World Congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature

I was thrilled to get an email from The Children and Nature Network (Richard Louv and Dr. Cheryl Charles's organisation), about the World Congress of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature just held in Jeju, South Korea at the beginning of September.

Actions taken there will lend dramatic support for the worldwide movement to re-connect children and nature—for their health and well-being and that of the Earth itself.

"More than 10,000 people representing 150 nations and more than 1000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participated in the Congress which convenes every four years. The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) is one of the participating NGOs.

Of the many declarations approved and actions taken, there are three of particular relevance to the children and nature movement:

• IUCN adopted the resolution, “Child’s Right to Connect with Nature and to a Healthy Environment.” The resolution calls on IUCN’s government members and NGOs to promote and actively contribute to the international acknowledgement and codification of this right within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

• Leaders of national parks and protected areas throughout the world resolved to work collectively to strengthen people’s engagement with nature by approving the “Jeju Declaration on National Parks and Protected Areas:  Connecting People to Nature.” This declaration commits to creating a global campaign that recognizes the great contribution of these natural treasures to the health and resilience of people, communities and economies.

• The Children & Nature Network, one of the signatories to the Jeju Declaration, along with the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC), jointly released the landmark “Children and Nature Worldwide Summary of Research.” This annotated bibliography of peer-reviewed research and studies from scholars throughout the world provides an evidence-based resource to dramatize the critical reasons for connecting children and youth with nature. "

A copy of the report is here.  To steal from one of the greats......... 'S wonderful, 'S marvelous.......