Clinton Global Initiative and others motivate kids to help save endangered gorillas

The new children’s book, “Looking for Miza”, National Education Program and Kids Gorilla Summit raise awareness and empower children to participate in global issues.

(Turtle Pond Publications) – Turtle Pond Publications and Scholastic, in association with Dr. Richard Leakey’s Wildlife Direct and the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation through the catalyst of the Clinton Global Initiative, today set in motion a breakthrough campaign to help protect Africa’s endangered mountain gorillas.

The campaign includes the first ever Kids Gorilla Summit, an unprecedented gathering of elementary and middle grade students, who will meet to discuss the plight of Africa’s critically endangered mountain gorillas and the release of the children’s book, Looking for Miza: The True Story of the Mountain Gorilla Family Who Rescued One of Their Own (Scholastic Press) by #1 New York Times best-selling team Craig, Isabella and Juliana Hatkoff, Dr. Paula Kahumbu and photographer Peter Greste, as well as utilize a myriad of educational, web-based technological tools that will allow kids to actively participate in the mountain gorilla crisis and offer their ideas and solutions.

The initiative will underscore the connection between the urgency of the wildlife preservation efforts and the humanitarian issues that are inextricably inter-related.

This integrated campaign was born out of a commitment to action made at the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative shortly after last summer’s tragic massacre of ten of the world’s remaining 720 mountain gorillas, of which, 380 live in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park.

As part of the CGI commitment, Craig Hatkoff and daughter Juliana traveled to Rwanda with a delegation to learn first-hand more about the challenges and dynamics.

The purpose of the Kids Gorilla Summit is to enlist students to become "global citizens" and make a commitment to the gorillas and the people of Africa. At the end of the Summit, all the participants are asked to sign the Kids Global Act Pact, which will reflect their commitment to taking action to make a difference. The students will share learning with their peers and continue to get involved by emailing ideas online to a designated website.

The campaign also includes utilization of technology and the creation of a multi-platform, standards-based educational program that will help teach children, as well as their teachers and parents, about the critically endangered gorillas. A specially-developed curriculum and online portal, produced by Scholastic, will be distributed to approximately one million students to teach them about the gorillas, their habitat and the Mountain Rangers, and will empower them to become advocates for change.

The Summit will be held in New York City on Friday, September 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Scholastic Auditorium. Approximately 180 students in grades five to seven will be in attendance for an age-appropriate discussion with panelists and special guests, including famed anthropologist, Dr. Richard Leakey, founder of Wildlife Direct, conservationist and author, Dr. Paula Kahumbu, Trevor Neilson of the Global Philanthropy Group and best-selling children’s author, Craig Hatkoff.

First, the children will be taught about the unique challenges the gorillas and the region face. The students will be shown short videos of the gorillas, as well as special animated "Gorillasodes" that were created by students from the U.S. and Rwanda to help spread the word about the gorillas’ plight. Then, the students will be introduced to people from the region, including four reporters who are members of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps, reporting from Africa.

After learning about the gorillas and the region, the students will be asked to break off into groups with an expert moderator, who will help them develop their ideas for change.

Students nationwide can participate via a live national webcast at http://www.scholastic.com/miza and will be able to email questions to participants so they join in the Summit.

In addition, http://www.scholastic.com/miza and http://www.miza.com, created jointly by Turtle Pond and Scholastic, will offer students up-to-date information on the gorillas brought from Wildlife Direct’s field-based blogs written by the Mountain Rangers and other activities and resources. Students will be encouraged to share ideas about helping the gorillas.

‘Looking for Miza’
Available in bookstores nationwide, Looking for Miza: The True Story of the Mountain Gorilla Family Who Rescued One of Their Own tells the story of a baby female mountain gorilla, Miza, whose mother was one of the ten gorillas killed last summer. Miza was rescued by her father, following the tragedy and was reunited with the rest of her family. Miza almost died, but thanks to the efforts of the Congolese Mountain Rangers and Kabirizi’s family of 30 gorillas who cared for her, she has thrived. The book brings to light the gorillas’ struggle and underscores the sacrifice and heroism of the mountain rangers and their critical role in the survival of this endangered species.

About The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
Established in 2005 as a project of the non-partisan William J. Clinton Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI members have made nearly 1,000 Commitments to Action valued at upwards of $30 billion to improve more than 200 million lives in over 150 countries around the world. Through past Annual Meetings, CGI has brought together more than 80 current and former heads of state, hundreds of top CEOs and non-profit leaders, major philanthropists, and 10 of the last 16 Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

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books, children, Clinton Global Initiative, endangered, family, wildlife, Wildlife Conservation Society