Stephen M. Kohn, Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center (NWC), travelled to Kenya to teach a workshop on wildlife whistleblowing. The event was hosted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The workshop took place in Namanga, Kenya, a town that sits on the Kenya-Tanzania border. Attendees included those working in the region to combat wildlife trafficking; illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing; and illegal logging.
Kohn has represented whistleblowers for over 30 years, setting numerous precedents that have helped define modern whistleblower law. He has also published nine books on whistleblower law, including The New Whistleblower’s Handbook, the seminal guide to all things whistleblower today.
In the workshop, Kohn discussed how whistleblower laws can be used to fight wildlife trafficking on a global scale. There are currently over 40 wildlife protection laws in the U.S. with provisions to reward those that report valuable information on wildlife crime. Rewards are available for both U.S. citizens and non-citizens alike. These provide a powerful incentive for insiders to step forward and share information that can halt wildlife crime in its tracks.
Kohn’s seminar is a part of the work of NWC’s Global Wildlife Whistleblower Program, which provides a platform where people can securely and confidentially report wildlife crimes. The NWC Global Wildlife Whistleblower Program’s mission is to educate people, worldwide, about the powerful set of legal tools at their disposal.
As Kohn writes in The New Whistleblower’s Handbook, “when fully implemented, the wildlife whistleblower laws will have significant worldwide impact.” This training is a crucial part of making that reality happen.
Photo credit: Leslie Rose Photography