Anthropology and the Environment
CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY WORKING GROUP
- About the Conservation & Community (C&C) Working Group
- Join the Conservation and Community Listserv
- Upcoming C&C Activities, Events, Activities, Workshops
- C&C Working Group Archive
About the Conservation & Community (C&C) Working Group
Who we are: The Conservation and Community Working Group (C&C Working Group) formed in 2000 as an initiative of the Anthropology and Environment Section of the American Anthropological Association. The C&C Working Group is presently comprised of more than 50 anthropologists linked through our listserv (AECC-L@listserv.uga.edu). Our members have expertise in protected areas management, community-based conservation, fisheries management, ecotourism, indigenous advocacy and other areas. We are a diverse group united in the belief that a stronger anthropological voice is essential in the development of future environmental conservation paradigms and initiatives.Our goal: To unite practicing and academic anthropologists in addressing one of the critical issues of our time: how to conserve, protect, “sustainably use” and effectively manage biological resources and ecosystems with equity and social justice.
Specific objectives of the C&C Working Group include:
1) To define the elements of a more constructive anthropological engagement with contemporary conservation policies and practices
2) To assist anthropologists in applying their knowledge, skills and methods to make a greater contribution to the development of conservation initiatives that are simultaneously effective, equitable and just
3) To facilitate better integration of anthropological research with that of conservation biology and ecology
4) To influence the way conservation programs are funded, designed, managed and evaluated so that they can meet the criteria of social equity and justice
5) To facilitate more anthropologically focused conservation initiatives and research.
Our first steps toward expanding the role of anthropology in conservation to achieve these goals and objectives have included:
- Formalizing and expanding a network of anthropologists working on conservation issues, and creating a forum for discussion through our list serv and meetings;
- Hosting workshops and training opportunities for anthropologists and others working in conservation at annual AAA meetings; and,
- Increasing communication with conservation biologists by organizing sessions at conservation-oriented professional meetings, and beginning to forge social science specialty groups within natural science professional societies.
RECENT C&C MEETINGS
The Conservation and Community Working Group convened a workshop on November 28, 2001 in conjunction with the annual meetings of the AAA in Washington DC. The workshop was attended by more than 35 anthropologists and others working on conservation issues. The purpose of the workshop was to develop a clear summary statement about the role of anthropology in conservation and to develop a framework for a sustained initiative on the part of our present and future working group members.
Join the Conservation and Community Listserv
To subscribe to the AECC-L list, Click on this link to open an e-mail message with the proper command; replace YOUR NAME HERE with your name before sending the message. If the body of the message is blank, then type "subscribe eanth-l Your Name Here" in the body of the e-mail message (no quotes and leave the subject line blank).
If you'd like to send a message to everyone on the list or participate in our list discussions on conservation related issues, you can post your message on the list by emailing AECC-L@listserv.uga.edu. You can also join the EAnth-l listserv. Many anthropologists and individuals working on conservation subscribe to both lists.
The Anthropology and Environment listserv (Eanth-l) contains discussions on general topics relating to anthropology and the environment. For more information, click here to visit our "Eanth-l Listserv" page.
To subscribe to the Eanth-l listserv, Click on this link to open an e-mail message with the proper command; replace YOUR NAME HERE with your name before sending the message. If the body of the message is blank, then type "subscribe eanth-l Your Name Here" in the body of the e-mail message (no quotes and leave the subject line blank). If you have any problems or questions regarding the Eanth-l list, contact Josh Lockyer at jlockyer@arches.uga.edu.
Upcoming C&C Activities, Events, Activities, Workshops
---Coming soon...
C&C Working Group Archive
On November 20, 2002, a 3-hour workshop was hosted to introduce participants to tools and methods that facilitate anthropological work with local communities, NGOs, and government agencies in the context of environmental conservation. Led by specialists with long experience in conservation and advocacy, the workshop will offer insights into the ways anthropologists can be more effective in the conservation world. Topics included:
- The nuts and bolts of designing and financing anthropologically-oriented conservation initiatives;
- Legal strategies to support community resource management efforts; and,
- Community mapping techniques.
For more information on this workshop and its results, please contact Wendy Weisman, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University (wweisman@eden.rutgers.edu).