ACTIVISM
CERMES SCIENTIST Joins International Advocacy Initiative In a significant stride towards advancing environmental dialogue on the global stage, Dr. David Yawson, Director of the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, has been selected as part of the inaugural cohort for the American Association of Geographer’s (AAG’s) Elevate the Discipline programme.
T he programme, designed to enhance scholars’ capacity to engage with the public on environmental issues, brings together 15 geographers from institutions in the United States and the West Indies. Participants were slated to undergo training in leadership, media skills, and policy strategies, followed by opportunities to connect and advance their work in public discourse. Dr. Yawson, whose research focuses on agronomic and soft approaches to efficient water, land, and nutrient use in agro-environments, expressed his honour at being selected: “It’s a great privilege to be part of the first cohort of the AAG Elevate the Discipline programme. This opportunity will greatly enhance my skills and the CERMES toolbox for engaging different audiences with our research and knowledge on climate and society.” The overarching theme for the
inaugural training programme is Climate and Society , reflecting a dedication to fostering community-oriented, justice- based work on climate change. Rebecca Lave , AAG’s 2023-2024 President and Professor of Geography at Indiana University Bloomington , emphasised the significance of supporting scientists engaged in such work, stating, “We want to open up avenues to value and protect geographers’ opportunity to do public and engaged scholarship.”
in addressing climate change and critical social issues. Gary Langham , AAG’s Executive Director, underscored the importance of geography in addressing global challenges: “Geography is essential to understanding and solving the world’s most pressing issues. We created Elevate the Discipline to help geographers raise the profile of their work, showing how instrumental our discipline is to addressing climate change and critical social issues.” The participants in this groundbreaking initiative represent a diverse array of practices within the discipline, including hydroclimatology, political ecology, climate and health, disaster geography, geoinformatics, and soil science. As they embark on this transformative journey, they aim to amplify the role of geography in shaping conversations around climate change and societal well-being. u
Elevating Geography in the Climate Dialogue
The programme kicked off in July 2023 and included frequent virtual meetings and a week-long intensive training onsite at the AAG headquarters in Washington, D.C. The AAG will continue to collaborate with participants and their institutions to promote their public scholarship, aiming to highlight the crucial role geography plays
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