CAN’s New Board to Steer the Network Forward on its Renewed Approach
26 July 2021
Climate Action Network (CAN), the world’s largest network working on climate change, social justice and sustainability, installed a new Board as a result of a virtual General Assembly held earlier this year. The network comprises more than 1,500 civil society organisations present in over 130 countries.
Since 2019, the CAN International Board has been actively focused on fine-tuning operations; introducing new policies and guidelines; improving workplace conditions for the Secretariat staff; and strengthening overall governance.
With the key role of giving strategic guidance to CAN International (CAN-I) through the Secretariat, the new Board will continue this work, but with an emphasis on further strengthening the network’s national and regional clusters of members, known as CAN Nodes, to realize the network’s greatest strength: active, engaged members in all corners of the globe; and, to enhance fundraising efforts to enable the new CAN strategy to be fully implemented.
“As the nightmare of the climate emergency touches every corner of the planet, CAN International is here to ensure the voices of those suffering first and greatest are raised to push our politicians to climate action,” said Jean Su, Co-Chair of the Board. “It’s an honour to co-chair the CAN-I Board at a pivotal moment in our climate history, when we have an ever-smaller, growing window of opportunity to change the course we are on and transform our fossil-fuelled and racist energy system into a renewable and just one. We must continue unleashing the power of the CAN-I network to drive world leaders to fulfill their fair share of driving the climate emergency and put people and the planet before profit.”
The new Board is led by two women from South Africa and the United States of America. Overall, representatives of six Nodes and three international members serve on this Board. It also includes five women, three men, and one non-binary person. In all, seven come from the Global South.
“A diverse Board, such as this one, is essential to reflect the organization it leads,” Mandy Jean Woods, Co-Chair of the Board said. “It is very pleasing to see growing enthusiasm from our Nodes and their members, and this is filtering through in the energy of the work being done on the ground. The Board has a critical role to play in guiding CAN and its members to realize the transformative change needed for a world we want.”
Co-Chair: Mandy Jean Woods (WWF International) South Africa
Co-Chair: Jean Su (USCAN) USA
Treasurer: Christian Holz (CAN-Rac Canada) Canada
Secretary: Mariana Paoli (Christian Aid) Brazil
Board members:
Adessou Kossivi Nevaeme (Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction – GNDR) Togo
Anaid Velasco (CAN LAC) Mexico
Isaac Kabongo (CAN Uganda) Uganda
MD Shamsuddoha (CAN South Asia) Bangladesh
Essia Guezzi (CAN Arab World) Tunisia
Board members have also been appointed to several Board Committees. These include:
Legal – convened by Anaid Velasco
Members: Jean Su, Mandy Jean Woods, Isaac Kabongo
Human Resources – convened by Adessou Kossivi Nevaeme
Members: Christian Holz, Mandy Jean Woods, Mariana Paoli, Jean Su, Essia Guezzi
Finance & Audit – convened by Christian Holz
Members: MD Shamsuddoha, Mandy Jean Woods, Isaac Kabongo, Essia Guezzi
Governance – convened by MD Shamsuddoha
Members: Mariana Paoli, Anaid Velasco, Jean Su, Isaac Kabongo, Mandy Jean Woods, Kossivi Adessou
Network Development – convened by Isaac Kabongo
Members: MD Shamsuddoha, Mandy Jean Woods, Anaid Velasco, Kossivi Adessou, Mariana Paoli, Essia Guezzi
Board Focal Points for Anti-Bullying / Anti-Harassment Policy – Mariana Paoli, Essia Guezzi