"You can beat one of us, but you can't beat all of us"
"You can beat one of us, but you can't beat all of us". I first had the need to reflect on the significance of this statement back in 2018 when I attended the Wildlife Border Inspection Course at the United State's Regional Training Centre, Accra, Ghana. The moderator of the training had introduced the course by emphasizing the importance of team work and collaboration. The statement quickly resonated with me again after signing up for this course and received a mail from the "WildTeam" - such a beautiful name that emphasized the fact that environmental crimes are better combatted as a Team. Environmental crimes in whatever forms it exist, be it pollution, illegal wildlife trade, poaching, illegal fishing or illegal logging, requires team work and collaborations among all stakeholders inclining law enforcement agencies, plants and animal conservationists, national, regional and international agencies and governments, local communities and villages where these crimes are perpetrated, and civil society organizations. Team work and collaborations give an edge to conservationists and law enforcements personnel over the criminals whose activities destroy our ecosystem and threatens sustainability.
In deed, you can beat one of us, but you cannot beat all of us.
I am Kazeem Idowu Akano, a Law Enforcement Personnel with the Nigerian Customs Service. I perform a number of law enforcement related activities including Digital Forensic Investigations.
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Hi Kazeem,
I love how you framed teamwork as a shield against environmental crimes. "You can beat one of us, but you can't beat all of us” is more than a phrase; it’s a call to unity. Reading about your experience at the Regional Training Centre in Accra reminded me how much strength there is in shared purpose.
Small acts like coral restoration and community outreach become transformative when backed by a passionate, connected team.
Out of curiosity, what has been one of the most unexpected collaborations or alliances you've witnessed in your conservation work, something that reminded you how diverse voices can come together to make a powerful impact?
Looking forward to learning from your experiences.
Warm regards from Kenya,
Simon.
Hi Simon, from law enforcement point of view, there will always be instances of unexpected collaborations and alliances. While I might not be able to go into details, one thing to always bear in mind is that one should be flexible, adaptive and always ready to embrace changes.
Hi Kazeem,
Thank you for this powerful reminder. Flexibility and adaptability truly are at the heart of effective conservation, especially in spaces where law enforcement intersects with grassroots action.
Your perspective reinforces how important it is for practitioners across disciplines to remain open to change and ready to seize unexpected opportunities for collaboration. The smallest shifts in community dynamics can open the door to meaningful alliances.
I appreciate you sharing your wisdom, and I look forward to learning more from your experiences whenever you're able to share.
In solidarity,
Simon.
Hello, Kazeem!
Thank you so much for shedding light on collaboration and teamwork! A much-needed step to fight major environmental issues.
A few weeks ago, Thirza Loffeld, our WildHub co-founder, posted a discussion on How can we move from competition to collaboration in conservation. The discussion was crucial and highlighted numerous challenges in establishing collaboration. I feel like your experiences and knowledge can help many conservationists to overcome those. Feel free to check the post and share your thoughts.
And once again, thanks for posting this. Indeed, you can beat one of us, but you can't beat all of us!🌏