Virtual Events, September 2023

Thank You for Joining Us Online!

If you haven’t checked out the array of virtual events Population Connection hosts each month, you’re missing out! This summer, hundreds of members and supporters have joined us for several exciting events:

Population Connection’s communications staff marked World Population Day on July 11 with a presentation entitled Low Birth Rates: Good for the Planet, Good for People. The team discussed why low fertility is here to stay, outlined the many environmental benefits of slower population growth, and identified potential accommodations to the economic challenges presented by population aging.

We celebrated World Rainforest Day with our Global Partner Women for Conservation. We were joined by Isabella Cortes Lara, Vice President and Conservation Director, and Emily Knudson, Director of Outreach and Philanthropy, to learn more about the organization’s work in Colombia. Together, they taught us about the country’s magnificent biodiversity and offered insights into their on-the-ground initiatives. In addition, they shed light on how our partnership supports W4C’s programs that help to deliver accessible reproductive health care to rural communities residing in biodiversity hotspots. Their essential programs help young girls complete their education, pursue careers in conservation, and ultimately chase their dreams. We were inspired as the speakers delved into the organization’s community-based programs in conservation training, sustainable livelihoods, and family planning—all aimed at empowering rural women to become guardians of nature and protectors of critical biodiversity for generations.

We marked International Youth Day with our Global Partner the African Education Program (AEP). AEP works to unlock the potential of Zambia’s youth and adults by building and growing community-led organizations. The African Education Program is approaching its 20-year anniversary. Co-founder and Executive Director Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza shared the story of how this organization came into existence from its humble beginnings in a high school cafeteria. Since then, the African Education Program has partnered with community leaders in Kafue, Zambia, to build and grow its flagship learning and leadership center, named the Amos Youth Center. Additionally, Lumuno Mweemba Chongo, Program Advisor and Amos Youth Center Co-founder, shared the latest on the holistic programs serving over 750 youth and women weekly. She also shared a closer look at one of the core programs, the Reproductive Health Access Initiative.

Our Page Turners book club read and discussed Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity. The book posits that overconsumption, rather than population growth, is driving environmental crises. Book club participants had a lively discussion dismantling this erroneous argument.

It’s never too late to see what’s happening next! Find recordings of past events, including most of those mentioned above, and register to join us in the coming months at popconnect.org/virtual-events. We’d love to have you!