Seeking Guidance and Support in Conservation Community
As a dedicated conservation professional, I'm sharing my story in hopes of finding guidance, support, and potential solutions.
In 2021, I created a successful conservation education program in Harare, Zimbabwe, from scratch. Despite verbal agreements and later, a written contract, I was terminated in December 2022. Subsequently, I discovered that funding had been secured for the program's continuation.
I'm concerned about:
1. Intellectual property rights (logo, program name)
2. Fair compensation for my work
3. Transparency in funding allocation
I value the conservation community's input and expertise. How can I ensure my rights are protected? What steps could be taken to resolve this situation amicably?
Your advice, shared experiences, and support will help me navigate this challenging time.
#conservation #justice #intellectualproperty #faircompensation #transparency #funding #conservationcommunity #support
My name is VImbainashe Eunick Chitauro, a conservationist from Zimbabwe specializing in Conservation education. From a young age, I have been passionate about working with wildlife, and as I progressed in my career, I have come to understand the crucial link between wildlife and communities.
My goal is to educate and equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills to become future custodians of biodiversity, carrying forward the important work already being done. With over 4 years of experience in the conservation field, I have had the privilege of educating over 5000 children and community members on conservation matters.
I am eager to connect with conservationists from around the world to make a significant impact together. I believe that through collaboration, we can make a difference in preserving our planet's wildlife and natural resources.
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Hello dear VImbainashe Eunick Chitauro, this is indeed a challenging situation.
For you rights, it all depends on whose name the program was registered?
Was the name/logo trademarked?
Who owns the organisation by virtue of registration?
If these were not done by you, you might not pursue it legally . That does not mean all hope is lost.
You can as well resolve your differences amicably using a third party influence considering your earlier contributions.
I hope you get back into the project soon.
Best
Dr. Eby
Thank You, Dr. Eby. Unfortunately, I did not trademark or register the programme. I was working under the registered organisation. I guess my mistake was trusting that things would work out because ultimately, they didn't. I just thought that as per our discussion, things would get better when we got funding. I did not know I would get left out when funding came considering all the effort and passion I had put into creating the programme. I think it all boils down to trust within our organisations, and leaders respecting the efforts and passion that their employees put in creating different programmes. to date, that programme is doing very well. it hurts, but I am also happy that it is doing well because ultimately that is what I wanted.
@Vimbainashe Eunick what was the written contract about? Since you were working for the Organisation, if there were no clearly spelt out terms then it is assumed that it was done for the Organisation. However, going forward, you might want to reach clear terms when next you have to use your intellectual property possibly trademark first. I'm glad you're happy that the programme is doing well, what you were able to create before, you can still do again but now you'll be better armed and wiser to deal.