Submitted by Carmyn de Jonge on Wed, 01/07/2020 - 14:45
We, the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute, stand against racial discrimination and support Black Lives Matter. There can be no place for racism and social injustice in our society. As conservationists we work to protect nature and the environment, humanitarian issues are absolutely part of this.
The world of conservation is not diverse enough and does not reflect the communities and the environments that we seek to protect. Racism is experienced in different forms all over the world, and as an institution and wider community we must listen and change.
Bias can be implicit and unconscious, therefore to create change we must recognise our own individual and institutional contributions to racial injustice.
In the months ahead, we will actively work to address racial inequality in research, recruitment and other opportunities at the University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute. This includes:
1. Explicitly attracting a more diverse group of colleagues to work with us, especially black scholars from within the UK and more widely.
2. Focusing on developing research and teaching resources that acknowledge the historic role of conservation in perpetuating racism, as well as recognising new directions in contemporary conservation.
3. Working with colleagues across the research, policy and practice communities to embed a commitment to addressing issues of historic injustice towards the black community in future activities.
4. Continuing our work with schools networks - especially Action for Conservation - to promote opportunities and activities that are of interest to young people from black backgrounds.
5. Using our website, events and social media profiles to actively promote the work of black scholars and practitioners in conservation.
