Press Release 13 July 2004

Eleventh Iwokrama Board of Trustees Meeting to Be Held July 13-16th in Iwokrama Forest

Iwokrama Forest, Region 8 - The International Board of Trustees (IBOT) of Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development continues to redefine and rededicate itself by holding its 11th annual meeting; the first within the reserve itself. This meeting will be followed by a press conference and public forum to be held in Georgetown (details below).

As its name suggests, the IBOT is comprised of members from as near as Region 9, Guyana, and as far as the United Kingdom and United States. Included on the IBOT are Ministers of Guyana, local community leaders, and international experts and advocates in the field of sustainable development. "It is extremely difficult to schedule and gather the members for the meetings, even when they occur in Georgetown or London. We are all very excited to have everyone gather in the place that is the heart of Iwokrama - the nearly one million acres that is the site for cutting edge conservation techniques," commented Iwokrama's Director General (Ag), Graham Watkins, Ph.D.

The IBOT is on the cusp of implementing important new developments in the 10 year old non-profit organisation's history. These include the appointment of a new Chairperson and other Trustees, initial reports from three new committees established last January (Finance and Fund Raising, Nominations, and Programme), and review of both an Intellectual Property Rights agreement with local communities and a proposed timber harvesting operation. (Documents for both these issues are currently available for public comment on the Iwokrama web site, www.iwokrama.org.)

An extremely critical element up for review and approval by the IBOT is a new three year business plan and budget for Iwokrama. The non-profit organisation is still suffering from a funding crisis that resulted in major cutbacks in staff and operational funding in 2003. According to Dr. Watkins, "The past two years brought rapid and sometimes painful institutional change. In response to the need to rationalise funding and expenditures, Iwokrama reduced its annual operational budget from US$2.5 million to US$1.2 million." The organisation is in the midst of migrating from dependency on overseas development agencies to financial self-sufficiency as a result of its transition from a research and planning organisation to a business and action-oriented institution. Ecologically sound forest-based businesses such as selective timber harvesting, forest management training, and ecotourism, in conjunction with the implantation of private donor fundraising, are expected to fuel the new business plan and set the stage for a reinvigorated and financially secure Iwokrama.

Media representatives are invited to a press briefing at 16:00 hours on 16th July 2004 at the Iwokrama office, High Street, Kingston. Members of the public are invited to the public forum at 19:00 hours on 16th July 2004 in the Campbell Room of the Georgetown Club, Camp Street, Georgetown.