Foreword Ninety Years and Growing: How Birdlife Went from a Council of Experts to Everybody’S Global Partnership
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Foreword Ninety years and growing: how BirdLife went from a council of experts to everybody’s global Partnership Presentation by Peter J. Schei The years 2012 and 2013 mark important anniversaries in the history of bird conser- vation. Ninety years ago, in 1922, BirdLife International, then under the name of the International Committee for Bird Preservation (ICBP) was founded, creating the first truly global conservation organisation. 1992 saw the publication of the first volume of the Handbook of the Birds of the World, which 20 years later has grown into the first work ever to illustrate and describe in detail all the living species of birds, and also the first to present every member of an entire Class of the Animal Kingdom. The year 2013 will be the twentieth year of the BirdLife Partnership, which in 1993 sprang from the foundations laid by the ICBP. Millions of people all over the world have a special relationship with birds. Birds are actors in many fairy tales and embedded in culture and religion as omens, symbols and mythical creatures that can bring peace, good or bad luck, or even bring the Holy Spirit down to Earth. They are important elements of lives and livelihoods, and remain crucial links between man and nature in those parts of the world that are rapidly losing this contact today. They are increasingly important as entry points to understanding that our own species is mistreating our precious planet with accelerating speed. In 1883, the first organisation of concerned citizens was established to work for the protection of birds and nature in the broader context. This was the Bombay Natu- ral History Society in what is now Mumbai, India. The world’s largest national bird organisation, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, was established in the UK in 1889, but it was not until 1922 that the first global organisation appeared, when the International Committee for Bird Preservation was formally established in London. This was renamed the International Council for Bird Preservation in 1959. In 1993, the whole organisation was totally transformed, and BirdLife International, as we know it today, emerged. BirdLife is today a true global conservation organisation. We are a Partnership with national representatives in 116 countries and territories, and activities and influ- ence on a planetary scale. The total number of personal members and supporters of the Partnership is around 10 million, constituting the largest force for nature conservation in the world. About half the Partner organisations have a broader conservation target than birds alone. Today linked human well-being is understood to be fundamental for achieving biodiversity and bird conservation objectives and is therefore an essential part of BirdLife’s strategy. Ninety years after the creation of BirdLife’s predecessor, the need for biodiversity and bird conservation is greater than ever. The governments of the world seem to be unable to establish and implement sustainable management of nature, and the threats to biodiversity get worse by the year. Although we can note many successes due to BirdLife’s efforts through the years, the number of bird species being added to the IUCN Red List of threatened species continues to grow, and the Red List Index shows that there has been a steady and continuing deterioration in the conservation status of the world’s birds since 1988, when the first complete global assessment was carried out. Of the more than 10,000 bird species recognised, 1313 are threatened with extinc- tion, and a further 880 are listed as Near Threatened. BirdLife has for many years been the world authority on birds and their conserva- tion status, and puts great emphasis on scientific credibility in all its work. We are therefore highly respected among governments, which in many cases are dependent on information from the Partnership in their management of nature. Constructive col- laboration with governments, but also sharp criticisms when necessary, are strong characteristics of BirdLife work. BirdLife also enters relationships with businesses whose activities have a great impact on nature, like CEMEX and Rio Tinto, in order to find constructive solutions, but without compromising the public and open promotion of best environmental practice. The global work of BirdLife is focused around nine conservation programmes: Preventing Extinctions; Seabirds and Marine Conservation; Migratory Birds and Chinese Crested Tern Flyways; Important Bird Areas (IBAs); Forests of Hope; Climate Change; the Local Thalasseus bernsteini Empowerment Programme; Capacity Development; and Invasive Alien Species. The [by Chris Rose] Partnership’s regional and national strategies and programmes to a large extent follow 16 HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS OF THE WORLD these, but are of course adapted to the challenges and circumstances found in those regions and countries. One of BirdLife’s most successful programmes has been its work on IBAs, and to- day more than 11,000 IBAs are registered all over the world. Of these, approximately half are covered by formal legal protection, and there is a lot of lobbying and hard work still to do by the whole Partnership. Another success of the BirdLife Partnership has been to establish Local Conservation Groups to look after and monitor the IBAs. To engage local people in practical conservation work, and to introduce them to nature education through birds and bird behaviour, has also been key to the work of BirdLife and its network of dedicated, active Partners. For many years, BirdLife has had close cooperation with the Handbook of the Birds of the World, and as this monumental work now is close to being finalised, I would like to express the Partnership’s great appreciation and thanks to Josep del Hoyo and his team at Lynx Edicions for their remarkable efforts and achievement. When I bought the first volume in 1992, I was extremely impressed, and my admira- tion has grown with each volume. The Handbook of the Birds of the World is a mar- vellous treasure for everyone interested in birds and nature, and I am convinced that this unprecedented work will contribute greatly to the understanding and conservation of this fantastic class of organisms. To save the bird species of the world you need to appeal both to the brain and the heart. HBW indeed has this double appeal! Peter J. Schei Chair of the BirdLife International Council The world’s largest civil society Partnership for nature BirdLife International is a global Partnership of national civil society conservation organisations that work together across national boundaries, to address the increas- ingly globalised issues that affect biodiversity, especially birds, and the ecosystems that all life, including human life, depends on. Since 1993, when it evolved out of the International Council for Bird Preservation, BirdLife has grown into an impressive coalition of 117 Partners worldwide. Many other organisations, nurtured and some- times founded by BirdLife, are working to meet the criteria to join the Partnership. From large countries like the USA and Brazil to small and remote Pacific island states, the BirdLife Partnership can count on 2·7 million active members, 10 million supporters, 7000 staff, 2000-plus Local Conservation Groups and 250,000 volunteers around the world. Each Partner is an independent not-for-profit, non-governmental or- ganisation (NGO), and each maintains its individual national identity within the global Partnership. Many are well-known and highly respected organisations in their own right. There are four distinct characteristics that set the BirdLife Partnership apart from all other international conservation organisations: • “Local to Global” structure with coordinated on-the-ground action. Partners represent the concerns of the citizens of their country. This enhances the credibility and legitimacy of each Partner when working with the private and public sectors and international organisations. While Partners act locally, they are also united by the shared BirdLife vision, strategies, and programmes, and high performance stand- ards they have jointly developed as part of the Partnership. These are coordinated by the Global Secretariat which allows the Partnership to speak with one voice and influence international policies and agreements. Through this unique “local to global” structure and approach, BirdLife ensures that the international programmes are informed by on-the-ground experience and that local action is supported by international advocacy efforts. This not only results in high conservation impact but crucially also in long-term sustainability. • Science-driven policy and action. Because of its scientific rigour, innovative methodologies, and the depth and breadth of its data resources, BirdLife is the ac- knowledged authority on the world’s birds and bird conservation. Continuous on- the-ground observation by thousands of BirdLife Partner staff, supporters, members and volunteers, both professionals and “citizen scientists”, guarantees the most ac- curate and up-to-the-minute information about the condition of birds and nature even in remote parts of the globe. • Work with local communities. The Partnership strongly believes that working with local communities and local empowerment are the foundations of lasting, high-impact nature conservation achievements. This includes the recognition that conservation has to enhance human well-being tangibly in order to be fully em- braced by local people. Projects parachuted in from abroad, often short-term in nature, are unlikely to produce any lasting impact, and run the risk of undermining relationships with local people. BirdLife Partners are very well positioned to engage with local communities in their countries. • Very cost-effective conservation action. One major conservation organisation that knows the Partnership well calls BirdLife “the best bang for buck in the conservation world”. This efficiency is a result of the cost-effectiveness of the Partners as well as the Partnership’s coordinated efforts and the sharing of best practices and experience. These four distinct characteristics are combined with the Partners’ passion for the future of nature and humankind.