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opposite page: photography by b en Cranke// g etty images goods—whether it be ivory Buddhas, chopsticks, hair clips, or the handles of a luxury handbag. Why the high demand for ivory in Asia? In China, historically, ivory has been synonymous with ascension into the middle class and prosperity. One of the challenges along the continuum with trying to stop the demand is to find replacement products—so that ivory is no longer synonymous with rising aff luence, but that, say, a Louis Vuitton handbag could be. When you went to Africa last summer, what did you learn about elephants and conservation from being on the ground? We talked about elephants everywhere; we were where there are indigenous elephant populations—from Malawi up to Tanzania. In Tanzania, we were in Tarangire National Park; it was amazing not only to see the elephants in all of their magnificence but also to see the families of elephants, to understand on a deeper level why it's so important that the matriarchs—which are increasingly the ones that are killed because they're the oldest and have the biggest tusks—not be slaughtered. Without the guidance of those older figures, often it's hard for younger families to survive. And the park rangers are in such peril protecting the older elephants. Yes. What was arguably even more powerful was meet- ing the rangers on the frontlines of this effort—more than a thousand rangers have been killed over the last decade protecting elephants and other wildlife—meet- ing these courageous rangers who are putting their lives on the line. They feel called to this work for the ele- phants' sake, but also recognize this is important to their country's future. Why do you think elephants mean so much to you and your mother? The first elephants that I saw were in the Little Rock Zoo when I was little. What I felt then was just magni- fied profoundly later when I went with my mom to Africa as a teenager, then most recently last year. It is this sense of a family, ultimately—the family unit of ele- phants and the affection and the commitment to their families and to the other elephant families in the area. Also, elephants are so crucial to their ecosystem. They're sort of the honeybees of the African savannah or their forest environments. So that mix of an apprecia- tion for the affection and family love that is so tangible with understanding of how crucial they are to other animal families has resonated with me from a young age, and it still continues to affect me. It's almost a year since you and your mother announced CGI's $80 million elephant poaching commitment. Can you share any progress reports? When President Obama undertook [the fight against] wildlife trafficking, my mom recommended Judith McHale—who worked for my mom in the State Depart- ment, liaising on conservation efforts there—and she's now chairing the commission. We fully support everything the administration has done and strongly support an ivory ban here at home. We think that's a critical move for the United States to make—not only for our own moral standing, but also because there is no argument for ivory being indispensable. There are very good substitute materials—whether it's for a piano or a musical pick, or any of the utilitarian uses of ivory—so we really have been deeply enthusiastic about the commission's work. I understand you're doing something during New York Fashion Week regarding ivory traffick - ing and elephants? Yes, the details are still being worked out. Most of the major luxury goods houses don't use ivory. The challenge is: How do we help their products become substitutions for ivory, in East Asia, in particular? Something like a Louis Vuitton bag or an Hermès scarf or Donna Karan dress— how can those become the same types of status symbols that ivory historically has been? Also, how can we work with the fashion industry here in the United States to raise awareness about this issue so that American consumers become aware of why you should never buy ivory? How can someone who is reading this help? One, don't buy ivory, which sounds self-evident, but it isn't. You'll see stores that still sell ivory, because there is no carbon-dating equivalent for ivory. It's impossible to assess its age, so a lot of new ivory gets laundered through antique stores. It's just very important to not buy ivory. The second thing is to support organizations that are really making a difference in this fight ( SEE SIDEBA R), to support our partners—whether that's big organiza - tions like the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has the most extensive efforts throughout Africa, or more localized organizations like the African Wildlife Foundation, which is helping to provide economic opportunities to many of the vulnerable communities around parks, often through eco-tourism programs. There's such a range of organizations that are doing tre - mendous work that are part of our CGI commitment—yet even more work could be done if there were even more resources to do it. And also use your voice to help educate others about why this issue is so important, particularly given the number of misconceptions around ivory. An elephant must die to take a tusk, so I think that's really where young people can help play a big role, using their voice off-line and online, because a lot of people just don't know what a tragedy elephant poaching really is, not just for the ele- phants but for the most affected communities. Ultimately, we all bear the responsibility. AW BE ACTIVE IN THE BATTLE TO STOP ELEPHANT POACHING. "Each day, it is estimated that 96 elephants are brutally killed in Africa for their ivory. Only a global movement will end the slaughter and help to ensure the survival of this magnificent animal. The Clinton Foundation is an important part of this movement," says Cristián Samper, president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. "Secretary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton have used their leadership to bring attention to the threat facing Africa's elephants and to help gather partners across the globe to join together in this fight. We are working on all fronts to stop the killing, and to stop the trafficking and demand for ivory." TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CRISIS AND TO MAKE A DONATION, GO TO: African Wildlife Foundation awf.org Clinton Foundation's Partnership to Save Africa's Elephants clintonfoundation.org Conservation International conservation.org International Fund for Animal Welfare ifaw.org Nature Conservancy nature.org Wildlife Conservation Society wcs.org World Wildlife Fund worldwildlife.org SAVE THE ELEPHANTS opposite page: African elephants in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. 140 AUSTINWAY.COM