The Federation for a Sustainable Environment (FSE) hereby congratulates The National Association of Conservancies of South Africa (NACSA) and its Chairperson, Anthony Duigan, his wife, Helen Duigan and its Operations Director, Mercia Komen on a very successful “Seeding Sustainable Living: the power of conservancies” Conference, held at the Sizanani Conference Centre in Bronkhorstspruit on the 14th and 15th of June, 2008.
The theme “Seeding Sustainable Living: the power of conservancies” was chosen because it combines two important concepts:
The need for a sustainable and appropriate lifestyle in tune with the environment, and choices that consider the impact we have on the generations who entrust the land to us;
The strong platform that community-based conservation, as represented by the conservancy movement, brings into play.
The programme included presentations by:
- Dr. Peter Lukey, the Chief Director of Air Quality Management and Climate Change for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism who helped in setting up the Green Scorpions as Chief Director: Regulatory Services before being appointed to his current position in 2005;
- Carin Bosman, a leading professional in environmental management in South Africa and former Director: Water Resource Protection and Waste Management at the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry,
- Grant Walters, the principal environmental officer in Compliance at Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment,
- Onkgopotse Tabana, the Chairman of Indalo Yethu, who won the Communicator of the Year Award in 2002;
- Jan Horn as “Professor Pink” and producer of SABC 3’s Knock Knock, who won several awards, among others the coveted Artes Awards.
- Kim Kieser of the Soul Foundation,an award winning NGO that has developed an integrated waste management and micro-entrerprise model for rehabilitating urban and rural waterways;
- Dr. Chris Brown of Namibia Nature Foundation,
- Charles Wangenye, the Coordinator for the Centre for Environmental Development,
- Sue Bellinger, the regional co-ordinator for”Project 90 by 2030″
- Mariette Liefferink on behalf of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment.
The Federation for a Sustainable Environment (FSE) furthermore expresses its very cordial thanks to the NACSA for the inclusion of the FSE in its programme.
At the conference Mariette Liefferink received acknowledgement and an award from NACSA. The award is in recognition of the work of Ordinary People who make an Extraordinary effort for the Environment.
