Fueling Change

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Feb 19 2008 | By: admin

This is quickly becoming the slogan for the fundraiser that I am heading up in Boulder, Colorado. More and more, it is becoming clear that without an alternative to charcoal, it is going to be very difficult to save the mountain gorillas of the Congo. I want to talk more about this, but first, I’d like to address your comments from the last post.

“Can the Elite Rangers help the other rangers enter the park to protect the mountain gorillas?
At this time, the answer is, no. Despite being highly trained and effective, the Elite force is massively outnumbered and outgunned by the rebels. Going head to head with the rebels would only start a war within a war, and it would be a war the rangers would die fighting. The only viable path to getting the rangers back into the Virunga NP is negotiation. It is going to take international pressure and the UN to uphold the cease-fire to make the return of the rangers possible.

With ICCN’s Nobert Mushenzi essentially being denied access to the park by a former ranger and now rebel, who sees himself as the Director of National Parks for rebel held territories, where is the hope?
It was clearly a shock for Mushenzi and his rangers to be denied access to the gorillas, given the cease-fire and their UN escort. This is terrible news, but I think there is reason for optimism. Nkunda, the rebel leader, seems to realize that the mountain gorillas are worth more to them alive than dead. As was pointed out in the Gorilla Protection blog, there are reports of the rebels taking tourists, coming from Rwanda, to see the gorillas. While the international community is working to get the rebels to lay down their weapons and leave the park, it is good news that the rebels see a reason not to kill the mountain gorillas for bushmeat, target practice, or to clear the way to make more charcoal.

Doesn’t the DRC government value the gorillas? Don’t they know that the governments of Rwanda and Uganda are making significant amounts of money from gorilla tourism?
I believe the DRC government is well aware of this, but unlike the governments of Rwanda and Uganda, the DRC governing body doesn’t have control over all of its territories, namely the Virunga NP. Nor do the various arms of government function as a unified body that obeys its own rules and regulations. Once the rebels agree to lay down their arms and leave the park, and the army shifts from running illegal charcoal to enforcing existing laws to shut down the illegal trade, I believe there will be the possibility of a Rwandan or Ugandan-style gorilla eco-tourism industry.

The Boulder Fundraiser
I’ve never put one on before, but on March 5th, I’ll be giving it a “go”. As a volunteer half way around the world from the Congo, this seemed like a great way to make a contribution. “Mountain Gorillas at the Brink of Extinction: Boulder Throws a Vital Lifeline”, is the name of the event and it is fast becoming a reality thanks to the Boulder Highland City Club’s generous sponsorship and their tireless GM, Douglas Scheffer. Behind the scenes at WildlifeDirect, Virginia Echavarria has been pulling all of the presentation materials together and has been infecting me with her boundless enthusiasm. And then there are the friends, and friends of friends, that are helping out… Our goal is to raise $30,000, but we all believe we can surpass that mark. I will let you all know how it turns out. In the meantime, please consider hosting an event like this where you live. I will gladly share all of the materials we used, including poster and invitation artwork, as well as lessons learned. Know that I am available to help you in any way I can — after March 5th.

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