CVNI grows an advisory arm

After five years of practice and expertise with applied research and advising on cultural matters in conservation programmes, CVNI was faced with the challenge of how to evolve beyond its long-standing role as a thematic-based EarthCollective initiative. A decision has thus been taken to establish ‘CVNI Expertise and Consultancies’.

“CVNI – E&C” complements CVNI’s ongoing thematic programme which focuses on sacred natural sites and policy and management in several project areas. With CVNI – E&C being set up legally as a company in The Netherlands, this increases its capacity to take on specific advisory and research work that may be related to its overall mission but generally occurs in addition to its core programme.

According to CVNI Coordinator Bas Verschuuren, the move was a practical solution needed in order to respond to a growing amount of opportunities that occur in relation to CVNI’s core work areas. As Bas notes, ‘All members of EarthCollective have had changing roles over the years – working closely within EarthCollective or being based in other institutions and organizations at one time or another. I now have combined the two and hope that by establishing CVNI -E&C, I can bring some of EarthCollective’s unique ways of working into other organizations.”

Partnering with other organizations has proven to be an effective means of exposing EarthCollectives’ work, vision and ethics. Some examples that testify of this are the publication of a book on sacred natural sites which Bas published with Earth Scan and IUCN. The book was supported by CVNI and therefore makes reference to Bas’ affiliation with EarthCollective. Another example is a policy brief on, Bio-enterprises, Endogenous Development and Well being, which was developed with COMPAS and United Nations University.

As CVNI E&C will continue to work on applied research and advising on conservation solutions for management policy and local empowerment, many more of these linkages are expected to be established. “In hindsight I experience EarthCollective’s ongoing support to CVNI as a significant contribution to the persistence of the initiative. In fact being part of a peer-to-peer community which makes ‘Positive Ideas Happening’ is something I hope to see more of in EarthCollective’s future”, concludes Bas.