Conservationists invited to Youth Forum for People and Wildlife

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Delegate applications opened on Sunday, 4 October and run through until Friday, 4 December 2015. Applications and more information can be found at www.ifaw.org/youthforum.

The Youth Forum for People and Wildlife will be held immediately prior to the world's biggest conservation gathering, the 17th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), scheduled from 24 September to 5 October 2016 in Johannesburg.

Finding solutions

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for passionate young conservationists committed to working with communities to find solutions that enable people to live and prosper alongside nature. They'll be meeting at the time when CITES and conservation will be top of the world news agenda," said IFAW CEO, Azzedine Downes.

A rigorous selection process will select 20 people aged between 18 and 25 and from diverse backgrounds and perspectives and representing Africa and other key source, transit and consumer nations for illegal wildlife trade in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

"Participants might be scientists, grassroots campaigners, artists, game rangers, budding politicians, a filmmaker or running a community education project," said Nancy Barr, director of the IFAW Animal Action Programme.

"The forum will provide young leaders with the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and hone skills that will help them fulfill their potential of saving wildlife and building ecologically-sustainable communities," said Barr.