Building partnerships in the face of political and armed crisis

The crisis in the Great Lakes region has affected Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 1990, but its roots reach back into the colonial and pre-colonial past. Decades of conflict in the region have affected livelihood strategies of local people and caused enormous population displacements, all of which have had impacts on the natural environment and protected area management. Conservationists working to protect and effectively manage natural resources and protected areas have much to learn from the experience of humanitarian and relief organizations working in conflict situations. In addition, relief and development organizations can learn from some of the approaches applied by conservation agencies. In this paper, lessons from the experience of the humanitarian sector are analyzed and their value for conservation organizations working amidst political and armed crisis is examined. This analysis draws upon the experience of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) in the DRC and Rwanda from 1991 to date. Recommendations are made for greater collaboration and programmatic integration between the conservation, relief, and development sectors. © 2003 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.