In 'Forearm they will be beaten 40 works donated by artists and designers: Gabriele Basilico, Alessandro Belgiojoso, Francesco Bocchini, Paolo Calcagni, Jessica Carroll, Rezzonica Castelbarco & Cristina Magliano, Luisa Cevese, Gregory Colbert, Jenny Cittone, Albertina d'Urso, Anne de Carbuccia, Nathalie Du Pasquier, Alfred Drago Rens, Federico Guerri , Hublot SA, Andrea Jacchia, Irene Kung, Nicola Magrin, Gabriel Asdrúbal Martín García, Memphis srl, Toni Meneguzzo, Andrea Micheli, Ritsue Mishima, Benedetta Mori Ubaldini, Sofia Paravicini Crespi, Chiara Passigli, Tullio Pericoli, Donata Pizzi, Caterina Saban, Aimone Sambuy, Daniel Silver, Mark Sobczak, Giovanni Spazzini, Tindar, Venini, Velasco Vitali, Marco Zanuso jr.
Sotheby's will offer venue and technical support, and waive auction rights. All the proceeds from the auction and the donations will be used to finance the forest conservation project in Gabon and the socio-economic development of local communities. Nothing will be used for administrative and management expenses.
From a tropical forest you can derive benefits for everyone. The "secret" is to leave it as it is. Courageous projects need trust, determination and support: this is why we believe in the forest.
PROTECTING THE PLANET'S FORESTS IS A RESPONSIBLE ACTION – There is great anticipation for the UN Conference in Paris 2015, where forests will be at the center of climate agreements.
Tropical forests host 80% of life forms on earth, they contribute to climate control, oxygen and carbon dioxide cycles. Nevertheless, every year ten million hectares of virgin forests are destroyed, the equivalent of a football field every two seconds.
THE “TRUST THE FOREST” FOUNDATION
Since 1999, Trust the Forest (www.trusttheforest.org) works in Gabon, Central Africa, to protect the Ivindo forest and its magnificent Kongou waterfalls. The forest is inhabited by gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, giant pangolins, mandrills and many other species.
The real challenge of Trust the Forest is to support and assist local communities in the creation and development of economic activities so that the forest saved from cutting becomes a source of income and socio-economic development.
the Foundation's objective is to create conditions for the protection of the forest in the medium to long term, developing, among other things, ecotourism activities managed by local populations.
Operation of the foundation:
- In 2001, the government of Gabon entrusted us with a nucleus of 120km2 of forest. In 2003, around this nucleus, the Ivindo National Park was created, covering 3000 km2.
- In 2004, they promoted the birth of a local cooperative (Loaloa village, located near Makokou: 0°34'N 12°52'E ) to develop forest tourism (www.ivindo.org).
- In 2008, local communities and some Gabonese NGOs blocked the project of CEMEC and the government to build a dam that would have destroyed waterfalls and forest (http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6088).
- Tourism has now strongly discouraged elephant poaching. About twenty former poachers now work in the local ecotourism cooperative.
After 10 years of work, the Foundation affirms that ecotourism is promoting a new awareness for the protection of nature, and opportunities to improve living conditions.
Goals:
The Loaloa cooperative is becoming economically self-sufficient, but still needs some financial support for:
- Bring electricity and drinking water to the villages
- Enlarge Loaloa School to provide education to age 12
- Support anti-poaching initiatives for elephants and gorillas
- Renovate eco-tourism camps managed by local communities.
