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News, Updates and Stories
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Edition 08 | September 2026
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New commentary on scientific and community knowledge
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Photo credit to SLT/ SLCF
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A recent commentary by ECA Secretary General Dr. Charudutt Mishra examines what becomes possible when scientific and community knowledge are treated as complementary rather than competing sources of understanding. Drawing on snow leopard conservation experiences, the Mongabay op-ed explores what this means for community-centered conservation.
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Latest News
Welcome to the latest updates from the Ethical Conservation Alliance community.
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Online Training on Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
In August, the ECA Secretariat organized an online workshop for ECA members on preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The training was conducted in partnership with SASHA (Support Against Sexual Harassment), an organization comprising experienced legal consultants and psychological counselors dedicated to creating safe and inclusive workplaces through effective awareness, sensitization, and training.
Twenty-five ECA members joined the online training, facilitated by Dr. Shweta Luthra, a Legal Consultant with SASHA and an expert in preventing sexual harassment.
This session introduced members to frameworks for preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment, strengthening internal Committees, and addressing behaviors ranging from subtle disrespect to systemic exclusion. Attendees focused on building respectful reporting and prevention mechanisms, with tailored strategies for the unique challenges of conservation work, including remote field operations and complex partnerships.
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Updates on PARTNERS Training Workshops
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ECA continues to train conservationists in ethical community engagement worldwide. To date, 915 conservationists from 67 countries have participated in 43 introductory orientations or full training workshops. Women account for 47% of participants. Our recent workshops include:
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Photo credit to Natiora Defenders
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PARTNERS Workshop for Community Engagement in QG Tanora Ankorondrano, Madagascar
On July 7, 2026, Prisca Ratsimbazafy and Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy led a PARTNERS community engagement workshop at QG Tanora Ankorondrano, Madagascar, for 22 participants from 9 diverse organizations, supported by an ECA grant.
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PARTNERS Principles for Ethical Community Engagement in Thimphu, Bhutan
On July 9–10, 2026, a PARTNERS workshop brought together 53 conservationists from 17 agencies in Thimphu, Bhutan. It was jointly organized by the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, the Department of Forests and Park Services, the Ethical Conservation Alliance, and the Snow Leopard Trust.The workshop was conducted by Dr. Koustubh Sharma and Dr. Charu Mishra.
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Photo credit to Deepshikha Sharma
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PARTNERS Workshop for Special Interest Groups in Sonipat, India
On July 12, 2026, Deepshikha Sharma, Dr. Shweta Shivakumar, and Karishma Pradhan facilitated a PARTNERS workshop at the Indian Wildlife Ecology Conference at Ashoka University. Supported by an ECA grant, the session sparked vital discussions on ethical community engagement.
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Photo credit to Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy: Going fishing with small-scale fishers to better understand their lives
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From the Village to the Regional Table: What Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) have taught me
By Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy, IUCN ESARO IPLC Champion
Some of the safest places I have ever felt are in remote fishing villages in Madagascar.
After more than a decade working with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), I have learned that safety is not always about where you are. Sometimes, it is about who you are surrounded by.
I never planned to build a career working with communities.
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Photo credit to Jeneria Lekilelei. Jeneria Lekilelei is on the left side among the children
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Jeneria Lekilelei, Kenya – Director of Community Conservation at Ewaso Lions
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My name is Jeneria Lekilelei. I am a son of the Samburu landscape in northern Kenya. I was raised in a humble pastoralist family where our livestock were not just our daily bread, but our culture and survival.
In 2008, my path crossed with Shivani Bhalla, founder of Ewaso Lions. That encounter transformed my traditional understanding into a personal mandate. I realized that while livestock remain central to who we are, lions and wildlife are equally vital threads in our ancestral heritage. As an Indigenous man, I recognized that protecting our lands requires protecting every spirit that moves across them.
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Photo credit to Jeneria Lekilelei
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By 2010, I stepped up to lead dialogue within my community. It was a steep path. For generations, pastoralists viewed lions as threats to their survival, and predator attacks naturally invited anger and retaliation. But true Indigenous leadership means carrying both the pain of your people and a vision for their future. Coming from a pastoralist background, I share their deep loss when livestock are killed, yet I know that killing lions fractures the health of our shared home.
Through Ewaso Lions, I have dedicated myself to bridging gaps among our elders, warriors, conservation teams, and government agencies such as the Kenya Wildlife Service. We do not impose external solutions; we empower our own communities to lead, finding traditional and practical ways to coexist alongside wildlife.
When Indigenous communities are honored as the true stewards of their land, mindsets shift, and harmony is restored. Lion conservation is no longer just my career—it is my life’s sacred duty to ensure our people, our culture, and our wildlife continue to thrive together on the land of our ancestors.
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September, 2026, Argentina: 2-day training workshop on ethical community engagement for nature conservation.
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September 2026, Cameroon: Ethical primatology at the 4th Congress of the African Primatological Society.
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October 2026, Mozambique: Week-long training-of-trainers workshop on ethical nature conservation and community engagement.
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November, 2026, Nepal: In-person Steering Committee Meeting of ECA
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Do you work with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and are facing issues you would like to discuss, or get assistance on?
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Photo credit: Farwiza Farhan
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We request you to please forward this newsletter to at least ONE more person who might find it useful
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Photo credit: Sonam Tashi Lama
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If you’d like to make a donation to the Ethical Conservation Alliance, please write to us here
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Ethical Conservation Alliance is financially supported by:
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