The new Chairman of Iwokrama’s International Board of Trustees, Mr. Fareed Amin, along with senior management, visited the Iwokrama River Lodge (IRL) on June 20, 2025.
Mr Amin met with IRL staff, expressing his deep appreciation for their continued commitment to ensuring the outstanding work of Iwokrama continues. He toured the Lodge and the Iwokrama Mill Site where he got firsthand insight into Iwokrama’s operations.
He also met with the executives of the North Rupununi District Development Board, which represents the 21 communities of the North Rupununi, and the Village Council of Fair View Village, the only community within the Iwokrama Reserve.
In his discussions with staff and community representatives he lauded the importance of Iwokrama in global and national conservation efforts and further emphasized the contributions and great value that Indigenous traditional knowledge has played in the successful development of Iwokrama’s operations and programmes.
Mr. Amin is an accomplished public servant with over 30 years of experience at the provincial and municipal levels in Canada, having served as Ontario Deputy Minister and City of Toronto Deputy City Manager. He brings expertise in nonprofit leadership, government, international relations, and community engagement.
Since assuming the role, Mr. Amin has held several high-level engagements, including a recent meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt. Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. He has committed to strengthening Iwokrama’s visibility and advancing its work in conservation, research, and sustainable development.
