MAVA’s final goodbye…

MAVA’s closing has been a long time in the making. We first started getting serious about planning for the end of the foundation around 2015 and began communicating with all of you about these plans. Our grant-making ended in 2022 and after an additional 6 months to wrap things up smoothly, we arrive now at our final days with MAVA. We will ‘turn out the lights’ on the 30th of June.

Although we have had several occasions to exchange words of thanks and goodbye, let me take this opportunity to extend my thanks to all of our partners and friends for the collaboration over the years. I speak for all of us in saying that these relationships have been the high point in our time with MAVA and are part of what has made our work so fulfilling.

As we get closer to the last day, we are all frequently asked ‘how do you feel?’ The honest answer is that we all feel a big swirl of contradictory emotions: pride in what was accomplished together with all of you, sadness at having to say goodbye, excitement about what comes next for each of us as we all go our separate ways to new adventures, and already a bit of nostalgia for our great days representing MAVA.

Last week we had a farewell dinner with all current and former MAVA staff and board members (photo above). We all expressed our sense of satisfaction with the impact of the foundation over the years and our profound gratitude to all of you for making that happen.

Lynda Mansson

MAVA Director General

A short video celebrating the diversity of the MAVA partners and their actions for almost 30 years. It was impossible to film all of them, and here it’s just a glimpse of some of these incredible women and men engaged for a better world for people and nature. Thanks to all of you who were part of our community, and thanks for keeping the spirit of MAVA alive. 

Recounting the history and philosophy of the MAVA Foundation and paying tribute to the invaluable work accomplished by our partners, our commemorative book offers a set of collective memories from our lifetime.

The book is and will remain available in both French and English on our legacy website.

READ OUR BOOK

Al Hima Magazine 6th Issue

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) has released the sixth issue of Al Hima magazine, focusing on the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi (October 8–15, 2025), where SPNL will join four key sessions. The issue features an exclusive interview with IUCN President Razan Al Mubarak, who emphasizes aligning IUCN’s work with global biodiversity agendas, governance, member responsiveness, multilateral engagement, ethical use of technology, and amplifying diverse voices.

Read Previous issues

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