19-21 October 2005 Pastoralist Manyatta - World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism (WISP) organized an official side event at the UNCCD COP 7 that consisted of a community-led space where pastoral leaders discussed issues of relevance to sustainable pastoral development and rangeland management, and engaged in dialogue with government delegates at the COP. Co-organized and funded by UNDP-GEF and IUCN, and modeled after the very successful Community Boma organized by the Equator Initiative.

4-25 September 2005 The Equator Initiative is showcased at Expo 2005 Aichi, Japan. The Equator Initiative's work is highlighted in a special display on biodiversity and development issues at the UN Pavilion during this global event. It is expected that up to 150,000 visitors per day will visit the Expo 2005 site.

16-18 June 2005 The Community Commons. The Equator Initiative partnership was pleased to join with Fordham University to present the Community Commons - a community dialogue space to address local approaches to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Community Commons was held at the Rose Hill (Bronx) campus of Fordham with 150 community representatives that traveled to New York for an intense period of exchange on the topics most critical to reducing global poverty and achieving sustainability. The Community Commons provided policy-relevant inputs to September's Millennium Review Summit and added critical local voices and perspectives to this important global event.

25-27 May 2005 Latin America Regional Exchange Workshop The Equator Initiative, regional community representatives, and partners gathered for an intensive examination of community experiences at the interface of biodiversity and poverty issues, with a special focus on promoting peer learning and learning exchange. Merida, Mexico.

20 May 2005 "Indigenous Conservation and Poverty Reduction Experiences: Grassroots Lessons for Achieving the MDGs." The Equator Initiative and Conservation International presented an official side event to the 2005 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The panel presentation and discussion featured speakers from indigenous communities working to reduce poverty through the conservation of biodiversity. The panelists spoke about their work on the relationship between indigenous peoples and the MDGs. The event was held in the Secretariat Building of United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

22 April 2005 Equator Initiative CSD-13 Side Event. This official side event to the 13th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development will feature speakers from Equator Prize-winning communities in Costa Rica (Benson Venegas Robison of the Talamanca Initiative) and the Philippines (Donato Bumacas of KAMICYDI). The title of the event is "Communities, Conservation and Poverty Reduction: Grassroots Perspectives on the MDGs". The side event will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

21 April 2005 Fordham University Guest Lecture by Equator Prize Laureates. The Equator Initiative was pleased that Fordham University invited two remarkable representatives of Equator Prize finalist organizations - Mr. Benson Venegas (Costa Rica) and Mr. Donato Bumacas (Philippines) - to speak to students during the recent UN Commission on Sustainable Development. Both Venegas and Bumacas are community representatives to the Equator Initiative Board. During their several hours with a Fordham International Politics class, they were able to speak on their experiences in the field and give the students a sense of the challenges they face in bridging the gap between conservation and development at the local level.

18 April 2005 "Growing the Equator Initiative - A Partnership for Community Conservation and Poverty Reduction". An evening reception - held in conjunction with the 13th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development - to launch "Equator Ventures" and welcome Fordham University to the Equator Initiative partnership. Held at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, 871 UN Plaza (1st Avenue at 49th Street), New York City.

3 March 2005 Community Action 2015 Brownbag Seminar Series "Disasters to Development: Grassroots Women's Solutions to Disaster Management". Equator Prize 2004 finalists, Garifuna Emergency Committee, speak on their work to cope with, and reduce vulnerability to, natural disasters in Honduras. United Nations Headquarters, New York City.

2 March 2005 CSD 13 Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting Partnership Fair “The Equator Initiative participates in the preparatory meeting for the 13th United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development with a presence at the partnership fair in the United Nations Secretariat, New York City

28 February 2005 CSD 13 Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting Presentation - Charles McNeill, Senior UNDP Biodiversity Conservation and Poverty Reduction Advisor, spoke about the Equator Initiative and its work during a special session of the preparatory meeting for the 13th United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. United Nations Headquarters, New York City

23 February 2005 Equator Initiative Brownbag Seminar - "Biodiversity and the Bottom Line". Christine Eibs-Singer, Executive Director and COO of E+Co, a non profit pioneer in the practice of pro-poor business and investment at the local level, spoke about 10 years of lessons learnt and emerging models in the green SME investment sector. Jennifer Morgan (Conservation Internationl) and Philipp Kauffmann (UNDP Equator Initiative) introduced Equator Ventures - the new biodiversity SME investment program being launched by the Equator Initiative.

24 January 2005 Fordham Lectures: "Conserving Biodiversity in the Developing World" Sean Southey joined Isabella Rossellini and other notable speakers in a panel discussion on "The Power of One: Social Entrepreneurship and Conservation" - the first of Fordham University's International Political Economy and Development Lectures, New York City, NY

6 - 14 January 2005 The Equator Initiative and partners present the Community Vilaj - a dialogue space for local voices - at the 10-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action for Small Island Developing States (BPoA+10) in Port Louis, Mauritius.

11 January 2005 The Equator Initiative co-hosts the Community Action 2015 Brownbag Seminar Series "Hope After Disasters: How Emergencies can Become Development Opportunities". Hank Shannon Room, 21st Floor, DC1 Building, New York, NY