1001 Club
Encyclopedia
The 1001 Club: A Nature Trust is a trust that helps fund the World Wide Fund for Nature
. It was established in 1970 by the then head of the WWF, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
, with help from Anton Rupert
, a South African entrepreneur. They persuaded 1001 individuals to join the club, where each member would contribute US $10,000 to the trust. In the early 1970s, Charles de Haes took charge of the operation for reaching $10 million goal, becoming Director General of WWF-International from 1975. The resulting $10 million fund helps to fund the WWF's basic costs of administration.
The membership of the 1001 Club largely consists of managers of banks and multinationals from around the world (see membership lists under References).
According to a 1993 Washington Monthly article, "The secret list of members includes a disproportionate percentage of South Africans, all too happy in an era of social banishment to be welcomed into a socially elite society. Other contributors include businessmen with suspect connections, including organized crime, environmentally destructive development, and corrupt African politics. Even an internal report called WWF's approach egocentric and neocolonialist."
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
. It was established in 1970 by the then head of the WWF, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , later Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, was prince consort of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and father of six children, including the current monarch Queen Beatrix....
, with help from Anton Rupert
Anton Rupert
Dr. Anthony Edward Rupert was an Afrikaner South African billionaire entrepreneur, businessman and conservationist. He was born and raised in the small town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape. He studied in Pretoria and ultimately moved to Stellenbosch, where he established the Rembrandt Group ...
, a South African entrepreneur. They persuaded 1001 individuals to join the club, where each member would contribute US $10,000 to the trust. In the early 1970s, Charles de Haes took charge of the operation for reaching $10 million goal, becoming Director General of WWF-International from 1975. The resulting $10 million fund helps to fund the WWF's basic costs of administration.
The membership of the 1001 Club largely consists of managers of banks and multinationals from around the world (see membership lists under References).
According to a 1993 Washington Monthly article, "The secret list of members includes a disproportionate percentage of South Africans, all too happy in an era of social banishment to be welcomed into a socially elite society. Other contributors include businessmen with suspect connections, including organized crime, environmentally destructive development, and corrupt African politics. Even an internal report called WWF's approach egocentric and neocolonialist."
External links
- WWF International: History
- Founding Patron of Peace Parks Foundation passes away
- Photocopies of 1001 Club membership lists by Joël van der Reijden of ISGP (provided by Irish journalist Kevin Dowling in 2008)