In the West, we got the message that it's not cool to wear ivory. It's not cool to utilize products from these wonderful species. They are not commodities. We need the whole world to join hands in getting this message now, particularly countries in Asia and certain communities that have not been educated about this. They have not had the campaigns that we had.
Patrick BerginIn the West, we got the message that it's not cool to wear ivory. It's not cool to utilize products from these wonderful species. They are not commodities. We need the whole world to join hands in getting this message now, particularly countries in Asia and certain communities that have not been educated about this. They have not had the campaigns that we had.
Patrick BerginWith good planning, Africa can have cities, farms, factories, export processing zones. But if the political will is there, the huge areas - the Serengeti, the Okavango, the Kalahari, Kruger - these wonderful, huge places for wildlife could still be set aside and protected, and be treasures for humanity for many generations to come.
Patrick BerginHelping Africans navigate the transition to modernity with a huge, wonderful wildlife resource still intact.
Patrick BerginWe did a campaign here with New York Times. We had a great ad: "Today in America, someone will kill an elephant for a bracelet." We became sensitized in our society. Now there are four or five billion people in Asia who need to get this message. We need to use social media, print magazines, celebrities - anything we can to share this message. It's not cool, it's not okay. You are destroying beautiful animals. You are robbing a continent of its wealth. And you are hurting a lot of innocent people.
Patrick BerginThese magnificent species of Africa - elephants, rhino, lions, leopards, cheetah, the great apes (Africa has four of the world's five great apes) - this is a treasure for all humanity, and they are not for sale. They are not for trade. They need to be valued and preserved by humanity. We all need a global commitment to that.
Patrick Bergin