The LCA Chapter in Namibia under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism, Leon Jooste launched the annual council meeting, earlier this week, which will be held from 4-7 September 2008 at Okakeujo in the Etosha National Park.
The meeting will be attended by VIPs such as Howard Buffet (philanthropist - Howard G. Buffett Foundation), Sabine Plattner (Fancourt and Plattner Foundation) as well as Heads of Conservation of various African countries.
The council meeting will be preceded by the Presidents Breakfast that will take place on 4 September at the Windhoek Country Club, an opportunity for local business and conservation leaders to meet the African and International counterparts.
To make the President's breakfast possible, six local companies namely, De Beers Group of Companies, Shell, Frans Indongo Group, Methealth Namibia, Sanlam Investment Management Services and Pupkewitz Group of Companies were invited to support the venture. At the media launch, the six sponsors reconfirmed their contributions which totals a significant N$100,000 and were also thanked by Leon Jooste, for their contributions which enable the vital link between conservation and business.
Standard Bank Namibia part of Africa's biggest banking group as an anchor sponsor to LCA has also confirmed their sponsorship of N$250,000 towards the council meeting up in Okakeujo, Etosha National Park.
Leadership for Conservation in Africa (LCA) is a joint venture between global business and African conservation leaders. The LCA was initiated by South African National Parks (SANParks) and established with support from two additional founding patrons, Gold Fields Ltd, as well as the IUCN (The World Conservation Union), in collaboration with the Heads of Conservation of 16 African countries. As an endorsed NEPAD Flagship Programme, the LCA is aimed at unifying African countries as part of the African Renaissance to become a developing continent in its own right.
The LCA is seeking both business and political support to assist in the positioning of its movement. The support of credible and committed business leaders could significantly influence the conservation and development debate in Africa. In addition the business leaders could assist to position the conservation authorities in managing one of the few remaining sustainable products Africa offers, ie. wildlife
In the keynote address, Leon Jooste said, “It is my personal conviction that the Leadership for Conservation in Africa has the potential to influence conservation and business in Africa through a network of like-minded individuals and entities sharing the same vision in unity. It is an enormous privilege for Namibia to host this event and even more importantly to be part of this organisation to achieve tangible results for both business and conservation in our country.”
Harold Pupkewitz, executive chairman of Pupkewitz Holdings in his sponsors address confirmed that, conservation is good business and has called on business to ensure that environmental conservation is not only a plug-in or an unwelcome intrusion but should be an essential part of every company's core business. He further indicated that conservation calls for leadership with a clear vision of the future, the ability to empower everyone by making the vision personally meaningful and urgent and with a passion for action, not just another workshop or conference. He concluded with the hope that LCA succeeds in its mission.
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