Past Conferences

Information About Past Conferences, Including Speakers, Subjects, and Schedule

Environmental NGOs: Linking Local and Global Networks
April 8, Bill Eichbaum, Vice President, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Bill Eichbaum is currently the vice president of the WWF. In just over four decades, the WWF has become one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. With almost five million supporters distributed throughout five continents, WWF has a global network active in over 90 countries and can safely claim to have played a major role in the evolution of the international conservation movement.

In videoconference #2, Bill Eichbaum described his first few years in the private sector and his experience working for state and federal government after getting his law degree. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1966 and worked on issues such as municipal corruption, the regulation of coal mining, and wetland protection just after graduating. He also worked with presidential candidate Michael Dukakis in 1988 on environmental issues. Since joining the WWF, he has helped the organization develop the marine preservation program. He stressed the importance of looking at problems of conservation from a variety of perspectives and spoke of the role that the WWF plays in linking up with local NGOs around the world to better manage resources and protect endangered species. Currently, the WWF is working with communities affected by the Asian tsunami to encourage sound development practices that preserve and/or rebuild coastal buffer zones such as mangrove forests and coral reefs to provide future protection from natural disasters.