World Wildlife Fund
See main article: WWF
WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is a major wildlife conservation body. The US branch, WWF-US, was founded in 1961 by Russell Train,[1] who was the second US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator from 1973-77. Train was the president of WWF from 1978 to 1995.
In the same year that the US branch of WWF was founded, the organization was established in Europe with Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands as its international president and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh as head of the UK branch.[2]
Profile of World Wildlife Fund by Candida Hadley
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- Operating in over one hundred countries, employing 4,000 people globally, and boasting five million supporters on five continents, the World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, is one of the world's largest environmental organizations...
- WWF is a "global conservation organization" that works to "stop and eventually reverse environmental degradation and… build a future where people live in harmony with nature" (www.panda.org). Among their guiding principles WWF has pledged to "be global, multicultural and non party political," and to "involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the planning and execution of its field programmes, respecting their cultural as well as economic needs" (www.panda.org).
- Despite its international success there are some animal welfare organizations, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, that oppose some of WWF's policies.
- In addition to this issue of animal welfare, there is also a great deal of controversy surrounding WWF's relations with Indigenous and traditional peoples. Although WWF claims to maintain partnerships with Indigenous peoples who live in ecologically-sensitive areas, complaints about WWF's treatment of Indigenous peoples have emerged all over the world. One complaint is that the establishment of Protected Areas and National Parks has often led to the eviction of Indigenous and traditional peoples from their lands and has cut short the land claims being made by these peoples.
- There are also concerns about the conflicts of interest that arise from the funding relationships that WWF has with governments, multilateral agencies, and private corporations. Corporations such as Shell, ExxonMobil and Monsanto are major funders of WWF, meaning that WWF is allying "with forces that are destroying the world's remaining ecosystems"[3].
- This funding has several consequences. For example, WWF cannot ally itself with Indigenous peoples who are fighting these corporation's activities without endangering their funding, and their government and corporate ties mean that they may not oppose the government corruption and inaction that is often responsible for environmental degradation. WWF excuses its lack of action in "national matters" with the suggestion that they wish to remain apolitical, but critics believe that WWF is more concerned with the science of biodiversity than social realities.[4]
Resources
Contact
Website: http://www.wwf.org.uk/
Notes
- ↑ Christine MacDonald, Green, Inc., Lyons Press, 2008, p. 7
- ↑ Christine MacDonald, Green, Inc., Lyons Press, 2008, p. 7
- ↑ Chapin, Mac. 2004. A challenge to conservationists. World Watch 17: 6.
- ↑ Candida Hadley, McMaster University, "World Wildlife Fund", Globalization and Autonomy website, accessed February 2008
