At the end of 2024, alumni participated in an election to determine the future structures and steps for the network. This election came as a response to the news of the sunsetting of our funding from the Doris Duke Foundation. Below is a summary of the results and decisions for moving forward, compiled by our alumni consultants, Tonyisha Harris and Storm Lewis.
Reading Practicing New Worlds Abolition and Emergent Strategies by Andrea J. Ritchie was an insightful yet dense endeavor into alternative methods of governance that prioritize community, social justice, and moving at the speed of trust. Seeking a smooth transition to self-governance, this novel breaks down traditional top-down organizing in favor of “decentralized networks, strong communities, and transformative movements.”
Wondering what's been going on with the Alumni Network transition? Here's a little summary.
Thanks to everyone who attended DDCSP's first Knowledge Share last month, put together by Storm (UCSC '18) and Tonyisha (UM '17)! This was the first in a series of webinars for alumni to discuss the future transition of the Network and learn about self governance and collaboration together!
With planning, consistency, love, and care, we can move forward and create a new reality for the memories of Doris Duke, that impacted us all so much. Just as the life of the caterpillar ends so that the butterfly can emerge, we now have an opportunity to give new life to the legacy of the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program.