Dana Declaration on Mobile Peoples and Conservation

I am writing to update you with the latest news from the Standing Committee of the Dana Declaration. The committee met in June and discussed progress made against our forward strategy. The updated version attached show that significant progress has been made in all of the main areas. Many thanks to all of you who sent in news of actions taken to date.

Two major items of news are the transfer of the Dana Declaration bulletin board to an e-mail based list and the inclusion, promotion and representation of the Dana Declaration at the forthcoming World Parks Congress in Durban.

E-mail list serve
After consulting the participants about the usage of the bulletin board in the Dana Declaration website the overwhelming response was a request for an e-mail based system. This message represents the first communication via such list-serve to which you have been added automatically. Messages for circulation to the list are to be sent to webmaster@danadeclaration.org these messages will then be stored in chronological order for anyone who want to review them on the website. New members wishing to join the list can register via the website and everyone is encouraged to share news of other relevant newsgroups where the list can be promoted and individuals who may be interested in joining.

World Parks Congress
As many of you are no doubt aware the 5th World Parks Congress takes place from the 8th -17th September in Durban. This represents perhaps the single most important platform for the promotion of the Dana Declaration. The congress will set out future priorities and practical measures related to protected areas policy in the coming decade. A cross-cutting 'Theme on Indigenous and Local Communities, Equity and Protected Areas' (TILCEPA) has already been established. TILCEPA has proposed four areas for recommendations to be carried forward including one on the issue of Mobile Peoples and Protected Areas, these will be discussed at various themes throughout the conference ( full details of these and other proposed recommendations can be found at http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wpc2003/english/outputs/recommendations.htm - the TILCEPA recommendations are numbers 24-27). Please take the time to look through these and respond with any comments to the relevant person.

In addition to these recommendations funds have been granted by the IUCN to TILCEPA for a two-day preparatory workshop for around 20 representatives of nomadic, transhumant and other Mobile Peoples to plan their participation and inputs to the Congress, share the required information and organize activities and networking during the event. It is anticipated that they will offer a collective contribution towards an effective Plan of Action for Mobile Peoples and Protected Areas representing a coherent, action-oriented follow-up to the Dana Declaration. The preparatory workshop is being held in conjunction with a parallel workshop organised by the Indigenous People Ad Hoc Working Group for the WPC who are helping a number of mobile peoples, including two Bedouin from Jordan, attend both the workshops and the wider congress. We are very grateful for their support and would also like to take this opportunity to thank TILCEPA, IUCN, UNDP and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office - UK who have sponsored the participation at the WPC of tens of indigenous peoples including many mobile peoples.

On other related matters we are in the process of preparing a poster containing the text of the Dana Declaration for distribution at the WPC, as signatories you will each be sent a number of copies for distribution. Nic Turvey will also attend the WPC to collect more footage and financial support for a series of short educational films building on the success of 'Rum Business.'

Finally I would like to report that the Special Edition of the Journal of Nomadic Peoples based on the proceedings of the Dana Conference is undergoing final editing and will be available by the end of 2003. This edition is to be distributed to a wider readership as a supplement to the 'Biodiversity and Conservation' journal.

With best wishes on behalf of the Standing Committee on the Dana Declaration,

Dawn Chatty