JEDI work in Conservation
Hello everyone and thank you for continuing to engage with Lacy Consulting Services. This year has seen historic moments with the global pandemic of Covid-19. It also resurfaced for many people the senseless racism that permeates our environment. The killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others from police negligence was just the starting point. Simple acts such bird watching have been shown to be dangerous for Black and Brown bodies as was caught on video where white woman Amy Cooper called the cops on Black man Christian Cooper who was bird watching. Amy Cooper lied to the cops and told them that a Black man was threating her and her dog.
These stories sparked worldwide outrage during a global pandemic and led to protests in an effort to protect Black and Brown bodies everywhere. Conservation organizations also heard the call and have taken stances against racism and are making attempts to become actively anti-racist. The Conservation Measures Partnership is partnering with Lacy Consulting Services to review the Conservation Standards, used world-wide, to help practitioners incorporate Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) work into conservation programming. We are interviewing conservation organizations worldwide that have already begun this great work and have advice to give practitioners.
The Nature Conservancy is partnering with Lacy Consulting Services to evaluate farming and ranching discrimination in the United States. We are interviewing organizations that have historically helped Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) ranchers and farmers. Through this work we are helping The Nature Conservancy better understand the groups that they have not historically engaged. We can now better assess the needs of BIPOC farmers and ranchers while also determining how The Nature Conservancy can be an active ally in this landscape.
The future looks hopeful and Lacy Consulting Services will continue to play a leading role in bringing social science and strategic planning to JEDI efforts. We can't wait to see how our next client helps us take the world one step closer to equity in conservation. Stay safe and wear a mask!
