Rhino summit hailed a success
Children hand over declaration to the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Barbara Thomson.
THE Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park was the venue for the first World Youth Rhino Summit organised by Project Rhino KZN, the Kingsley Holgate Foundation and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
A total of 150 children from 20 nations, including Vietnam, gathered to discuss the issues around rhino poaching and wildlife crime.
They were guided by ‘elders’ Dr Ian Player, Dr William Fowlds and Ted Reilly.
At the end of the summit the children handed over a declaration regarding the six key issues they discussed, as well as a summary declaration to the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Barbara Thomson.
We, representing the youth of the world gathered at the Centenary Centre in the symbolic Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park from the 21 to 23 September 2014 call for action against rhino poaching and wildlife crime.
The declaration is a result of 150 000 hearts and minds messages already composed by young people participating in the international Rhino Art – Let the Children’s Voices be Heard campaign.
We, the youth are deeply disturbed by the worsening rhino poaching crisis, the exploitation of our natural heritage by organised crime syndicates and the subversion of our communities – all fed by human greed and deep-rooted corruption.
We demand that our voices be heard!
We do not want to be the generation that tell our grandchildren that we did nothing about it and so we call upon global leaders to join us in bringing illegal trade in wildlife to an end.
PHOTOS: Larry Bentley
