Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

The Environmental Defence Fund was registered as a s.21 company in April 2010, and was established primarily to fund the work of the Centre for Environmental Rights. In addition to its support of the Centre for Environmental Rights, the EDF Board has resolved to launch a bequest programme to facilitate the inclusion of bequests of funds in the wills of people who would like to ensure that sufficient funds are available to use the law to protect the environment for future generations. More information about the Fund is available here.

The EDF was established with a Board of five directors appointed by the founding members after nominations by the Centre’s stakeholders last year. One position on this Board has recently become vacant, and the Board subsequently decided to fill two vacancies with new Board members. The EDF Board therefore hereby calls for the nomination of suitably qualified and inspired individuals to act as non-executive directors of the EDF.

The nomination criteria for non-executive directors of the EDF agreed by stakeholders last year were:

• a good understanding of financial management and oversight
• a good understanding of the rules applicable to S.21 companies and their directors
• experience in fundraising in the NGO sector
• a champion for the environment, environmental rights and environmental justice, and for civil society’s role in environmental governance
• highly respected and with good standing in the community
• representative of demographics in South Africa
• no interests that will conflict with the interests of the Centre
• the necessary time available

Please send the name of the person you would like to nominate, his or her contact details, and a motivation why you think the person you are nominating meets the criteria above to [email protected] by 31 July 2010.