I am posting this week on the forum, not facebook, because I feel a bit more timid and unestablished in my thoughts on this, compared to consumption (let me know if this is the case for you as well)
This year I had a professor really take her time to define and explore the now habitual land acknowledgement that we have all come to know while at UBC; she talked through the meanings of traditional, ancestral, and unceded, then asked us to write down our commitments to keeping these things in mind during over work in the next year. This very intentional time dedicated to thinking about how to be better stewards of historically disenfranchised peoples and perspectives really stuck with me, especially as a scientist.
I suppose my reflection this week on what a just future looks like is more of an invitation to the masses to really spend time on how you, as a scientist, will incorporate justice and diverse perspectives into your work. How do we prioritize this in our workplace? Our communities? What prejudices and internal beliefs might you need to challenge in order to do this?
One of my favorite tenants to live by is "more river than rock" which is a statement to the nature of change and how in order to find some peace in life we need to remain open to growth and evolution...remaining hard and steadfast like a rock means you are likely to be battered and uncomfortable, whereas the flow of water considers its surroundings and meets the space (to some extent). This is not to say you shouldn't have strong values or that you should morph into whatever is around you, just to say that we all need to work on listening and learning as we move into new spaces and meet new people.
Thinking bigger picture, perhaps more diverse bodies of decision makers, which would stem from more accessible education and empowerment for a wide range of populations would help create this just future...In my environmental ethics class we explore the origins of values and assign accountability to actions- I think if we all do this, we inevitably arrive at more just outcomes and return to communal care, stewardship, and reciprocity.
On campus, there are some interesting places that deal with this, such as the Climate Justice Hub! Maybe check them out :)
I very much agree that a more diverse bodies of decision makers is a big step into a more socio-ecologically just world. I often found the government agencies, and academia working in ecological conservation/ restoration has a "white men saviour" kind of attitude, even if they are working with indigenous groups. Shouldn't consultation and collaboration with Indigenous and local communities something ones SHOULD do when working on their land? I am very happy to see more and more BIPOC experts in the Ecology field, and at position for decision-making. Don't get me wrong, this is a systemic issue and there is still a long way to go. However, it is very empowering to see some success stories.
I think a conversation academia needs to have revolves around ways that they have systematically shunned indigenous peoples from including themselves in dialogues that pertain to them as a group or even dialogues that they want to add too. For decades academia was ruled by white men in the west, now it's time to contextualize all that work AND decolonize it. The only way we can do this is by adding indigenous voices to the conversation.
I also agree with having a more diverse group of decision makers to have a wider perspective on topics of discussion.
Its strange how the inclusion of differing perspectives is already well established within science and yet traditional knowledge and stories are waved off as pure myth rather than a science itself.
Your idea that "in order to find some peace in life we need to remain open to growth and evolution" is so beautiful! The idea that as we travel through space and time we prioritize listening and learning sounds like a much-needed recipe for innovation and respect for one another.
It's great to hear that topics like these are being discussed in other courses at UBC (and that we have a climate justice hub!) It makes me feel better knowing that this kind of information and discussions are happening all around campus and it was great to hear your thoughts about them. I definitely agree that our decision makers are key people that we need to impact and educate for change to be made. Thank you for sharing!