This 3-day workshop in Rwanda organized by the International Institute for Environment and Development and The Gorilla Organization, and funded by the Arcus Foundation, aims to provide a space for conservation and development organizations in Rwanda to share experiences in linking conservation and poverty alleviation. The workshop objectives are to understand Rwanda's conservation and development policies, identify changes needed to maximize conservation-poverty linkages, and potentially establish a forum for continued dialogue. The anticipated outputs include improved understanding of participants' work and the lessons learned, and possibly developing proposals for activities to enact identified national policy changes.

1. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015
Author name
Date
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015
Samson Werikhe, The Gorilla Organization
Kigali, 4-6 November 2015
Introduction to the meeting:
‘Linking conservation and
poverty alleviation in
Rwanda’
Structure, main objectives and expected
outcomes

2. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015

3. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015Introduction
Organisers:
• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
• The Gorilla Organization
Funder: Arcus Foundation
Attendees: Representatives of organisations working on
conservation and development issues in Rwanda (with a focus on
the conservation of great apes); representatives of the existing
poverty and conservation learning groups in Cameroon, DRC and
Uganda.

4. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015Meeting overview
The workshop will be based on presentations and discussions
among and between participants.
• Day One (Wednesday 4th November) will mainly focus on
learning from each other and understanding the framework
for conservation and development policies in Rwanda.
• On Day Two (Thursday 5th of November), participants will
hear the experience of their colleagues from DRC,
Cameroon and Uganda of working together as a learning
group, will reflect on what learning platforms and groups
already exist in Rwanda and whether there is any scope for
an additional group.
• On the Day Three (Friday 6th of November) participants will
have the opportunity to visit some of the projects carried out
near Musanze to link conservation and poverty objectives
on the ground.

5. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015Objectives of this workshop
• To provide a space for Rwanda based conservation and
development organisations to share their experiences in
linking conservation (and particularly great apes
conservation) and poverty alleviation. Emphasis will be
placed on reflecting on what has worked, what hasn’t and
why.
• To understand the framework for conservation and
development policies in Rwanda.
• To identify what changes are needed (from specific
practices to national policies) in order to maximise
conservation-poverty linkages.
• To develop practical proposals for how these changes might
be brought about, and what role a group of conservation
and development organisations in Rwanda could play (for
example through information exchange, learning and joint
action).

6. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015
Anticipated outputs and
outcomes of this workshop
• Improved understanding among organisations working in
Rwanda as to the activities being undertaken by their peers,
and the lessons learned in trying to link conservation with
poverty alleviation.
• Agreement on the need (or not) of some kind of forum to
continue the dialogue and lesson-learning started at this
event amongst Rwanda conservation and development
organisations (roles, responsibilities, way of working for the
group).
• If possible, development of practical proposals for a number
of activities that the group could address to bring about the
changes at local and national level identified above.

7. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015Workshop process
• Informal meeting!
• Give us presentations to upload on the
computer as soon as possible
• Time-keeping – we will be strict!!!
• Working groups
• Everyone please help translate from English to
French if needed
• Anything you need over the next three days
please ask Samson, Alessandra, Jillian or
Hellena

8. Linking conservation and poverty alleviation in Rwanda
Samson Werikhe
The Gorilla
Organization
4-6 November 2015
Finally
• When the meeting end today you are all invited to
stay at the La Palisse Hotel for a drinks reception
and dinner.
• On Friday 6th of November a field trip will be
organised to Musanze. All meeting’s participants
are warmly invited to join.
If you have not done so already,
please let Alessandra know during the
next coffee break if you will join us for
dinner tonight and for the field trip on
Friday.