Announcing the formation of

CULTURE AND NATURE FOR DEVELOPMENT (CND)

a new international organization to manage and promote cultural and natural heritage for development in Latin America.

CND will establish an international network of heritage and development experts to facilitate communication and cooperation among local communities, business, and development organizations.

This new international organization will assist in the development process by:

• facilitating communication and action among local communities, small and large development businesses, researchers, and governmental and non-governmental organizations
• increasing awareness of heritage development opportunities
• working directly with public and private investors to broker agreements with the diverse peoples of Latin America
• offering training programs and promoting responsible development
• creating investment projects
• creating and applying new knowledge

CND recognizes the rich and diverse heritage – both cultural and natural – of Latin America. It includes an almost endless list:

• some of the most amazing dinosaur remains in the world
• hundreds of ancient shipwrecks from the Caribbean to Patagonia
• the second largest coral reef in the world
• the remarkable diversity of the Amazon basin
• world-famous music and dance, including the romantic tango, the afro-rhythms, and the world of Carnival
• the ancient ruins of Peru
• the healing ceremonies of traditional curers

CND realizes, however, that much of the cultural and natural heritage is in danger of being lost. Looters, grave robbers, and poachers destroy important archaelogical remains. The indiscriminate destruction of forests and grasslands wipes out the remarkable diversity of wild animals and plants. Many communities that should be enjoying their cultural and natural heritage have instead been marginalized as these resources disappear.

But CND recognizes that there are realistic ways to both conserve the heritage and to develop enterprises that will bring jobs and money. Development can be used to enhance community opportunities. Especially, it can help communities that are in remote areas and in disadvantaged situations.

Heritage development can promote Latin American cultural and natural heritage around the world. This international projection of Latin American heritage will contribute to the cultural and natural richness of our world.

CND understands that appropriate development can be achieved through a number of methods and is currently working to manage and promote cultural and natural heritage for development by

• developing a network of experts in the field from many disciplines, the stakeholders, and communities
• establishing private and public partnerships for development around specific investment projects
• providing knowledge of projects and links between them for investors
• mobilizing both local and international players, and
• advising on how to proceed with potential projects which have already been conceived but not yet implemented

At the present time CND has representatives in Argentina, Canada, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay. Plans are to expand the representation to include all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean regions, and also to include academics, public policy specialists, and industry developers. Representatives are not limited to those living in Latin America, but include as well those who are involved in Latin American and Caribbean projects.

Participants in the first meeting of CND included:

Dr. Alan Emery. President of KIVU Nature Inc. in Canada. Marine biologist, works with indigenous peoples and their traditional knowledge in development projects.

Dr. Kitty Emery. Environmental archaeologist in the United States with extensive research experience in Guatemala, www.environmental-archaeology.com.

Dr. Dolores Elkin. Archaeologist and university professor in Argentina, specializing in marine archaeology, with extensive experience in the tourism industry.

Dr. Maria Isabel Hernandez-Llosas. Archaeologist and university professor from Argentina with experience in cultural resource management. Her specialty is rock art studies.

Dr. Ricardo Bastida. Marine biologist from Argentina with many years of experience in research and management.

Dr. Rena Gunduz. Specialist in cultural and natural resource management in Peru with 10 years experience in the mining and petroleum industry in Latin America.

Sr. Luis Stolovich. Economist and well-known university professor in Uruguay specializing in the cultural and social aspects of development.

Sra. Graciela Lescano. Sociologist with many years of experience in Latin America, especially dealing with intangible cultural resources such as music and dance.

Dr. Scott Tiffin. Expert in small enterprise development and finance, electronic commerce for alternative tourism and heritage management for development.

Contact us: home@kivu.com