
When we insist on shared values and universal human experiences, we erase these productive differences and cripple the potential for equitable collaboration.
When we insist on shared values and universal human experiences, we erase these productive differences and cripple the potential for equitable collaboration.
For Rose Abejero, a poet and environmentalist, livelihoods are not only the cause of destruction but the reason for protection. She’s just one example of the many perspectives that have reshaped my own this summer.
How do you learn from those with whom you can’t communicate? This question has posed a methodological and ethical quandary as I work on community-based mangrove restoration with Marine Conservation Philippines. My research explores localContinue reading
“Hi Joe!” I hear this cheery call often while doing community-based conservation in the Philippines. Filipinos frequently call foreigners “Joe.” It’s a rich, if casual, reference to the military nature of U.S.-Filipino relations: “Joe” derivesContinue reading
I suppose the smell hits you first. As you walk into a mangrove forest, the deep, gaseous, almost sulfuric smell of the swamp tells you where you are. There’s no point wearing shoes here, andContinue reading
“Ben, you’re bombing.” I stood in front of 50 Filipino Local Government officials, a mic in my hand as I described the participatory mapping activity set before us. It was the first morning of aContinue reading
While interning for Marine Conservation Philippines from June through August, I’ll also be conducting research on their community-based mangrove restoration project.