When Bihini Won wa Musiti Jean began working in forest conservation in the Congo Basin back in 1982, in Central and Western African regions the idea of conserving nature was still that to preserve wildlife, people had to be kept out of natural areas. This approach has often caused more problems than it has solved, both historically and in regions where it is still present today. But during Bihini’s long career working with people from all walks of life in the Congo Basin, he has seen great progress made in understanding how conservation can serve communities, forests, and species at the same time.
In conversation with Nina Seale, he discusses his long career, his concerns, and the highlights from working with Synchronicity Earth’s Congo Basin Programme partners as one of our Congo Basin affiliates.
