“I take every chance to share my campaign and the difficulties elephants are facing," says Celia Ho, a 14-year-old student from Hong Kong who launched a campaign to stop ivory consumption after reading Bryan Christy's “Blood Ivory" article in National Geographic. Her young voice represents a new hope for elephants that is increasing throughout Asia, while her story illustrates how one person can make a difference. Celia's campaign comprises three facets. First, she hopes to draw ivory consumers' attention to the plight of elephants in order to reduce ivory demand. Secondly, she focuses on educating young people about the illegal ivory trade, especially in China, because they have the greatest possibility to become future ivory consumers. Lastly, she wants to expand international attention on the issue. Already she has support from Jane Goodall, who has nicknamed her “The Elephant Girl," as well as from over 50 other organizations. However, Celia's real hope is for other young people to take action. To her, young voices can be powerful and a very effective way to affect ivory consumers because “parents listen to what their children have to say." “Everyone has his or her power, which is very influential," she explains. “They can make good use of their social network, by maybe writing a status on Facebook or sending a letter to newspapers, just like I have done." Does Celia get any support? There are now over 50 organisations with elephant projects around the world that support her. That means the top experts in the field of elephant conservation including Jane Goodall, Iain Douglas-Hamilton of Save the Elephants Foundation and top scientists at Cornell University. Just amazing! There is no political nor religious background related to Celia's project. Why acting now? Elephants are now being killed at a very alarming rate, especially in Africa, with their ivory tusk send illegaly to Asia. Over 2,000 tusks have been seized at Hong Kong Customs since September 2012! It is a reasonable low estimate that over 25 to 35,000 elephants are killed every year. The main market for ivory is China. The ivory trade also means the death of people with rangers being killed trying to protect wildllife. The “ivory money" fuels more and more guerillas and terrorist groups across Africa. Ivory is now known as “blood ivory". Very important: many buyers do not know that ivory comes from dead very often poached elephants. So there is an urgent need for awareness and Celia hopes to raise this conservation issue in Hong Kong and China. There is a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) meeting in March in Bangkok where the future of elephants will be discussed. It is urgent to get a total ban on the ivory trade. BN
