Congratulations to one of our mentors here at TNC Hawai’i, Manuel Mejia, who will be giving a TED talk this Saturday at the TEDx Honolulu 2013 event! His theme is:
Revive and revitalize the tradition of caring for the land and sea, so that our communities, in turn, can thrive in a sustainable waY
Manuel Mejia is the Community-Based Marine Conservation Program Manager for The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. He specializes in community-based conservation efforts. He’s dedicated more than sixteen years in leading biodiversity conservation projects across the Asia-Pacific region. His focus is the human dimension of marine conservation and he believes that while the measures for success are ultimately biological, the only way to achieve them are through social, cultural, political and economic change—in other words, through and by people and communities. He recently launched a Marine Conservation Fellowship Program, which provides dedicated young conservationists with professional development and growth opportunities in Hawaii. Manuel is a graduate of McGill and Columbia University where he concentrated on the earth sciences and environmental policy for his BSc and MSc degrees. Mejia has two children (ages 9 and 11) and he dedicates his life’s work in conservation to them. He believes that through collective action and wise stewardship of our island’s natural resources, nature and our communities can be healthy again. “Hawai`i is a wellspring of stories that depict how our collective actions as a community can both destroy and heal vital ecosystems.The challenges looming before Earth come from problems that are essentially man-made. Community action is critical to stemming the tide of environmental degradation.”
Please visit the TEDxHonolulu2013 website for more information on the event and the speakers. Congratulations again to Manuel! Mahalo nui for your deep dedication to empowering local communities to care for their ‘aina (land/sea resources) through capacity building, partnerships, and collaboration with others! You rock!
The Fellows' Ship 