caroline-seagle-council-candidate

2013-2016
**Having worked on development in academic and non-governmental environments, I am committed to understanding the often-complex relationship between global discourses and local realities of sustainability, land-based livelihoods and heritage.** I am a PhD candidate in anthropology focusing on foreign large-scale land acquisitions sparked by large-scale mining and conservation in Madagascar (joint appointment by VU University Amsterdam and McGill University). My research critically examines corporate engagements in biodiversity conservation, offsetting and sustainability.

I have a **strong interest in the politics of human-environment interactions, environmental justice and corporate engagements in biodiversity conservation.** My work fits within CEESP's Theme on Governance, Equity and Rights (TGER) and debates surrounding local land rights and heritage.

**I speak English and French and have worked, studied and/or carried out research in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Madagascar,** which has led me to development contacts and **a global network of scholars, activists and non-governmental practitioners working on conservation and development.**

**I have volunteered and done field research for various grassroots NGOs in Africa**, all focused on environmental conservation and development. I currently serve as Vice President to the We Women Foundation, a Dutch NGO working on the rights of female refugees in Burma. During and prior to my BA studies, I served as President of a human rights club called ‘AWARE’ and participated actively in a youth network, ‘montréalensemble’, striving to increase awareness about climate change and the Kyoto Protocol in Montréal, Québec.

__**As IUCN Regional Councillor I will address the following…**__

**__IUCN Programme (2013-16)__**

Drawing upon my current PhD research and field experience in Madagascar, particularly environmental justice issues surrounding mining and conservation, **I will position myself in the Programme, to be adopted in Jeju, by highlighting the importance of supporting rights-based approaches** to conservation and land governance in and beyond North America and the Caribbean, and in doing so support initiatives such as the Whakatane Mechanism. I will promote the **meaningful consideration of** equity and cultural use-values in biodiversity conservation initiatives, **social** **impacts of the ‘green economy’ and reflection on non-economic [intangible] land and livelihood valuations**.

**I aim to help mediate between different stakeholder groups to find sustainable solutions** to pressing environmental issues facing IUCN, paying special attention to the role of youth and women in voicing their concerns at the policy table; in this process, I will advocate an integrative approach which considers multiple perspectives and bridges academic research, policy and action.

**__Youth Leadership__**

**I will highlight and promote the added value of including youth in broader IUCN debates**, by improving communication and understanding between different age groups and advocating for better intergenerational exchanges, focusing on inclusion, equity and collaborative decision-making. Youth play an important role in shaping development thought and practice, and have much to offer in terms of informing policy debates and taking meaningful action.

As a young scholar, **I will promote and strengthen youth participation within the IUCN** **by supporting youth-related motions at Jeju (Motions 008 and 132)** and working closely with the Task Force on Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability (IPS), CEESP Youth Leadership Team and young professionals networks across Commissions, the Secretariat, and Member Organizations. I will advocate **lower costs of membership for youth**organizations and promote the establishment of a **youth internship programme** within IUCN. Furthermore, I will support the **formalization of the Intergenerational Task Force** within IUCN.

Serving as IUCN Regional Councilor would be both an incredible learning experience as a young scholar with a long-time passion for IUCN issues such as climate change, biodiversity conservation, poverty, and development, but also a welcome challenge; **I am committed to fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of Regional Councilor to the best of my abilities**, networking with youth to make their voices more heard, and paying close attention to social-environmental issues facing North American region specifically but also abroad.

I look forward to meeting more representatives of IUCN Member Organizations leading up to and during the World Conservation Congress in South Korea **to hear your perspectives and to discuss the above ideas further. Thank you for your consideration and support!**

**__Selected draft IUCN Motions that I support__: 008, 132 , 055 , 124 , 128 , 130 , 138 **