“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” Nelson Mandela famously said. One hundred years after his birth, these words are as relevant as ever. Education is still fundamental to our ability to protect our Earth and create a sustainable planet. We must learn from the mistakes of our past and act now to conserve our wildlife, landscapes and communities for future generations.
In the context of Africa, we need to change people’s misconceptions about the continent, and encourage everyone to play their part — by travelling to some of Africa’s amazing, far-flung destinations, in so doing supporting conservation efforts through tourism. But even more vital is to teach local communities about the value of safeguarding wildlife and their habitats, and to fully involve them in conservation programmes. Only then will success be sustained.