Urgent Action: Stop WWF promoting to Botswana

Details: Published on Sunday, 16 February 2014 21:00; Written by editor

We help tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their own futures.

Urgent Action: Stop WWF promoting tours to Botswana

WWF and its partner Natural Habitat Adventures are promoting tours to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana, claiming to have a 'shared commitment to conservation'. The partnership has earned WWF more than $2 million.

The reserve is home to Southern Africa's last hunter-gatherer Bushmen who have protected the land for millennia. However, in defiance of a High Court ruling, the Botswana government is intent on forcing out the Bushmen in the name of conservation and tourism. Bushmen are regularly subjected to violence, intimidation and arrest.

Please write to WWF and Natural Habitat Adventures urging them to stop tours to the Reserve until the Bushmen's rights to their land and lives are respected. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.?subject=Stop%20Operating%20Tours%20in%20the%20CKGR&body=Dear%20Mr%20Roberts%20and%20Mr%20Bressler%2C%0A%0AI%20am%20extremely%20concerned%20to%20learn%20that%20WWF%20and%20Natural%20Habitat%20Adventures%20are%20promoting%20tourism%20to%20the%20Central%20Kalahari%20Game%20Reserve%20in%20Botswana.%0A%0AThe%20reserve%20is%20the%20ancestral%20home%20of%20the%20last%20hunting%20Bushmen%20in%20southern%20Africa.%20Their%20right%20to%20live%20there%20peacefully%20and%20hunt%20for%20food%20has%20been%20recognised%20by%20the%20country's%20High%20Court%2C%20but%20the%20government%20has%20persecuted%20them%20for%20years%20in%20the%20name%20of%20conservation%2C%20and%20continues%20to%20do%20so.%0A%0AIt%20has%20used%20intimidation%2C%20arrests%20and%20violence%20against%20the%20Bushmen%20to%20force%20them%20out%20of%20the%20reserve%2C%20and%20has%20not%20granted%20any%20hunting%20permits%20in%20an%20effort%20to%20starve%20them%20out.%0A%0AAt%20the%20same%20time%2C%20diamond%20and%20gas%20companies%20are%20allowed%20to%20operate%20in%20the%20Reserve%2C%20and%20Wilderness%20Safaris%20has%20built%20a%20tourist%20lodge%2C%20without%20first%20consulting%20the%20Bushmen.%0A%0APlease%20stop%20promoting%20tours%20to%20the%20reserve%20until%20the%20government's%20shameful%20persecution%20of%20the%20Bushmen%20ends.%0A%0AYours%2C" style="color:#ffffff" target="_blank">Click here to send a pre-written message

Or if this doesn't work for you, you can use this text to send emails to the people responsible at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:

Dear Mr Roberts and Mr Bressler,

I am extremely concerned to learn that WWF and Natural Habitat Adventures are promoting tourism to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana.

The reserve is the ancestral home of the last hunting Bushmen in southern Africa. Their right to live there peacefully and hunt for food has been recognised by the country's High Court, but the government has persecuted them for years in the name of conservation, and continues to do so.

It has used intimidation, arrests and violence against the Bushmen to force them out of the reserve, and has not granted any hunting permits in an effort to starve them out.

At the same time, diamond and gas companies are allowed to operate in the Reserve, and Wilderness Safaris has built a tourist lodge, without first consulting the Bushmen.

Please stop promoting tours to the reserve until the government's shameful persecution of the Bushmen ends.

Yours,

If you have five minutes, please write your own message. This is much more powerful.

Thank You.

Donate to Survival's campaign to protect the Bushmen's land

Survival International, 6 Charterhouse Buildings, London, EC1M 7ET, United Kingdom.

Survival International USA, 2325 3rd Street, Suite 401, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA

www.survivalinternational.org