The Freeland Foundation (rendered FREELAND Foundation by the foundation) is an international

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

headquartered in Bangkok which works in Asia on environmental conservation and on human rights. The organization intends to stop

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

and

human trafficking Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...

. The organization combats the illegal

wildlife trade Wildlife trade refers to the of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, ti ...

and

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

. Its environmental conservation programs address threats to endangered

flora and fauna In biology, an organism () is any living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy into groups such as multicellular animals, plants, and fungi; ...

. This includes

poaching Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...

and

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

in protected areas, smuggling, and the subsequent sale and consumption of wildlife. With funding from the United States Agency for International Development (

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

), Freeland Foundation provides expertise and support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (

ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) was officially launched on 1 December 2005, as a regional inter-agency and inter-governmental initiative to counter the illegal cross-border trade in endangered flora and fauna. It helps countrie ...

), a regional inter-governmental initiative to combat

wildlife smuggling Wildlife smuggling or trafficking involves the illegal gathering, transportation, and distribution of animals and their derivatives. This can be done either internationally or domestically. Estimates of the money generated by wildlife smuggling ...

Overall aims

Freeland intends to increase wildlife protection, combat illegal wildlife trafficking, and reduce global consumption of and demand for

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

. It combats human

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and wildlife trafficking by increasing law enforcement capacity, supporting vulnerable communities, and raising awareness.

Anti-crime work

Freeland provides training and technical assistance to police, customs, and environmental agencies in the

ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...

region to combat

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a pro ...

, and

. It cooperates with government task forces and facilitates

cross-border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...

inter-agency co-operation and

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.sustainable Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...

and

environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...

businesses, such as plant nurseries, fish and mushroom farms. The organization also supports communities to develop

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

sources and

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debate ...

projects.

Awareness campaigns

Freeland's public awareness campaigns focus on the roles that consumer demand and apathy play in wildlife and human trafficking, while also highlighting the threats these crimes pose to natural

ecosystems An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

, and global

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

. One such campaign is ''Piece of Responsibility''.

History

Freeland Foundation was founded in 2000. It works in partnership with governments, communities, corporations, and other

NGOs A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

. It was previously known as WildAid (Thailand) and changed its name to Freeland Foundation in early-2009.

Programs

Training

Freeland's training programs are in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

, aimed at local staff and communities. Freeland capacity building and support programs include: Protected Area Training Program; the Investigations Training Program; the Border Inspection and Controlled Delivery Program; the Judicial and Prosecutor Awareness Program; and the Poachers to Protectors Alternative Livelihoods Program.

Intervention

Reforestation

Freeland works with park authorities, local communities, schools, and

private sector The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

partners in reforestation.

Alternative livelihoods

Freeland's community outreach team encourages villagers to give up illegal poaching and

activities through a combination of

environmental awareness Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks ...

and the development of small-scale environmentally friendly businesses.

ASEAN-WEN support program

Freeland Foundation, together with

TRAFFIC Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

Southeast Asia, implements a

-funded support program to the

(ASEAN-WEN). The support program conducts national assessments, helped set up the structure of ASEAN-WEN and its secretariat (Program Coordination Unit), and provides training and workshops for

member nations wildlife law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and the judiciary to counter wildlife crime.

Partners

Freeland developed the “Pattaya Manifesto on Combating Wildlife Crime in Asia” in 2009. Pattaya Manifesto on ASEAN-WEN website

References

External links

Freeland Foundation

ASEAN-WEN

USAID Asia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeland Foundation Environmental organizations based in Thailand