The Poverty and Conservation Learning Group Proposed Structure and Activities

The Ford Foundation is providing support for IIED to coordinate the establishment of an international "learning group" on poverty conservation linkages. Since the launch of this initiative in November 2004, IIED has been working with a wide range of organisations to: 1. scope out the need and demand for such a Group; 2. identify potential members; 3. explore alternative models and structures for the Group; and, 4. investigate its potential research, learning and communications activities. 5. document the development of the conservation-poverty debate over time; 6. map the ongoing initiatives of existing institutions and networks; 7. conduct a preliminary review of on-the-ground experience in linking conservation and poverty reduction. Based on these activities, this paper presents our proposal for the establishment, structure and functioning of the Learning Group over the next three years -after which time the future of the Group will be re-assessed in line with the continuing needs of its members.