WILD Foundation - The World Wilderness Congress

The World Wilderness Congress

The World Wilderness Congress (WWC) is the world’s longest-running, public conservation project and environmental forum. Science, management, government, academia, native leaders, youth, business, advocates and artists come together to work towards positive and practical outcomes for nature and society.

The congress began with a conversation between friends. Founder Dr. Ian Player and his Zulu mentor Magqubu Ntombela were sitting on the banks of the Umfolozi River in 1974 when they came up with the idea for the congress. Magqubu turned to Ian and said, “We are doing good work,but we need to do more. We should call an INDABA-KULU, a great gathering, for all people to come together for wilderness."

Three years later, the first World Wilderness Congress convened in South Africa. The event introduced the concept of wilderness as an issue of international importance to all people in all countries. The congress has become WILD’s flagship program and has convened nine times on five continents, drawing thousands of people from around the world. World leaders, such as Mexico's President Felipe Calderón (2009), Norway’s Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland (1987), Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser (1980); conservation legends Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton; Nobel Laureates such as Dr. Thor Heyerdahl, Dr. Wangari Maathai, Dr. Mario Molina; tribal and community leaders such as Tashka Yawanawa, Oren Lyons, Maqgubu Ntombela; the heads of major international corporations; and hundreds of budding conservationists have participated in the congress.