001 What does Social Justice have to do with Sustainability?

Are sustainability and social justice answers to the same question?

 

Without social justice and equity, can Appalachian State University, and the world, be sustainable? Hear what Bindu Kolli Jayne, chief diversity officer and associate vice chancellor for equity, diversity and compliance, shares with the university's director of sustainability. Jayne is fierce about making Appalachian's campus" look different,” and has made it her business to encourage and promote “a diverse array of voices everywhere on campus. We need to make diversity the normal;" she said, "not nice to have, need to have.”

    Transcript

Intro: Define sustainability.

Odds are your definition is completely different from the next person’s.

Appalachian State University’s Director of Sustainability, Dr. Lee Ball sits down with his guests to explore the many ways in which sustainability affects our lives. This is Find Your Sustain Ability.

Lee Ball: Hi, Bindu thanks for coming to talk to me today.

Bindu Kolli Jayne: Sure, my pleasure.

LB: You have a really long title. Could you tell me what that is again?

BKJ: It is really long, my name tag is like a license plate that I wear. I am the Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Compliance and the University’s Chief Diversity Officer as well as the University’s Title Nine Coordinator.

LB: Nice, you need a drop down menu on your nameplate.

BKJ: I really do. I know. On my business card it just says, “I do stuff.”

LB: So does mine. Today’s conversation is centered around one topic, the intersection between sustainability and social justice.

BKJ: I was jotting down notes last night about sustainability and social justice, just generally and separately, and one of the themes that came up was this idea that sustainability is very future looking and social justice is very now. When you look at it in that way, you almost think that they don’t connect because one is that we are hoping the future is better than the present and social justice is all about making someone’s current state better than it is now. Frankly, no one is going to focus on sustainability if they’re not in a situation that is fair and just now. Advocates for sustainability, I would argue, have to focus on social justice; otherwise, no one is going to be worried about the future if they don’t feel like they’re getting a fair shake now.

LB: Right, they’re so many people all over the world that are just struggling to make it to their next meal or figure out where they’re going to sleep. I think a lot of people think that is in faraway places, but it’s right here in our back yard in Watauga County and the High Country. People are really struggling and it’s sad that that reality exists and our students and staff face it and probably some of our faculty as well.

BKJ: Sustainability and social justice are also sort of answers to the same question: What do we want our future to look like? What do we need in order to have a future that we are proud of? I think people could answer that question with both sustainability ideals, and also with social justice ideals. I think if we start framing the conversation in that way the connections are really easy to make between social justice and sustainability.

LB: Can you talk about some of the social justice initiatives on campus?

BKJ: Sure, You mentioned before and it is very true, Boone is a very unique area. We are not only reflective of national conversations about race, economic disparities, gender disparities, but we are also this unique community that is very homogenous. I feel like every national conversation is heightened here; because there is such a small pool of people that are affected, the affect is almost exacerbated. Right now the conversations on campus have a lot to do with race, have a lot to do with gender and also have a lot to do with LGBT issues. Those three are not unique to Boone, but I think the conversations have increased in volume in the last… well I’ve only been here a year, so in the last year at least.

LB: I have definitely noticed an increase. It seems like people are aware that the, “people side” of sustainability, the equity part of sustainability is a priority. We have to celebrate our differences and we have to work together because we all have something to share, and we have a lot to contribute to making the world a thriving and more sustainable place. I’ve noticed over the past fourteen years working here at the university that recently in the past two or three years we have really put an emphasis… and it seems like people are really craving this discussion. Are you seeing that with students especially?

BKJ: Absolutely. Are you having a hard time making the connection with students between equity and sustainability or is it natural?

LB: It seems like they just get it. I mean it depends, but for the most part it