A Conversation with Kelvin Alie, Executive Vice President of International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
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Kelvin Alie, EVP of International Fund for Animal Welfare
Tell us about your personal journey entering and succeeding in this field?
My personal journey began 25 years ago on the island of Dominica in the Eastern Caribbean, dubbed the Nature Island, where I spent much of my childhood playing outside in the countryside, all the while enamored by nature. In my high-school years, I was fortunate enough to intern with the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division (FWD), a government agency with a strong conservation-focused mandate. Having this opportunity at such a formative time ultimately cemented my passion for the natural environment and its protection. Eventually I was awarded a scholarship to pursue tertiary education in Forestry Science. The learnings I absorbed as part of my program truly piqued my desire to continue to conserve biodiversity in my native Dominica. I ultimately did that, returning home to work for FWD for a few years and even working as the producer of a weekly radio program called Environmentally Yours. Eventually though, I felt the call of higher education and left again to pursue graduate education in conservation biology and economics. This helped solidify my passion and commitment to pursuing a career in conservation.
Innately, I’ve always been keen on working internationally, to conserve biodiversity on a broad, global level. That desire led me to IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and through multiple positions over the years, culminated in my current role as Executive Vice-President based in Washington, DC. My roles have followed my interests and natural curiosities, which I feel have also contributed to my long-term success in the conservation field. A global organization such as IFAW has also provided a broad scope of work and wide array of colleagues through which to mutually share our experiences. When one deals with issues as broad as we do in the environmental field, this multi-faceted perspective becomes absolutely critical.
What are some of the lessons you learned about how nonprofits can ensure diversity in staff, mission, approach?
I think it’s important to come at this with the understanding that the conservation and animal welfare movement has historically had a lack of diversity. Sadly, this continues well into today. That said however, I believe there have been signs of progress in the landscape over the past two decades, though admittedly, that progress has been slow and we still have a long way to go. Like everything we do in conservation, the challenge is how to change human behavior. We do this in conservation so we can best address the threats facing the planet. And, I have learned that we must also take the same approach when it comes to encouraging diversity, especially racial and gender inclusion. We must learn from the ground up, recognize, address, and learn from the experiences of people with diverse backgrounds across the entire breadth of the conservation movement. I also believe organizations today are more conscious about the communities they serve and the critical need to have diverse representation within their ranks to address issues that disproportionately affect people of color and indigenous populations. This is paramount for long-term success and society as a whole is beginning to demand it.
At IFAW we have ensured diversity is a critical priority and have taken extra steps to ensure transparency, developing a public facing statement on JEDI --- Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion --– while also forming an internal JEDI committee comprised of diverse staff to both champion and embrace it as one of our greatest strengths and attributes. So much can be accomplished through coming together, through the simple act of acknowledgment, and a willingness to hold open and honest discussions. As a mission-based global organization with projects in over 40 countries, IFAW allows everyone the opportunity to have their voices heard and provides an equal platform for colleagues to express their opinions and thoughts. The challenges our society faces are always interconnected, and thus it is important for us to foster that same internal understanding as well.
What makes you optimistic about the future?
It’s a wonderful question and one that is critical in times that feel anything but optimistic. However, I do indeed feel optimism for the future when I see such a significant increase in activism around the critical issues that face people and the planet. The protests for social justice sweeping the globe have pushed many groups, including conservation groups, into a bit of a corner, forcing them into positions where they must face certain harsh realities. Realities of their past, their origins, or even more intrinsically in their guiding philosophies. The acknowledgement and willingness of organizations to confront past injustices and commit to changing the status quo is not only a powerful moment, but a powerful movement as well. Few examples better demonstrate this than the Black Lives Matter movement.
In addition, I’m also encouraged whenever I see young people on the frontlines demanding change for more diversity and inclusion. They are well aware that it is time to deviate from the ‘business as usual’ approach. This is not idealism shaped from inexperience---this a justified call to action that reflects the times and a greater call for inclusion as a global community. I can’t help but be impressed with the number of initiatives, particularly on social media, highlighting the contributions of black and brown people in the environmental movement. This elevates and amplifies voices that have gone largely ignored for far too long. A willingness to call for change, to guide that change into reality, and to maintain its consistency until it becomes part of a new social dynamic truly does give me tremendous optimism.
