Contributions Beyond Talamanca

Capacity Building

​Most of the contributions mentioned in the previous sections involve rural people working together to reach important objectives.  These collective actions are part of the process of empowerment. People learn by doing, especially when the learning and capacity building is designed into it.  In the initiatives supported by ANAI beyond Talamanca, many people and communities developed valuable experience, knowledge and new capabilities, preparing them to continue improving their lives, and creating a better future for their descendents and our planet.
 
A number of actions were specifically designed to share experiences and help develop skills and capacities of people and organizations beyond Talamanca. 

• Training and experience in sea turtle conservation shared with thousands of people from all over the world.
• Learning exchanges in conservation and sustainable development for indigenous and community leaders from tropical American countries.
• A leadership training program for key people from 15 rural community based organizations in Costa Rica.

 
Another essential aspect of capacity building and empowerment is supporting the creation and strengthening of organizations for conservation and sustainable development.

• ANAI, together with colleagues from the CR-SGP, played a seminal role in the formation of ACTUAR, facilitating its creation and growth into a strong model of a national grassroots organization for community based tourism and conservation.
• ANAI played a key role in the formation and work of the National Association for Organic Agriculture, which was the forerunner of the Costa Rican Organic Agriculture Movement, MAOCO, and the foundation for the country’s first organic certifying agency, EcoLogica.
• After being awarded the first Equator Prize at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, ANAI has been able to support the continuing work of the Equator Initiative, as an ad hoc member of its Steering Committee, as an active member of the Technical Advisory Committee that analyzes and selects new Equator Prize winners, and as a partner in international exchanges.
• ANAI has participated over many years in forums that support conservation and sustainable development like IUCN Commissions and civil society alliances.

In the ​ANAI has also had the opportunity to contribute to the grassroots voice for conservation and sustainable development at the international level.  For example, together with friends from the Equator Initiative, ANAI colleague Benson Venegas was the on-site facilitator for the participation of local and indigenous community representatives at several major international biodiversity conferences, including the World Parks Congress and two Conferences of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity.  In the photo above, that's Benson on the right facilitating.