Fátima Gigante is the Program Coordinator at CoalitionWILD. She began as a volunteer leading the Global Mentorship Program and now also manages the Accelerator Program—CoalitionWILD’s two flagship initiatives. With mentorship at the heart of both CoalitionWILD and WILD’s work, Fátima has been closely involved in shaping the IUCN World Conservation Congress Motion 97: “Mainstreaming mentorship for young ecological stewards to enhance conservation efforts” by writing, designing, and presenting it.

In today's episode, Fátima joins us to talk about this important motion.

The motion took root at the 2020 IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille, following Motion 76 on the Role of Children and Youth in Nature Conservation. Motion 97 builds on that foundation—and on the 12th World Wilderness Congress’s Resolution 4—by recognizing mentorship as a key tool for transformative conservation. It is now heading to a vote at the upcoming Members’ Assembly.

What does this mean? During the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Abu Dhabi in October, Member organizations will gather in person to debate and vote on these motions live on the floor of the Assembly.

This is a critical moment where alliances, visibility, and strong advocacy can make all the difference in whether a motion is adopted or rejected.

Okay but why is this so urgent? Because environmental challenges today demand more than technical expertise, they call for intergenerational collaboration and leadership renewal. Mentorship is essential to ensure younger generations are prepared to lead.

In this episode, Fátima shares what meaningful mentorship in conservation really looks like, how to make programs accessible and culturally grounded, and how mentorship can foster both protection and resilience.

Motion Guide: https://wild.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Motion-097-Marketing-Brief.pdf

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