• Editorial: Corli Pretorius, Head of IUCN Global Communications
  
• Feature: Improving services to CEC members
  • The IUCN Commission Online Registration System
  • A CEC portal
  • Coming survey: How can we best engage volunteers in the activities of the Commission?
    
• Farewell to Wendy Goldstein
  
• Core team in the IUCN secretariat

Dear Colleagues, Friends,

IUCN is currently redefining its knowledge and learning management processes to build a 21 st century organization, ready to assume its’ leadership role in creating innovative and sustainable solutions to the development challenges society is facing.

But how could IUCN – as the world’s leading conservation organization – build the capacity of individuals and organizations to respond to these complex development challenges? How does IUCN meet the conservation challenges defined by the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) in a globalizing world?

Conservation knowledge and learning management must strive to tackle real world issues, facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among diverse stakeholders, and integrate strategic communications, engagement and learning into workflows. IUCN’s Commission on Education and Communication’s (CEC) was mandated to show the way:

• To foster leadership in conservation and sustainable development via the World Conservation Learning Network (WCLN), developing and distributing practical courses for professional development, drawing on knowledge within the Union , the experiences of key stakeholders and universities as partners in the initiative.
• To advocate for and support a programme for communication, education, participation and awareness (CEPA) linking the major environmental conventions with regional agreements and the Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
• To empower and support IUCN global thematic and regional component programmes to develop capacity in environmental and sustainable development education and communication, promoting learning and empowering stakeholders to participate in achieving IUCN’s mission.

In 2006, the Commission on Education and Communication, in collaboration with the IUCN Secretariat will be undertaking a number of projects and activities to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing in the implementation of IUCN’s 2005-2008 programme of work. We will soon be telling you more about:

• The regional networks in Mesoamerica and southern Africa being developed within the framework of the World Conservation Learning Network (WCLN);
• How CEC continues to support the Convention on Biological Diversity and what IUCN is planning to do at COP8 of the Convention (March 20-31, Curitiba, Brazil);
• How CEC continues to support the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development; and
• Opportunities for inter-Commission collaboration.

Much has happened since the 2004 Bangkok Congress and the first task at hand is now to make sure that you know what is planned and we know how you would like to participate in the exciting year ahead. For this reason, the Secretariat is developing a suite of improved services to CEC members. I would also like to introduce the core team at the Secretariat that will be working with the Commission.

We are looking forward to joining forces in the months ahead.

Happy New Year!

Corli Pretorius
Head: IUCN Global Communications

Three initiatives designed to stimulate membership engagement, as well as facilitate and maximize collaboration within and between commissions, will be launched in the first quarter of 2006.  These are (1) the IUCN Commission On-line Registration System, (2) the CEC web-based portal, and (3) the CEC membership survey.

The IUCN Commission Online Registration System
Invited CEC members will be able to accept or decline their invitation to the Commission via the IUCN Commission Online Registration System (CoReg). Once you have accepted your invitation, you will be able to manage your personal member’s profile, including updating your contact details and deciding to what extent you would like others to view your information. Registered commission members will also be able to search members of all IUCN’s Commissions and view their contact details (as permitted by individual commission members). The Commission Online Registration System will be activated as from February 2006.

A CEC Portal
Linked to the IUCN CoReg system, a CEC web-based portal will provide additional functionality for sharing and contributing information among CEC members, including sharing resources and information on CEC-relevant activities and upcoming events, developing documents (for example, project proposals) in working groups, and engaging in online surveys and discussion forums. If you would like to help us with the development of the CEC portal, please write to Cecilia (ctn@iucn.org) and we will include you in our testing group.

Coming survey: How can we best engage volunteers in the activities of the Commission?
Membership engagement is a priority for the Commission on Education and Communication in 2006. Recognizing that this requires better communication and relationship management, we will soon be inviting all current members to complete an on-line survey on your needs, expectations and interests.

Wendy
After some 14 years coordinating support to the Commission from within the IUCN headquarters, Wendy Goldstein returned to her home and family in Sydney , Australia in June 2005 where she is now a Lecturer in Sustainable Development at the University of Macquarie . There she works with Masters Students from Australia and abroad as they develop their understanding of education for sustainable development within the university's Graduate School of the Environment. In and out of teaching, Wendy is working with team members in the Australian Research Institute for Education for Sustainability (ARIES) to prepare a portal on education for sustainability, which should be of interest to CEC members (It is currently being tested and will soon to be posted at http://www.aries.mq.edu.au/efsportal.htm). Wendy has kindly agreed to continue to support the work of the Commission by becoming an active member herself!

Email: wgoldstein@gse.mq.edu.au

Corli
Corli Pretorius ( Gland , Switzerland ) is the Head of IUCN’s Global Communications Unit. The Global Communications Unit is responsible for advancing conservation learning, influencing and engagement strategies, corporate communications and publishing in the implementation of IUCN’s programme of work. The Unit collaborates with communicators and technical staff in the commission, thematic and regional programmes worldwide. Corli works closely with the Chair of the Commission on Education and Communication and reports to Gabriel Lopez, the Secretariat’s Director of Global Strategies.
E-mail Corli: corli.pretorius@iucn.org

Gillian
Gillian Martin Mehers ( Gland , Switzerland ) will be assuming the role of the Conservation Learning Coordinator at IUCN Headquarters as of January 2006, initially on a part-time basis while she is concluding her existing commitment as Senior Advisor for Capacity Development to LEAD. Gillian has been with LEAD International (Leadership for Environment and Development) since 1998 as the Director of Capacity Development. Having been a CEC Member for 9 years and on the Steering Committee for the past 2, she is delighted to be assuming the position of Conservation Learning Coordinator to help further support the work of the Commission.
E-mail Gillian: gillian.martinmehers@iucn.org

Lizzie
Elisabeth Auchincloss ( Gland , Switzerland ) is now the Conservation Learning Officer based in IUCN Headquarters. Since joining IUCN in December 2003, Lizzie has been involved in numerous projects supporting the work of CEC. These have included co-editing the CEC publications “Communicating Protected Areas” and “Achieving Environmental Objectives”, as well as supporting and reporting on CEC’s work and events during the World Conservation Congress in Bangkok, 2004. As Conservation Learning Officer, Lizzie is now focused on the development of the World Conservation Learning Network (WCLN).
E-mail: elisabeth.auchincloss@iucn.org

Cecilia
Cecilia Nizzola-Tabja ( Gland , Switzerland ) has been working with IUCN’s Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) since 1992. Cecilia supported the development of the Commission’s network of environmental communication and education experts to make it a leading force in IUCN counting 800 members by the end of the period 2000-2004. Cecilia’s responsibilities have expanded over the years and besides administering the membership of the network and managing logistics of its meetings, she will be responsible for the development of the CEC portal. Any enquiries about CEC and its membership should be directed to Cecilia (in English, French or Spanish).
E-mail: cecilia.nizzola-tabja@iucn.org / ctn@iucn.org

Ana
Ana Puyol ( Quito , Ecuador ) works with the Commission as the World Conservation Learning Network (WCLN) Focal Point for Latin America and as Assistant to the Chair and Deputy Chair. For over ten years Ana has been part of the CEC support team, first as the Regional Coordinator of CEC in IUCN’s Regional Office for South America . Having played a vital role in organizing and following up on the Mesoamerican meeting held in August 2005 at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico – at which the first regional network of WCLN was established – she is now busily supporting the organization of a similar southern African meeting to be hosted at the University of Stellenbosch, near Cape Town in May 2006.
E-mail: anapuyol@andinanet.net