{"id":598412,"date":"2023-06-27T19:59:34","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T02:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcnews&p=598412"},"modified":"2023-06-26T16:31:55","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T23:31:55","slug":"a-course-of-action-for-creating-a-more-just-geography-discipline","status":"publish","type":"arcnews","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/a-course-of-action-for-creating-a-more-just-geography-discipline","title":{"rendered":"A Course of Action for Creating a More Just Geography Discipline"},"author":5752,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1041,430081,282062],"tags":[11062,467761,209142,440761,1211],"arcnews_issues":[485612],"class_list":["post-598412","arcnews","type-arcnews","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collaboration","category-from-the-meridian","category-geography","tag-aag","tag-equity-and-inclusion","tag-geographers","tag-representation","tag-social-justice","arcnews_issues-summer-2023","arcnews_sections-gis-people"],"acf":{"short_description":"The American Association of Geographers\u2019 32-point plan aims to reshape geography into a more inclusive place of belonging and opportunity.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"In late 2022, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) welcomed Dr. Risha Berry as its first director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Central to her new role is her work with AAG\u2019s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee\u2014bringing to life its 32-point plan<\/a> to transform the discipline of geography and AAG into more inclusive places of belonging and opportunity for people of many backgrounds and experiences. In this edition of From the Meridian, Berry reflects on AAG\u2019s intentions and work and invites you to join the organization in advancing them."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"In geography, knowledge of positioning in space is what helps us grasp the characteristics and relationships of places so we can determine our direction and priorities. There is a very similar need to connect to positionality when we work to develop a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive discipline. Individuals and institutions must reckon with their own life experiences, history, and expectations to see where they are so they can determine where to go next.\r\n\r\nA Zulu greeting encodes this important awareness in our social and professional relationships: sawubona<\/em>. It means \u201cwe see you.\u201d One possible reply, sikhona<\/em>, means \u201cI am here to be seen,\u201d underscoring the spatial connections in our identities and relationships. This seemingly simple and factual exchange of greetings speaks directly to the work of creating a more just geography discipline. First and foremost, the greeting is spoken in the plural first person, even when only one person is saying it\u2014a nod to the rich and complex ancestries and histories we all bring to life in our being. Second, to truly see someone else, you must be grounded in the ability to see yourself. Thus, the act of seeing is also an act of revealing. The knowledge of our personal, professional, and institutional identities and histories is the foundation for informing our work together. That\u2019s why a hallmark of AAG\u2019s JEDI Committee is being relational and participatory.\r\n\r\nBuilding on more than a decade of recommendations, work, and insight from previous committees and staff initiatives at AAG, we have created a plan for celebrating and representing all identities and intersectionalities of identity within geography and to greatly increase representation in the discipline. I am excited to share our call to action and ask for your input and ideas. In particular, I invite you to share your insights with one of our seven new working groups<\/a>. Through this input, the JEDI Committee intends to shape AAG\u2019s approaches to governance, management, advocacy directions, membership goals, and more. To continually inform our progress, AAG will report the outcomes through identified metrics.\r\n

What JEDI Means<\/h2>\r\nAAG uses the following JEDI framework to define goals and operationalize progress:\r\n