British barrister Gordon Bennett and others will host a press conference on February 26, 2015, in Johannesburg.
\n© Survival International
\nBritish human rights lawyer Gordon Bennett, a Bushman spokesperson and a Survival International campaigner will host a press conference in Johannesburg to expose the persecution of tribal peoples in the name of “conservation.”
\nDate: Thursday, February 26, 2015
\nTime: 9-11am
\nPlace: Ascot Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa
\nThe conference will be held ahead of a symposium organized by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and others on “wildlife crime” in South Africa in February 2015, and a major “United for Wildlife” anti-poaching conference held in Botswana in March.
\nBritish Barrister Gordon Bennett will argue that wildlife law enforcement almost always harms tribal communities because the wrong laws are being enforced by the wrong people against the wrong people – with examples from Botswana, Cameroon and India.
\nTribal peoples like the Baka in southeast Cameroon have faced arrest and beatings, torture and death in the name of ‘conservation.’
\n© Survival International
\nIn India, tribal peoples are being forcibly and illegally evicted from tiger reserves, while tourists are welcomed in. Tribal peoples in Botswana and Cameroon are accused of “poaching” because they hunt their food. They face arrest and beatings, torture and death, while fee-paying big game hunters are encouraged.
\nThe Kalahari Bushmen’s right to hunt for food is a fundamental human right confirmed by Botswana’s High Court. President Khama has illegally banned all hunting in the country – except for wealthy trophy hunters. Bushmen caught hunting are arrested, beaten and tortured.
\nSurvival’s #HuntersNotPoachers campaign highlights the irony that tribal peoples are persecuted for hunting while trophy hunting is encouraged.
\n© Survival
\nTribal people and Survival International are calling on the United for Wildlife conference in Botswana to issue a statement on tribal subsistence hunting: “Tribal peoples shouldn’t be criminalized for hunting to feed their families.”
\nNotes to editors:
\nMr Bennett and the Bushman spokesperson will be available for interviews following the press conference, and will attend the IUCN symposium “Beyond Enforcement: Communities, governance, incentives and sustainable use in combating wildlife crime”, held in Muldersdrift, South Africa, from February 26-28, 2015;
\nThe “United for Wildlife” conference on the illegal wildlife trade will be held in Kasane, Botswana, on March 25, 2015;
\nSurvival recently launched its Parks Need Peoples campaign to challenge a model of conservation that has led to the persecution of tribal people, based on these 5 principles
\nPlease register your attendance at the press conference with press@survivalinternational.org
\nShare this news story
\nTweet
\nAct now to help the Bushmen
\nYour support is vital if the Bushmen are to survive. There are many ways you can help.
\nWriting a letter to the Botswana government is a quick and simple way to let them know of your concern.
\nJoin Survival’s tourism boycott to Botswana to place pressure on the government to respect the Bushmen’s rights.
\nDonate to the Bushman campaign (and other Survival campaigns).
\nWrite to your MP or MEP (UK) or Senators and members of Congress (US).
\nWrite to your local Botswana high commission or embassy.
\nIf you want to get more involved, contact Survival…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"