The Zeitz Foundation is a non-profit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 registered in Germany and headquartered in Kenya with representation in the United States and the United Kingdom. The goal of the Foundation is to maintain or improve the integrity of ecosystems through effective, sustainable management practices that ensure ecosystems continue to deliver services - such as clean water and air, carbon sequestration, and healthy soils - for the benefit of mankind.

Its full name is the Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety. Ecosphere safety refers to Earth and all its life-sustaining properties and relates to the maintenance of the ecosphere in the interest of all future generations.

The 4Cs approach to sustainability

The Zeitz Foundation wants to create and support sustainable, ecologically and socially responsible projects and destinations around the world to achieve long-lasting impact and sustainability through the holistic balance of conservation, community, culture and commerce (the 4Cs):

• Conservation addresses issues related to ecosystem management
  Ecosystem management
  Ecosystem management is a process that aims to conserve major ecological services and restore natural resources while meeting the socioeconomic, political and cultural needs of current and future generations. The principal objective of ecosystem management is the efficient maintenance, and ethical...
  
   to provide ecosystem services
  Ecosystem services
  Humankind benefits from a multitude of resources and processes that are supplied by natural ecosystems. Collectively, these benefits are known as ecosystem services and include products like clean drinking water and processes such as the decomposition of wastes...
  
   sustainably.
• Community addresses fair working conditions, local and regional relations, social ventures, capacity building
  Capacity building
  Capacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
  
  , community-based natural resource management
  Resource management
  In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology...
  
  .
• Culture addresses all expressions of art - from local cuisine and architecture to film and music, from sculpture to folk arts and crafts.
• Commerce addresses reforestation
  Reforestation
  Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation....
  
  , the harvesting and trading of non-timber forest products
  Non-timber forest products
  Non-timber forest products are considered as any commodity obtained from the forest that does not necessitate harvesting trees. It includes game animals, fur-bearers, nuts and seeds, berries,...
  
  , agriculture, horticulture, wildlife management
  Wildlife management
  Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
  
  , and livestock ranching.

Areas of work

The Zeitz Foundation aims to contribute to sustainable ecosystem management by

• Creating, strengthening and promoting a network of Long Run Destinations (LRDs). These are locations around the world that provide and build sustainable, mostly tourism-driven enterprises, community development and cultural stewardship.
• Developing and implementing the Global Ecosphere Retreat certification system – a certification scheme for the LRDs, verifying their progress across the 4Cs.
• Investing in initiatives that maintain or strengthen the integrity of ecosystems and their ability to deliver services, such as clean water and air, carbon sequestration, and healthy soils.
• Following the Zeitz Foundation philosophy, known as The Long Run - an approach to life geared at acting today for a better tomorrow.

The Long Run Initiative

Launched in 2009, the Long Run Initiative is the Zeitz Foundation’s flagship programme, built around Long Run Supporters; Long Run Alliance Members; and Long Run Destinations, but reaching out, into every aspect of our day to day life by putting the Long Run philosophy of acting today for a better tomorrow into practice. Find out more here.

Long Run Supporters

These are organisations that share the Zeitz Foundation’s drive to support sustainable, ecologically and socially responsible projects around the world, and have demonstrated their commitment by signing the Long Run Charter.

Long Run Alliance Members

These are institutions that directly manage or significantly influence the management of a natural area of conservation value with defined geographical boundaries that are committed to achieving sustainability through the 4Cs (conservation, community, culture and commerce).

There are currently nine Long Run Alliance Members worldwide, for instance Nirox Foundation in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, Campi ya Kanzi in Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 and Comrie Croft in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

.

Long Run Destinations

Long Run Destinations - Global Ecosphere Retreat ® (GER) certified, are institutions that directly manage or significantly influence the management of a natural area of conservation value with defined geographical boundaries that have demonstrated their ability and commitment to achieve sustainability through the 4Cs (conservation, community, culture and commerce).

Long Run Destinations GER certified pursue a range of environmental goals such as biodiversity conservation or forest restoration. But most of the destinations generate income from sustainable tourism by providing a bundle of superior services including luxury accommodation in simple yet elegant surroundings (LRDs provide temporary accommodation), unique nature experiences guided by conservationists and the opportunity to understand local culture by engaging in an exchange with local communities. Guests get a chance to experience the local way of life, sampling culinary specialities (LRDs serve food and drinks), visiting nearby villages and schools, and generally enjoying a wide range of holiday activities. These sites have been carefully selected and assessed by the Zeitz Foundation.

There are currently nine Long Run Destinations worldwide, for instance in Lapa Rios, Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

, Wolwedans, Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

 or Tahi, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

Other areas of action

The Zeitz Foundation focuses on sustainable ecosystem management by investing in initiatives that maintain or strengthen the integrity of ecosystems and their ability to deliver services, such as clean water and air, carbon sequestration, and healthy soils. Moreover, every two years, the Zeitz Foundation organizes the Laikipia and Beyond Unity Cup (LUC) football tournament. This event reaches out beyond sport, providing free medical health care to thousands of people in need, promoting environmental awareness and peace throughout the district, and putting the spotlight on the Laikipia region of Kenya.

Zeitz Foundation Ambassadors and Specialists

These inspiring individuals help the Zeitz Foundation raise awareness and shape activities in their respective dimension: Chairman and CEO of PPR, Francois-Henri Pinault

François-Henri Pinault

François-Henri Pinault, born in Rennes, Brittany, France, is a French businessman and the chief executive officer of PPR. He is the son of the company's founder, businessman François Pinault...

 (Ambassador for Commerce); award-winning director, writer and producer, Stephen Hopkins

Stephen Hopkins

Stephen Hopkins may refer to:* Stephen Hopkins , Mayflower passenger, first mayor of Plymouth, father of only baby born during the trip aboard the Mayflower...

 (Ambassador for Conservation); Olympian and sprint superstar, Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt

The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...

 (Ambassador for Culture-Sport); and internationally acclaimed African musicians, Amadou & Mariam

Amadou & Mariam

Amadou & Mariam are a musical duo from Mali, composed of the couple Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia . The pair, known as "the blind couple from Mali" met at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind, and found they shared an interest in music...

 (Ambassadors for Culture-Art), to name but a few.

History

The Zeitz Foundation came into being in 2008. In 2009, the Foundation launched its flagship initiative, The Long Run. Today, the Zeitz Foundation is focusing on nine Long Run Destinations, including Segera, where the Foundation is headquartered, and on introducing projects into these Destinations that strengthen their ability to sustainably manage the ecosystems in which they are located.

See also

• Conservation ethic
  Conservation ethic
  Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
  
  
• Conservation movement
  Conservation movement
  The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
  
  
• Environmentalism
  Environmentalism
  Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
  
  
• Environmental movement
  Environmental movement
  The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
  
  
• Natural environment
  Natural environment
  The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
  
  
• Sustainability
  Sustainability
  Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
  
  
• Sustainable development
  Sustainable development
  Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
  
  

External links

• The Zeitz Foundation website - Official Website
• The Long Run website - Official Website