Andre Bechara, Head of the Homat Al Hima Programme at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), brought Lebanon’s Hima experience to an international discussion on strengthening community leadership in conservation during the BirdLife Summit in Nairobi.
The session explored how community, Indigenous and women-led leadership can be more fully embedded in BirdLife’s conservation practices. It highlighted practical experiences in engaging women and young people, supporting sustainable livelihoods, promoting local advocacy and advancing environmental education.
During the Partner panel, Bechara presented SPNL’s work through the Hima approach, a community-based system that places local people at the heart of the protection and sustainable management of natural resources. He highlighted the importance of recognizing communities as active partners and decision-makers whose knowledge, priorities and participation are essential to achieving lasting conservation outcomes.
Bechara also drew attention to the role of Homat Al Hima—Guardians of the Hima—in mobilizing local communities, particularly young people and women, to protect biodiversity and preserve their natural and cultural heritage. Through this programme, SPNL supports locally rooted environmental leadership while connecting conservation with education, sustainable livelihoods and community development.
The panel examined how BirdLife Partners across different regions can share power more equitably, reinforce local governance and strengthen the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Participants subsequently worked in mixed groups to identify community priorities and translate them into practical global actions related to rights-based conservation, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and gender equity.
Bechara participated alongside James Mutunga, Local Action Manager at Nature Kenya; Nunia Thomas, Director of NatureFiji-MareqetiViti; Constantino Aucca Chutas, President and Co-founder of ECOAN; Adam Heal, Head of Partnership at BirdLife International; Billy Fairburn, Head of Communities and Livelihoods at BirdLife International; and representatives of several Site Support Groups affiliated with Nature Kenya.
Andre Bechara’s participation placed SPNL’s experience within a broader global exchange on the future of inclusive conservation. It demonstrated how the Hima approach can help translate the principles of community participation, equitable governance and respect for local knowledge into concrete action on the ground.
Through its engagement at the BirdLife Summit, SPNL reaffirmed its commitment to conservation that is led by communities, grounded in rights and responsive to local priorities—ensuring that the people who live closest to nature have a meaningful voice in decisions concerning its future.
