IUCN World Conservations Congress: a Diverse and Sustainable World (5-14 October 2008) The IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) is the world’s largest conservation event. The Congress aims to improve how people manage their natural environment for human, social and economic development. More than 8,000 professionals will discuss solutions for the world’s most pressing environment and development issues. A range of innovations will be showcased at the congress, including community and local initiatives, and solutions based on traditional and indigenous knowledge such as the management of sacred natural sites. Throughout the world, innovative sustainable development initiatives are underway in government, civil society and the private sector. The WCC will focus on bringing out the latest developments regarding bio-cultural diversity. Several workshops, field trips, receptions, film screenings and knowledge cafes’ will focus on cultural and spiritual development. They will be presented, amongst others, by: the World Commission of Protected Areas; Christensen Fund; Gaia Foundation; Society for Conservation Biology; and the Delos Initiative and CVNI. At the congress CVNI and other programs facilitated by EarthCollective will feature poster presentations. Amongst other things, CVNI will also be involved in the official presentation of the IUCN Guidelines on the management of Sacred Natural Sites as part of the WCPA Best Practices Guidelines. CVNI will also be presenting its recent and current work on the perception of indicators for nature conservation and management. In addition CVNI will and announce the course it will be sailing over the years to come. Participation in the four-day IUCN World Conservation Congress Forum is open to all. Registration for the Congress runs online with pre-registration discounts until 25 September 2008. The WCC will take place from 5 to 14 October, 2008, in the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB) at Barcelona, Spain. For more information on the congress please visit www.iucn.org For mor information on the CVNI activities contact the Project Coordinator at verschuuren@earthcollective.net