Space for Giants Conservation programme drills journos
Conservation said to be at the heart of key sustainable development
Raising awareness on critical issues related to conservation is one way to educate the public on key environmental issues, and motivate communities to prioritise environmental protection, in order to preserve natural eco- systems, and wildlife, particularly in light of the debilitating impacts of climate change, says Space for Giants Conservation Programme Communications Officer, Mike Pflanz. Pflanz told this publication that the first port of action was capacitating media on reportage and that is why they had spearheaded the Space for Giants Conservation Journalism Programme, which recently started in Botswana for the first time. The programme brings together selected journalists to train them in reporting on issues related to conservation across board, including wildlife crime, climate change, and flora and fauna protection; with the hope of ensuring that the public is kept up to date on issues relating to conservation, which has an underlying impact on the livelihoods of people, and the economy. It is the first time that the programme is running in Botswana, having been started in Kenya and Uganda over the past few years, and was recently rolled out to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Angola. The first cohort from Botswana recently took part in a rigorous MasterClass in Gaborone and Serowe, where they were workshopped by experienced investigative journalists, and engaged with conservation and wildlife experts, as well as policy makers, community members and traditional leaders on issues of conservation and its impact on the lives of Batswana. The selected journalists for the 2022 programme are: Bonniface Keakabetswe, Dave Baitse, Innocent Tshukudu, Keletso Thobega, Solomon Tjinkeya and Thobo Motlhoka.
The conservation journalism programme is funded by USAIDS Southern Africa through Vuka Now initiative, and implemented by Space for Giants, an international organisation that raises awareness on wildlife protection.
Plafnaz said their main aim is to increase the number of quality stories on, and increase the visibility of specialised reporting on conservation in Africa. He noted that it is important for Africans to tell African stories to not only share what is happening on the ground, but to also give a localised perspective on issues to a global audience. “The locals have the advantage that they better understand the reality on the ground, and some of the challenges that affect their people on a day- to- day basis, within their communities.”
Pflanz further noted that mentoring and funding African journalists to produce more stories about conservation and wildlife crime would help audiences to better comprehend the value of their natural resources. He cited, for example, that wildlife crime is a multi- billion dollar illicit business on the continent and it decimates Africa’s wildlife and biodiversity, and also undermines the economic prosperity and sustainable development, as well as impoverishes people of their cultural and natural resource heritage; threatens to erode social cohesion and stability, in addition to threatening regional peace and security. He said offering journalists rigorous training in understanding and covering conservation stories would help widen the reach of the reporting both in Africa and beyond, and “amplify African voices in global discussions about conservation.”