As the Healing Our Waters conference gets underway in Buffalo, environmental advocates from around the region have a front-row seat to issues central to the city.
But is also a time to gather hundreds of environmentalists and start to inspire change -- on issues like diversity. As it did last year, this week鈥檚 conference features panelists discussing racial diversity and how it relates to the environmental movement.
Panelists now say they鈥檝e seen some change.
鈥淲e started doing some very difficult work last year around diversity, equity and inclusion,鈥� says Simone Lightfoot of the National Wildlife Federation. 鈥淚t was rapid pace, it was without a lot of prep time and prep conversations, we just had to get it done.鈥�
The first day of the conference included panels on Plan 2014 and the corn ethanol mandate.
Lightfoot moderated a panel featuring women of color working in the conservation movement, including Clark University Ph.D. student Janae Davis and PUSH Buffalo鈥檚 Rahwa Ghirmatzion.
Davis called the experience an amazing and rare opportunity.
鈥淭here are a lot of things we encounter 鈥� situations, events we encounter that we never voice openly to our white colleagues,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淔or an organization to work effectively, there has to be some kind of common understanding, common ground for people who work in that organization.鈥�
The Healing Our Waters Coalition 鈥� a group of more than 145 environmental organizations 鈥� has put together an equity advisory committee. The coordinator of the coalition, Carla Walker, says it will work with next year鈥檚 conference schedule as well as the coalition鈥檚 three-year strategy.
In an afternoon panel, researchers and environmental activists focused the conversation on Flint and Detroit. Mike Harris of the Flint Development Center advised those attending the conference to help local organizations and communities, and to make sure funding opportunities are available to everyone.
Another panelist, Emily Kutil, is a professor at the University of Detroit and a researcher with We The People of Detroit Community Research Collaborative. She says there are troubling trends in cities all over the country, beyond Flint and Detroit.
鈥淎usterity policies, privatization of public resources, disinvestment from the public sphere and from infrastructure, as well as disregard for public health and public safety,鈥� Kutil said. 鈥淥ne of the things we really hope is that people at this conference can really look at what鈥檚 happened in Detroit and Flint and start to investigate their own communities.鈥�
The conference continues Wednesday with sessions on wetlands, Asian carp, and drinking water.
