At Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh we give our support to all those facing inequality and racial injustice, and acknowledge our responsibility to strive for a more just and equal future.
There is much more we can and will do towards achieving racial equality, and we need to look at ourselves, critically, in the mirror. We are initiating discussions within the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the wider community to gain a full picture of views, issues and, most importantly, solutions. This is essential to increase our understanding of inequalities and injustice. We must then consolidate this information and work quickly to achieve the desired changes.
Emerging themes to accomplish a step change in equality for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people include:
- Improving representation in science and horticulture, and enhancing employment and career development opportunities within RBGE
- Providing more training and learning opportunities and addressing barriers to participation such as funding
- Enhancing the cultural accessibility and enjoyment of visits to the gardens
We also need to address our history relating to the National Botanical Collections, including in our education and public engagement programmes, and increase the accessibility and use of the Collections for the many countries from which they originate.
These are just some of the issues to address; more will emerge as we listen to our staff, volunteers, students and the wider community.
An essential component of achieving effective change is a commitment and willingness to do better and to embrace change. This will include difficult conversations and introspection, and ensuring that our institution does all it can to improve representation and address racial inequality in all our work, and to engage with every voice.