https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zimbabwe-legislators-demand-chance-villagers-tell-own-conservezim-e4p5f/?trackingId=ltVflDkvTEOXamBYzxkPyA%3D%3D. Zimbabwe Legislators Demand Chance for Villagers to Tell Their Own Story at COP15 By John Cassim Zimbabwean legislators are pushing for a significant change at the upcoming 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, to be hosted in Victoria Falls in July. They’re demanding that authorities must ensure ordinary villagers are included, allowing them to share their first-hand experiences with wetlands. This call emerged during a feedback meeting organized by BirdLife Zimbabwe. Senator Jerry Gotora, a former Chairman and Founder of Painted Dog Conservation in Hwange, emphasized the impact of local voices. “If we bring people from Makoni District, for example, to the Ramsar Convention to speak about the effects of wetland degradation, they’ll be heard more effectively than those from cities like Bulawayo and Harare,” Senator Gotora explained, drawing on his background. “I can assure you they will be listened to.” He drew a parallel to the CITES Convention: “If all of us the academics and converted attend a CITES meeting and just talk and shout, no one listens. But if you take villagers from the ground to CITES, I can tell you we’ll be listened to, and the Convention will fund us. That’s how we won the down listing of elephants—we brought villagers from Kenya to South Africa, and their voices led to the down listing.” Senator Gotora spoke passionately, detailing how a lack of oversight by local councils has led to the deterioration of some Zimbabwean wetlands. He challenged his fellow legislators with critical questions: “What does it mean to host such an important COP, perhaps once in a hundred years? I was privileged to attend two COPs, Kyoto and Paris. What should we, as the senate, be doing?” For more on this story follow the links below: ➡️www.conservezim.com ➡️Watch, like and follow Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@conservezim1459 ➡️X: https://twitter.com/ConserveZim ➡️LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conservezim-conservezim ➡️Facebook: ConserveZim For advertisements contact: Mobile: 0772920301, 0719920301 Email: [email protected], [email protected]