Communications and Knowledge Management: Building

Constituencies for Conservation

DRAFT FOR September 2007

Lauren Sorkin, Communications and Knowledge Management Liaison

Using Web 2.0 Tools to Overcome Geographic, Cultural and Linguistic

Barriers in the Amazon Basin

Lauren N. Sorkin Knowledge Management Coordinator

Web2fordev Conference Rome, Italy September 2007

How and why was ABCI started?

• The region with the world’s greatest biodiversity, providing important resources and environmental services.

• Designed through a consultative process by USAID with hundreds of public, private and civil society actors in Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru.

• ABCI was devised promote opportunities for combining conservation efforts across countries to support critical regional initiatives. Funded by USAID and local partners.

Program in brief…

Where: Western Amazon spanning Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and in the next few months USAID hopes to confirm the participation of Brazil.

How: ABCI has to compelmentary compenents:

– 5 Conservation Consortia

– ABCI Secretariat

When: 5 year initial program (2006-2011)

ABCIConservation

Consortia

ABCI Secretariat

USAIDUSAIDMissionsMissions

Program CoordinatorDouglas Pool*

Knowledge ManagementCoordinatorLauren Sorkin

W ashington, DCW ashington, DCOfficeOffice (IRG)(IRG)

Resource Organziations

• Instituto Brasileiro de Educação em Negócios Sustentáveis(IBENS)

• Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF)• Instituto Floresta Tropical (IFT)• University of Florida (UF)

AmazonCooperation

TreatyOrganization

(ACTO)

LAC/RSDCTO

* Key Personnel

DirectorAnthony Anderson*

Training CoordinatorTBD

Small Grants AdministratorTBD

Program AdministratorLeonardo Lucena

Regional Regional BrazilBrazil Office Office

Regional Regional AndeanAndean Office Office (SPDA)(SPDA)

Social Impact (SI)

Ecuador

Peru

InstitutionalDevelopment in

SouthernAmazonas

Conserving theMadidi-ManuLandscape

IndigenousLandscapes

EnvironmentalGovernance of

the MAP Region

SustainableLivelihoods in

WesternAmazonas

SecretariatPartners

Deputy DirectorJessica Hidalgo*

Communications CoordinatorKjeld Nielsen

Small Grants AdministratorTBD

Program AdministratorKarina Livschitz

LAC/RSDManagement

Team

ABCI ManagementTeam (AMT)

Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental

(SPDA)

Academy for Educational

Development (AED)

Bolivia

Brazil

Colombia

Departmentof State

EnvironmentalHub

An Integrated Strategy: Communication and Knowledge Management

Communications

Public Audiences and Decision Makers

Communication: Bulletins, Reports Media Information

Program Information

Thematic Information

KM: Exchanges, Workshops, LL,

Communications and Knowledge Management Effort

• Support for thematic working groups.

• Targeted information products for internal and external audiences

• ABCI Bulletins

• Internal Website

• Diffusion of Lessons Learned

The role of Web 2.0 in Knowledge Management for

ABCI

ABCI Web 2.0 Tools

More web tools for ABCI partners

• Google maps • Google Custom Search

Upcoming Activities: Thematic Working Groups

Existing Web Information: Infrastructure

1. Portals-for technical experts and the public

2. Bulletins, news sites-public and decision makers

3. Blogs- public, NGOs

4. Training Centers- affected groups, NGOs

5. Maps and GIS – t h i l t

• Portals:– http://www.iirsa.org– http://www.biceca.org

• Bulletins/News:– http://www.amazonwatch.org

/newsroom/index.php?type= news

• Maps and GIS:– http://mirror.perupetro.com.p

e/downloads/MAPACNT.pdf– http://www.sur.iucn.org/iirsa/

• Blogs/Dicussion Groups: – http://www.senildomelo.blog

spot.com/

Short term plans: Resources and plans on the ABCI Portal

• Discussion forums online

• Case studies

• Maps

• Legal information

• Link to existing groups

Challenges and Opportunities

Strong partners: interactive sites, existing communications

Long term plans: distance learning

Challenges for Web 2.0: Adding value for 26 partners

• Content in 3 languages

• Varying technical capacity for communication and IT

• Access to internet of Amazon partners varied, poor from many remote communities

• Collaborating and coordinating with other conservation efforts in an effective and efficient way

Thank you for your attention lsorkin@irgltd.com

© Sorkin 2007. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material

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