On August 12, the 10th World Elephant Day is approaching, the World Elephant Day conference jointly organized by the CBCGDF, World Ape Alliance, Elephant Conservation Initiative, and BGI Gene will be held online.
The purpose of this conference is to promote international cooperation in elephant protection from the dimensions of genes, species, and habitats, and promote the synergy of protecting biodiversity and addressing climate change. More than 20 international and domestic authorities in related fields, including the executive secretary-general of the UN’s Convention for the Protection of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, tropical biologists, policy experts, and ecologists, will gather in the live broadcast room for multi-party dialogue and joint appeals. Promote global elephant protection and build a community of shared destiny in which man and nature live in harmony.
Here are list of our distinguished speakers:
- Dr. Zhou JinfengDr. Zhou Jinfeng is the secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF). HE is also an active promoter, practitioner and researcher of ecological civilization and environmental protection He has played leading roles in the development of China which include: Being a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for the ninth, tenth and eleventh session, Standing committee member of the All China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and Vice-Chair of the National Association of Vocational Education China (NAVEC) for the ninth and tenth session.
- Dr. Yang HuanmingDr. Yang Huanming is a Chinese biologist, businessman and one of China’s leading genetics researchers. He is Chairman and co-founder of the Beijing Genomics Institute, formerly of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was elected as member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2007, a foreign academician of Indian National Science Academy in 2009, a member of the German National Academy of Sciences in 2012, and foreign associate of the US National Academy of Science in 2014.
- Chen YongsongChen Yongsong is the founder of EcoNetwork (Yunnan shengtaiwang), an environmental NGO headquartered in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province.
- Dr.Lu ShanlongHe is an associate researcher at the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Zhang ChenlinDeputy Director of Beijing Zoo
- Ran-Tong Save & Rescue Elephant CentreRan-Tong is devoted to rescuing abused elephants from all over Thailand and surrounding countries. Every elephant rescued is brought to the sanctuary in Chiang Mai and cared for with great passion and enthusiasm. Our mission is not only geared towards protection and prevention of abused Elephants in Thailand but also to educate the public of their long history within Thai culture. Founded in 2009, Ran-Tong has rescued over 40 elephants to date with the help of public generosity, support, and private donation they can continue their ongoing vital work.
- Amy FraenkelAmy Fraenkel is Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.She has over 30 years of experience in international environmental law and policy. She has held senior positions in several UN agencies, the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. Government, and worked in the private sector as an attorney.
- John ScanlonHe is the former Secretary-General of CITES, the current Chief Executive Officer of the Elephant Conservation Initiative Foundation, the Chairman of the Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime, and the Chairman of the British Government’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. In 2019, he was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) for his outstanding service to wildlife protection and conservation in international organizations.
- Rajendra Shende Chairman MR. Rajendra Shende is the current president of the TERRE policy center, the former Director of the United Nations Environment Program(UNEP), co-author of the Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change, and one of the 2007 Nobel peace prize winners. Through the teams of professionals and experts that he led from UNEP’s five offices worldwide i.e. Paris, Bangkok, Nairobi, Bahrain and Panama City he led the capacity building and technology support programme under the Multilateral Ozone Fund and Global Environmental Facility (GEF). The programme has contributed in stabilizing the Stratospheric Ozone Layer and preventing a global catastrophe by enabling developing countries to comply with the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol is now considered as the most successful Multilateral Environmental Agreement so far, having put the Ozone layer on the path to recovery.
- Manori GunawardenaManori Gunawardena is a wildlife scientist who started off as a researcher at Centre for Conservation Research, studying elephant ranging patterns and land use based on radio telemetry in Southern Sri Lanka in 1996. She has experience in mitigating human wildlife interactions and advocates for science-based approaches to development planning. She is also the Country Representative for Born Free Foundation UK since 2015. Was appointed to the Presidential Committee on Developing the Sri Lanka National Action Plan for Human Elephant Conflict Mitigation in 2020.
- David CasselmanDavid Casselman is a recognized trial specialist, successfully representing both plaintiffs and defendants for decades. In addition, throughout his 38-year legal career, he has been a passionate defender of animals. Among his many animal related cases, all handled pro bono, he represented Robert Culp and Aaron Leider in the highly publicized litigation over the premature deaths of elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo. He is one of the co-authors of the “Hayden Law” in California, which requires extended medical care and protection for stray animals which are held by public shelters. He has also served as chosen mediator between public and private entities regarding proper care of animals at public shelters.
- Sangdeaun Lek ChailertFounder of Save Elephant FoundationWith a love and respect for her country’s national symbol, and the knowledge that they were becoming endangered, Lek began advocating for the rights and welfare of the Asian elephants in Thailand. In an industry steeped in tradition, advocating for positive change in the ways domestic and wild Asian elephants are treated has not been an easy battle. However, with hard work and determination her voice is now internationally recognized. In addition to several documentaries produced by National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet and the BBC, Lek has also won many honorary awards.
- lvonne HigueroIvonne Higuero is the current Secretary-General of CITES. She has worked in the United Nations for more than 20 years and served as the Director of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. During her 24 years with the UN, Ivonne has held varied roles managing and overseeing the implementation of programmes of work, managing financial and human resources, and the provision of secretariat services to intergovernmental bodies. With the adoption of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, Ivonne was responsible for ensuring the alignment of programmes of work to support countries in meeting their international commitments also through cross-sectoral cooperation.
- Dr. Peter LiDr. Li is associate professor at University of Houston-Downtown. He teaches East Asian Politics, U.S. Foreign Policy, Politics and Animal Rights, Contemporary China, and international relations. His research focuses on China’s animal law and policies. His “Enforcing Wildlife Protection in China” is one of the most cited of his works. “Re-opening the Trade after SARS: China’s Wildlife Industry and the Fateful Policy Reversal” (Environmental Policy and Law, 50 (2020), pp. 251-267) is the most recent research paper on the role of the wildlife business interest in China’s wildlife policymaking. Dr. Li’s book Animal Welfare in China: Culture, Politics and Crisis (University of Sidney Press, 2021) focuses on China’s contemporary politics and its impact on the country’s animal related policymaking.
- Dr. Hiu Man ChanDr Hiu Man Chan is a lecturer and consultant specialising in UK-China, EU-China relations in the creative industries, particularly the film sector. An entrepreneur at heart and passionate about knowledge transfer, she is Founder and Director of a non-profit ogranisation, UK-China Film Collab and Series Editor of Intellect China Library.
- Alice HughesAlice is a conservation biologist based in Asia. Alice holds board positions for around 7 ecological societies and 2 NGOS and works through these to build conservation capacity in upcoming conservationists and to try to implement conservation science and help guide conservation on regional scales. Her research aims to understand patterns of biodiversity and drivers of biodiversity change, with an aim to inform more rigorous & appropriate conservation. She and her team use a wide variety of approaches and tools for anything from understanding species biogeography, to developing monitoring tools or understanding interactions.
- Grant BurdenGrant Burden is a Special Advisor for Elephant Conflict, African Elephant Conservation Initiative Foundation. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the management of protected areas in East Africa and have been extensively involved on the ground in the Serengeti ecosystem in managing and mitigating against human wildlife conflict. Previously, he was also a member of the CBCGDF Elephant International Working Group and actively brainstorming ideas for the construction of the Yunnan Elephant Reserve.
- Dr. Ben Okita-Ouma, MBS.Dr Ben Okita-Ouma, MBS. is the Director of Conservation Policy and Planning at Save the Elephants, and the co-Chair of the IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group. He is currently actively involved in the conservation landscape and land use planning in Kenya in an effort to secure wildlife corridors and dispersal areas -one of Kenya’s Vision 2030 development blueprint projects.He headed both the rhino and the species conservation programmes at the Kenya Wildlife Service and is the immediate outgoing Securing Vice Chair of the IUCN/SSC African Rhino Specialist Group. His BSc, MSc and Doctoral theses focused on the black rhino ecology and population dynamics. He has 22 years of professional experience, is well published & peer reviewed and in 2008 was awarded Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) by the President of the Republic of Kenya for his distinguished service to the nation.
- Holly BudgeHolly Budge, Founder and leader of international non-profit ‘How Many Elephants’, uses design to bridge the gap between scientific data and human connection. Holly makes data visual through her powerful design-led exhibition, to educate and inspire a worldwide audience about the devastating impacts of the African Elephant ivory trade. Holly has spent time on the front line with multiple all-female anti-poaching teams in Africa, inspiring the recent launch of World Female Ranger Day on June 23rd, which attracted global media coverage to celebrate and support female anti-poaching rangers across the world.
- Dr. Fabio BerzaghiDr.Fabio Berzaghi is a Marie-Curie research fellow at the Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Sciences, a French laboratory that conducts science for initiatives such as the IPCC reports and global carbon monitoring. Fabio has a background in Computer Science and a PhD in ecology and his research intersects ecology, climate sciences, and conservation. Fabio studies the role of animals in maintaining healthy ecosystems and how the interactions between animals and their environment influence ecosystem and climate.
- Ralph ChamiRalph Chami He co-founded two entities, Rebalance Earth and Blue Green Future, dedicated to realizing the value of the natural world to our well-being and integrating them into our economic system.
- Walid Al SaqqafWalid Al Saqqaf is CEO and co-founder, Rebalance Earth. Rebalance Earth is a purpose driven company whose aim is to build a resilient, equitable & sustainable economy, underpinned by a regenerative nature & thriving local communities.
The conference will be broadcast live on Kechuang China, the Home of Technologists APP and the CBCGDF Media Baijiahao, Youtube, Weibo, Station B and other platforms.
You are invited to listen to the insights and raise awareness about wild protection. On the evening of August 12th, at 18:30!
See on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynyyIWspz_I , or check CBCGDF China
See on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbcgdf1985/
By Syying
cbcgdf.wordpress.com 