New Gofundme fundraiser to support community participation in global dialogues
As part of its international partnership activities, Cohab works with local and indigenous communities, Afro-descendent peoples, women’s and youth organisations to explore and address their specific and often unique concerns at the interface of health and biodiversity. We collate local perspectives in order to ensure that our research, policy and practical work is appropriately informed by real world experiences. We facilitate community dialogues and outreach to promote partnerships, knowledge-sharing and capacity-building, and provide guidance for the planning and completion of local health and environmental assessments, and for development of nature-based solutions and ecosystem approaches to health that are culturally competent, attuned to local priorities, and led by the communities involved.
Indigenous communities, Afro-descendent communities, women and youth play a vital role as stewards of biodiversity, especially in ecosystems associated with their home territories and local landscapes. Through their unique relationships with their local ecosystems and their long histories of living in harmony with nature, they represent a vital front line in defence of planetary health. However, too often, their voices, perspectives, knowledge, needs and experiences are under-represented or neglected in the global science and policy processes which govern the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and in related forums such as those on pandemic preparedness, climate change, sustainable development, and health. The fact that these groups rarely have the resources required to support their full and effective participation means that they are often absent, unheard, or relegated to the sidelines.
A key part of our local and international engagement is to provide opportunities for representatives of indigenous and Afro-descendent communities, women and youth to more fully inform international, regional, and multilateral scientific and governance processes and related dialogues, including as part of official Cohab delegations. Our aim is to ensure their in-person participation, to provide opportunities and support for experience-sharing and knowledge exchange, to facilitate their engagement at the highest level of global dialogues, and help to amplify their voices, perspectives and expertise in these important processes.
To increase our capacity in this area, the Cohab Initiative Secretariat has launched a Gofundme fundraiser to directly support the participation of indigenous and Afro-descendent communities, and representatives of women and youth organisations, in international scientific meetings, United Nations' summits, and other multilateral policy dialogues. The fund will help to enhance their role in the global processes that shape decisions and action for planetary health. Funds raised will be used to offset costs of air travel, accommodation, visa applications, event registration, interpretation, technical assistance and / or daily subsistence, where necessary to enable their meaningful involvement.
Recipients of support from this fund, and relevant meetings and processes, will be selected by the Cohab in consultation with its international partners who represent indigenous communities, women and youth groups, and Afro-descendent peoples. Reports on the disbursement of this fund will be prepared for every meeting for which the fund is used, and published on the Cohab Initiative website.
Key meetings to be targeted for the fund in the period from 2026 to 2027 include the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification; the International Conference on Health and Biodiversity, the International One Health Conference, the World One Health Congress, and the UN Environment Assembly.
Click here to visit the Gofundme page and contribute to the fund.
For further details, contact Cohab at info@cohabinitiative.org