in clear, imaginative, graphic ways – inspiring them to think differently about making conservation outputs useful, especially when language or literacy is a challenge. Come join us! Especially if you are interested in community conservation, protected area management, visual design, or creative communication.

Speakers in this session are:

• Princess Beckford, Kriol representative
•  Lorenzo Humphris, Rama representative
• Carrie Stengel, Global Wildlife Conservation
  
• Christopher Jordan, Global Wildlife Conservation
• Mike Appleton, Global Wildlife Conservation