Convergence, Collaboration, Justice, and Movement: The Future of the Geosciences in Communities and Society

Session ID#: 124107

Session Description:
Building on the success of last year’s Convergence, Collaboration and Justice (CCJ) Meeting-within-a-Meeting, this year we seek to unify and elevate ideas at the interfaces between traditional disciplines and efforts for collaborations with diverse and historically marginalized stakeholders. This meeting-within-a-meeting will challenge traditional paradigms of thinking, working, and experimenting, through innovative participatory sessions as well as traditional panel discussions with local and global leaders advancing intersectional justice. Weaving these three strands together and drawing from experience outside the geosciences would accelerate progress in all three areas and build a coalition for change. We are on the cusp of a paradigm shift in geosciences -- marked by respect for multiple knowledge forms, those of Indigenous sciences and the experience of communities -- that is driven by the urgency of current challenges, inspired by the early champions, and informed by the experiences and wisdom of new partners. This is the time to keep the momentum going: these three ideas -- convergence, collaboration, and justice -- have the potential to transform the geosciences and our ability to contribute to society.

This series of dynamic sessions will promote active participation and dialog between speakers and participants with the aim of strengthening current efforts and inspiring new action. We will draw on speakers from last year (2020) to help continue the conversation, as well as bringing in new voices. Emphasis will be placed not only on the what and why of CCJM, but also CCJM in practice. Time will be dedicated to discussing CCJM careers, education, and publishing opportunities for and from people at different career stages. Time will also be devoted to listening to community organizations, members, partners, and stakeholders about their experiences working with scientists. (When scientists are the only ones who self-report on the collaboration, we hear about their successes. We want to hear from community members, “How did you find scientists you trusted? What were your experiences?”)

This session will be hybrid, but rooted in New Orleans’ sense of place. The session organizers will work with environmental justice organizations in New Orleans to create collaborative programming to advance a model where New Orleans communities benefit from hosting AGU. In addition, CCJM participants will learn about ongoing, community-member led, environmental and earth-science action in New Orleans, as well as inviting panelists from around the country and the world.

Proposed Program

  • Land Acknowledgement (New Orleans)
  • Intro by AGU Leader
  • Panel: Listening to Leaders
  • Leaders from outside science
  • Panelists present personal history, reflect on themes + open-mic. Recorded home interviews + moderated real-time q&a + extended asynchronous conversations online
  • Lightning Talks/ePosters: Stories of how we did, or didn’t, do it
  • Encourage participation from non-scientists
  • Panel: Reflecting on intersections and opportunities
  • Panelists (chosen for influence/visibility + their work in one of the themes) + Skilled Moderator
  • Interactive Town Hall: Compact for geosciences for society
  • Participants contribute to pre-released draft position statement from their own perspectives + invited to set intentions for individual/institutional contributions
  • Collect outcomes in 9 months
  • Inspirational close, integration and Call to Action
Co-Sponsor(s):
  • ESA: Ecological Society of America -

Primary Convener:  Joanna Nelson, LandSea Science, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
Conveners:  Rajul Pandya, American Geophysical Union, Thriving Earth Exchange, Washington, DC, United States, Garima Raheja, Columbia University of New York, Earth and Environmental Sciences, New York, NY, United States, Sarah Freeman, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States, Madeline Nyblade, Pennsylvania State University Main Campus, University Park, PA, United States and Mara Freilich, MIT- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Joint Program in Oceanography, Woods Hole, MA, United States
Primary Liaison:  Joanna Nelson, LandSea Science, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
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