PRESSRELEASE
Forimmediaterelease.
Barack Obama to lead messages of support as Kenya prepares to
gather African leaders, global power-brokers, financiers, and
conservationistsforTheGiantsClubSummit
NAIROBI,April22,2016–USpresidentBarackObamaistosendamessageofsupportto
theinauguralGiantsClubSummit,auniquegatheringofAfricanHeadsofState,corporate
leaders, philanthropists, and scientists dedicated to ending the illegal killing of elephants
andsafeguardingtheirlandscapesforever.
PresidentUhuruKenyattaofKenyawillhosttheAfrica-ledevent,andbejoinedbyfellow
Giants Club members President Ali Bongo of Gabon, President Yoweri Museveni of
Uganda,andseniorrepresentativesofPresidentIanKhamaofBotswana.
Together, these four countries alone are home to more than half of Africa's remaining
savannahelephants,andthreequartersofitsremainingforestelephants.
PresidentIdrissDébyofChad,andPresidentJohnMagufuliofTanzaniaaretosendhighleveldelegations.PresidentBarackObamaistosendaseniorteamledbyDeputySecretary
of State Heather Higginbottom, and William C. Woody, Chief of the US Fish and Wildlife
Service'sOfficeofLawEnforcement.
HelenClark,theheadoftheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme,andIbrahimThiaw,
DeputyExecutiveDirectoroftheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme,willbothattend
with conservation specialist colleagues, alongside Jorge Rios, head of the UN Office on
DrugsandCrime'sWildlifeandForestCrimeProgramme.
RepresentativesofglobalfinanceandphilanthropyincludeEvgenyLebedev,ownerofthe
BritishEveningStandardnewspaperandIndependentdigitalnewsplatformsandpatronof
the Giants Club; Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, who will dial in to the
Summit;JodyAllen,presidentofthePaulG.AllenFamilyFoundation,whichsheco-founded
with her brother, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen; and Jochen Zeitz, former chairman of
sportswearmultinationalPuma.LeadingAfricancorporatefiguresattendingincludeManu
Chandaria,oneofKenya'sbest-knownentrepreneurs.
Leading African musicians, including Eric Wainaina from Kenya, and Mrishi Mpioto and
PeterMsechuofTanzania,willperformataliveGalaDinnerfordelegates,andmanywill
participate in key Summit sessions discussing how to harness star influence to support
conservation.
Judi Wakhungu, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Natural Resources, and
RegionalDevelopmentAuthorities,said:"TheattendanceofsomanyofmyfellowAfrican
governments, alongside very senior delegations from the United States, Europe, Russia,
bilateral partners from the United Nations, leading financiers and philanthropists, and
conservationexperts,istestamenttotheuniquenessoftheGiantsClubSummit.
"This is not another talking shop. This is an extraordinary opportunity for us to show the
worldthatweknowhowtostoppoaching,andfortheworldtostandalongsideusandhelp
ustomakeithappen.ThesearetheveryrealoutcomesweareexpectingfromtheSummit.
Weareeagertogetstarted."
Summitdiscussionsrevolvearoundthreekeythemes.First,showingthatAfricancountries
know what works in frontline conservation protection and the successful prosecution of
poachers. Second, illustrating how to draw on the goodwill of individuals with global
influence to connect ideas and build support to expand these proven conservation
interventions.Third,topresentsmartnewwaysofpayingtosafeguardelephantsandthe
landscapestheyinhabitafterpoachinghasbeeneradicated.
"That is what is special about The Giants Club, and The Giants Club Summit," said Max
Graham, founder and CEO of Space for Giants, the conservation charity that helped form
TheGiantsClub."Wecanputinoneplaceallthepeoplewhoneedtobetogetherreallyto
accelerate progress on elephant protection: Africa's leaders, conservationists,
philanthropistsandinvestors,andpeoplewiththeinfluencetobringotherstoourside.
"We'reanticipatingsomeprettysignificantoutcomesfromtheSummit.Thefocuswillbeon
protecting elephants and stopping poaching, addressing problems of growing human
populations living alongside hopefully growing elephant populations, and coming up with
clevernewwaystofinancelookingafterelephantsandtheirlandscapesforever."
TheSummitwillbeheldontheslopesofMtKenyainthecentralKenyantownofNanyuki
fromThursdayApril28toSaturdayApril30.Intotal,morethan170delegatesareexpected
toattend.TheeventimmediatelyprecedesKenya'sivoryburninthecapital,Nairobi,later
onApril30,whenPresidentKenyattaleadsthedestructionof105tonnesofseizedivoryto
putitbeyondeconomicuse.
Brand Kenya Board, which markets Kenya as a destination for tourism and investment
abroad,istheofficialSupportingPartnerofTheGiantsClubSummit.
ENDS
Mediacontacts:
InLondon–EmiliaHungerford,[email protected],+447775992406
InNairobi–MikePflanz,[email protected],+254735446226
NotestoEditors
CoveringtheSummit–AccreditationformediatoattendtheSummitisclosed.Pleaseemail
[email protected] to be added to our press mailing list to receive releases,
updates,andannouncementsfromtheSummit.Mediawantingtelephoneinterviewswith
Summit delegates should contact the email address above. Follow us on Twitter
@TheGiantsClub
and
@SpaceForGiants,
and
on
Facebook
at
www.facebook.com/SpaceForGiants. Find us using #GiantsClub, #WorthMoreAlive,
#JoinTheHerd,or#StopTheTrade.Pleaseseewww.kws.go.kefordetailsoftheivoryburn.
TheGiantsClub–TheGiantsClubisanexclusiveforumthatbringstogetherAfricanHeads
of State, global business leaders, and elephant protection experts to secure Africa’s
remainingelephantpopulationsandthelandscapestheydependon.Itsfoundingmembers
were the Presidents of Kenya, Gabon, Botswana, and Uganda, with Evgeny Lebedev, the
owneroftheBritishEveningStandardnewspaperandIndependentdigitalnewsplatforms,
andSpaceforGiants,whichstrivestoprotectelephantsbysafeguardingtheirhabitats.See
www.spaceforgiants.org/giantsclub
Brand Kenya Board – Brand Kenya Board is a state corporation whose responsibility is to
identifyandrefinethekeyattributesofKenyathatcontributepositivelytotheimageand
reputationoftheNation.TheBoard’sgoalistoenhancethesecharacteristicsandcreatean
authentic credible brand that optimally positions the country’s uniqueness in the global
arena. Because wildlife is Kenya’s natural premium heritage, the Brand Kenya Board is
committedtopartneringwithinitiativesgearedtowardspreservingKenya’swildlife.Kenya
is the world's ultimate safari destination, and tourism industry critically relies on wildlife.
Elephantsarethecentrepieceofthis.Seehttp://www.brandkenya.go.ke/
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