CANARI

CANARI is a non-profit technical institute working across the Caribbean for more than 30 years as a persistent and influential voice for justice in the way natural resources in the Caribbean are managed and used. CANARI’s work is grounded in our mission, vision and values.

CANARI’s mission is to promote and facilitate stakeholder participation and collaboration in the stewardship of natural resources in the Caribbean.

CANARI’s vision is of a transformative shift in the way the region approaches development, in order to achieve the equity, wellbeing and resilience that are the basis for a healthy environment and long-term prosperity. We believe that shift is only possible when Caribbean people, governments and communities are working together, empowered with the information, capacity and intra-regional and global linkages needed to transform systems and institutions.

CANARI operates from a strong foundation of core values:

• Equity: CANARI seeks to overcome structural discrimination and power imbalances based on economic status, gender, age, ethnicity, or beliefs, and to ensure fairness. We promote justice restoration of natural capital that is the foundation of nature-based livelihoods, and protection of those most vulnerable to disasters and climate change. We value and respect all forms of knowledge, including traditional and local knowledge, as well as diversity in people, cultures, perspectives, languages, and social systems. We support empowerment through self-organisation and the amplification of the voices of marginalised stakeholders.
• Adaptability: CANARI focuses on building the resilience in social and ecological systems needed to adapt to changing conditions, with particular attention to the poor and vulnerable. We take a continuous learning, adaptive management approach to our work, and support the organisations we work with to become better prepared for change through greater flexibility and resilience.
• Integrity: CANARI is committed to honesty, transparency and accountability in all our work and to meaningful partnerships and collaboration with others. We respect the rights of all stakeholders to participate in natural resource management. Building trust is an essential component of our work. We are accountable to all our stakeholders for results and processes and strive constantly to ensure a high standard of our work.