Lessons Learned: Community Empowerment and Awareness Raising for Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah

By: Mehdi Almasi; Seyed Ali Sajed; Parvin Pakzadmanesh and Saeid Nouri Neshat
Boompajuhan Society
Tehran, 2010
Publisher: Olive Leaf Publishing (Barg-e Zeitoon)
ISBN: 978-600-5424-08-6
Cover Design: Hamid Khani

The present book is a collection of the lessons learnt during the implementation of the project of the Community empowerment and awareness raising for conservation of Asiatic Cheetah (IRA/SGP/05/10 (58th)) started in 2006 in Touran (located in Semnan Province in Iran) and Touran Asiatic Cheetah Local Participation and Livelihood Project (IRA/SGP/OP4/RAF/07/05 (96)) started in 2008 in the same area; both projects have been implemented with the support of GEF/SGP. The first project was done with an aim to increase the existing capacities within the targeted villages as well as to train game guards to establish more contacts with people in local communities. Also, a series of public meetings were arranged in the targeted villages and trainings on environment and conservation were carried out in schools. Within the framework of the second project a participatory facilitation team was engaged to help establish Local Active Groups and assist to form local funds for livelihood practices.
The present book has collected all lessons learnt of the two projects in one volume. These lessons are arranged in five sections: Lessons learnt by 1) the implementation team; 2) the training team; 3) the facilitation team; 4) three local groups in villages of Zamanabad, Ahmadabad and Khankhodi; and 5) the local coordinators. The book has been edited by Mehdi Almasi, Seyed Ali Sajed, Parvin Pakzadmanesh, and Saeid Nouri Neshat.
For your information, Boompajuhan Society or ECO Researchers Society-ERS was established in 2002 by a group of active students of environment of various universities. The group was formally established as an NGO in the Ministry of Interior in 2004 and at last was registered in the Officer of Companies Registration as a non-profit association in 2004 and was formally announced in the State Gazette.  The ECO Researchers Society is composed of voluntary active members, all graduated in various fields of environment issues. It has four committees of “wild life”, "local empowerment", “training” and “ecotourism”. It is worth mentioning that Boompajuhan has published another book entitled Game Guards Guide within the framework of the project on Community empowerment and awareness-raising for Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah (IRA/SGP/05/10 (58th)).