Summary

Biodiversity is under threat, both in Canada and around the world; it is a central and critical component of the global environmental crisis. Environmental, non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) are increasingly recognized for their value in facilitating positive social change. Canada has over 2000 ENGOs, many of which are concerned, directly or indirectly, with biodiversity. However, they have had variable success in their efforts to protect biodiversity, as they face many barriers. This research report describes the qualitative results of a study of Canadian ENGO strategies for protecting biodiversity. Key strategies for success, key barriers that impede progress, and actions for overcoming them, are identified and discussed, followed by recommendations for further actions.

The information shared was collected by tapping the knowledge and experience of expert environmentalists by engaging a group of ENGOs in a participatory action research (PAR) process. Through interviews and interactive workshop /brainstorming sessions, the collective wisdom of ENGO participants was recorded, analyzed, and put into context.

This report delivers the results from the study, in three major sections:

• Key ENGO Strategies for Protecting Biodiversity
  • Acting as Catalysts for Community Action
  • Effective Communication
  • Identifying Allies and Seeking to Work in Partnership with Them
  • Using Multi-Pronged Approaches and Working at Many Levels
  • Living by Example and Leading by Being a Model
  • Promoting a Sense of Loss and Providing Alternatives
  • Having Good Public Relations
  • Solid Research
  • Taking Possession of Processes
  • Using "Gimmicks" to Raise Awareness and Increase Public Pressure
• Key Barriers That Impede Progress
  • Lack of Resources
  • Lack of Time, Competing Demands and There Being Too Much to Do
  • Lack of Political Will and Economics as Bottom Line in Decision Making
  • Lack of Effective Education and Communication
  • Lack of Engaged Public Involvement
  • Lack of Clear Strategic Aims within the Environmental Movement
  • Limited Integration of Goals with Other Groups and Government
  • Limited Analytical Tool-Kit and Gaps in Knowledge
  • Structural and Organizational Barriers within ENGOs
  • Humans Being Alienated and Disconnected from Nature
• Actions for Overcoming Each Barrier

In each section, further points are listed under each strategy, barrier, and action heading. These points are elaborated upon through discussion, with illustrative examples and observations made from the research process.

All the information represents the opinions shared by project participants. Individual participants from 11 core ENGOs were interviewed and attended workshops. Individuals from many other ENGOs also participated in different workshops, providing supplemental insight.

Information shared by participants is balanced between specifics and generalities. Certain strategies are very group specific, depending on the ENGO’s focus and desired goals. Many barriers are general in nature, due to their enormity and their focus upon the sociological root causes behind the threat to biodiversity.

The Strategies and Barriers sections outline the major areas which help bring about success, and which impede progress, through each of their 10 general headings, respectively.

In the Strategies section, examples are used to show specific strategies achieving results in specific situations, illustrating the ideas and points being discussed.

The Barriers section contains considerable detail on the complexities of the issues and on how barriers are linked together. This insight provides a clear picture of the threats to biodiversity and the challenges faced by ENGOs, thereby facilitating strategic analysis.

The Actions section provides useful advice for ENGOs, and others, on: where to make operational improvements, which areas to focus upon to better overcome the barriers, and how to increase effectiveness in efforts to protect biodiversity.

The report ends with concluding remarks and recommendations for further actions.

Six actions are recommended as being strategic priorities:

• Establish an Environmental Foundation to Support Devoted Activists
• Develop Biodiversity Curricula for All Levels of Education
• Design Programs to Give Children Direct Experiences with Nature
• Create a National Communication Program to Promote Biodiversity
• Organize Public Issue Forums on Biodiversity
• Engage ENGOs in Strategic Consolidated Action Planning

Focusing activities on consolidated actions that engage the public in addressing the root causes, summarizes and links many of the main findings. This is one sequence of activities that ENGOs can engage in to help remove barriers that impede the protection of biodiversity.

Full Report Downloadable in Rich Text Format (RTF-111k)