SNAPP: Enhancing Indigenous and Gender Inclusive Conservation Across Melanesia and Beyond

Academics, including indigenous academics, have examined conservation and development from various theoretical perspectives. Their findings are often not presented in a form that is useful for, or even accessible to, many conservation NGOs, nor are they accessible to indigenous peoples and local communities directly involved in conservation who themselves hold critical local knowledge. Our project aims to move the findings of critical indigenous, race and feminist theory outside the university and into everyday conservation practice for the first time—and to inform and enhance approaches in the field as a result. Our SNAPP working group will collaborate with local in-country partners, conservation practitioners, indigenous scholars and others to: 1. With support from two postdoctoral fellows, undertake an extensive literature review and synthesize environmental anthropology, indigenous, race, and gender theory that applies to conservation and sustainable development; 2. Undertake focus groups to further understand how conservation is interpreted, understood and practiced by indigenous peoples and NGO partners in Melanesia; 3. Apply these findings to develop guidance on how indigenous people (especially women) can be better included in the planning and design, implementation and evaluation of conservation projects in Melanesia and more broadly; 4. Apply the expertise of international indigenous scholars as well as local indigenous practitioners and graphic designers/multimedia experts to co-create and test practical knowledge guides and awareness materials (i.e. “toolkits”); 5. Disseminate toolkits online and via workshops and regional networks so that they can be incorporated broadly into conservation practice; 6. Develop recommendations for a university research program for indigenous scholars across Melanesia to ensure these toolkits inform future conservation projects; 7. Put toolkits into practice by working with and learning from at least two groups in Melanesia (at least one women’s group) that will design, lead, implement and evaluate a conservation initiative with TNC/WCS playing a supportive role. Localized, practical application is a key deliverable of this working group. The larger aim is to co-create conservation projects that shift ownership firmly to indigenous partners. This work will also foster more active multidisciplinary discourse between global conservation organizations, indigenous conservation practitioners, and scholars in the social sciences and the humanities.

The information here may be out of date, please refer to https://snappartnership.net/ for more current information.