November 28th, 1997
The Nature Defenders Foundation (Defensores de la Naturaleza), one of
the most important environmental NGO's in Guatemala, has awarded its
1997 Gold Pin award to the WWF Central American Regional Office in
recognition of its effective conservation action. In a ceremony held on
28 November in Guatemala City, Defensores called WWF "the
organization that has done the most this year for the conservation of
Guatemala's natural resources".
WWF Regional Representative Miguel Cifuentes, Conservation Director
Matt Perl, and Capacity Building Officer Oscar Brenes received the
award on behalf of the WWF-CARO.
Acknowledgement by Mr. Miguel Cifuentes of the Gold Pin conservation award:
It has been said that when a people takes on or appropriates a cause for
itself, this cause is often the source for both, tears and song.
Especially in a region in which there have been so many reasons for
abundant and long lasting tears, I much prefer now the second way for
expression, that of the song, which allows us to express with joy the
satisfaction of having been able to embrace a cause and walked with it
in a positive way.
Tonight, of course, I would like to sing in the first place because of the
recognition that my colleagues and I have been given. But above all,
because for over ten years we have been witnesses and actors of the
development of a conservation movement that has been taking shape,
becoming more and more strong and maturing in concordance with the
nature of this particular country. I would like to sing to the fact that
ceremonies such as this are evidence that more and more people are
embracing the predominantly humanist cause of conservation, a cause
that, especially in Guatemala, needs to have a profoundly human and
social focus.
It is clear that this focus adds further complications to the already
complex affair of the Environment. But this focus also brings new
opportunities and options by allowing the great diversity of opinions,
strengths, experiences and interests of those of us who form the
conservation community to come together in meeting the challenge of
ensuring a permanent viability for our most basic natural resources while
achieving, at the same time, a more balanced development with greater
social and economic equity.
For WWF it is a source of profound satisfaction and honour to receive
this Gold Pin because of the special significance it has in this country
and, also, because it confirms our place within Guatemala's conservation
family.
As representatives of WWF and as simple individuals, my colleagues and
I feel extremely grateful for having given us the opportunity to work in
this country and share with you the labour of conservation.
And especially, for making us feel at home.
Thank you very much.