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In the Field: WWF In Guatemala



WWF Office Wins Highest Conservation Award in Guatemala

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.