Diversity and its importance to achieving equitable and sustainable environments

Abstract

<p>It is interesting that in the field of ecology the importance of diversity—of species, and genepools within a species, etc.—to form long term sustainability or viability of ecosystems has long been recognized while in social, cultural, and political areas the importance of concepts such as diversity or plurality seem less universally recognized. Equitable environments are at least in part those which support and encourage diversity. At EDRA 20 the issue of diversity was a reoccuring theme of many of the working groups. They envisioned diversity as an important aspect of EDRA, our future work (research, practice, etc.), and the potential relevance of each of these aspects. This workshop will provide one potential forum for the continuing exploration of this issue. In order to launch the workshop discussion organizers will make brief presentations to introduce the concept of diversity as an important issue in numerous specific aspects of the creation and maintenance of both equitable and sustainable environments.</p>