September 2014: News & Events

Publication Date: 
Friday, October 3, 2014
Source: 
September Newsletter No. VIII

 

Entrepreneurship and Biodiversity in the Osa Peninsula

The “Constructing My Business” project was created with the goal of working with poachers, gold miners, and illegal loggers to develop legal community-based enterprises in the Osa Peninsula. The collaboration was supported by the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA), the National Park Service (SINAC), and the Ministry of the Environment, Energy, and Oceans (MINAET), and was funded by the Osa Endowment and executed by FUNDES. The project has concluded Phase I, in which 24 families were engaged in developing and refining their business models. 

Watch the video here (in Spanish, with option of Spanish subtitles)

 

Rural Development Territorial Council, Corredores-Osa-Golfito

On August 20th, the Regional Rural Development Council was established, covering the Corredores, Osa, and Golfito area. Over 350 assemblymen, recognized by INDER, gathered in the Coopeagropal facilities in the Corredores canton to hold the inaugural meeting of the new Council, which represents different sectors throughout the 14 districts. Additionally, Council members consist of various minority groups such as indigenous, elderly, women, young adults, and the disabled. By law, the creation of a Regional Rural Development Council must reflect at least 60% of civil society. For more information, please watch the video here (video in Spanish). 

For more information, please watch the video here (video in Spanish).

 

Caminos de Liderazgo, a Model that Draws Attention from Morocco

Between September 6-14th, an official delegation from Costa Rica comprised of members from the National Park Service (SINAC), the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), and Fundecooperación travelled to Morocco to share experiences and practices with personnel from the Moroccan Parks and Natural Reserves Division on the topic of “Valuation of protected areas and generation of benefits to local communities”.

This event was organized as a three-part cooperation between Morocco, Germany, and Costa Rica, and was financed by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). Other topics that were addressed in the event included the fight against desertification and issues of watershed management, forest fire control, and payment of ecosystem services.

Serving as the model, Caminos de Liderazgo is an initiative whose objective is to promote and contribute to the integrated development of neighboring communities in the ACOSA region through the strengthening of local, community-based rural tourism businesses that are linked together by a network of new trails toward Corcovado National Park. Eventually, these small businesses will be incorporated into the value chains of national and international tour operators.

It is precisely because of the objectives of the Caminos de Liderazgo model, and the flexibility of the model to adjust to the needs of the Moroccan Parks and Natural Reserves Division, that it might serve in developing local tourism products associated with protected areas to benefit various local Moroccan communities.