Meet the Woman Protecting Animals and Diversity With One Organization: #NowWhat

Abbie Stutzer — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 08:00:28 +0000

Aryenish Birdie created Encompass to better the animal protection movement.

Meet the woman behind the organization Encompass that aims to build an inclusive animal protection movement.

Why Encompass is vital

Aryenish Birdie, founder and executive director at Encompass, started the organization because she’s observed that the animal protection movement lacks diversity. So, the group, which advocates for animal well-being, specifically works to include people of color in the animal welfare movement.

People of color make up 38 percent of the U.S. population, Birdie says. But POC make up less than 11 percent of staff and 8 percent of leaders at the top 20 U.S. farmed animal protection organizations. “This has led our movement to earn the label of a ‘white movement’ — one that many people of color find difficult to join,” she adds.

“This problem will only intensify, as the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2044 people of color will be the majority of the U.S. population.”

So, these facts lead Birdie to ask the following question: How can the country change its positions regarding animal protection if animal welfare activists don’t reflect the demographics of the people its trying to influence?

“It’s with this question in mind that I knew a group like Encompass [was] needed,” Birdie says.

Why the animal protection movement lacks diversity

There are many reasons animal well-being organizations lack diversity and inclusion, Birdie says. “One [reason] is that our movement has historically used one-size-fits-all messaging, which typically speaks to middle and upper-class white people,” she explains.

“The other is that sometimes our movement uses messaging that can be alienating to people of color.”

However, Birdie adds that she’s seeing more animal advocates working to address these issues.

Encompass’s goal

Birdie explains that diversifying the professional animal protection movement will make it more effective and mainstream. So, it makes sense that inclusion is Encompass’ cornerstone principle.

The organization plans to build on that principle with this simple, five-point plan:

Reach a larger portion of the population and create more vegans, vegetarians, and meat reducers.
Attract top talent to work for Encompass.
Recruit more volunteers.
Expand the organization’s donor pool.
Effectively conduct the organization’s work via individual and institutional outreach, corporate campaigning, and policy change. Encompass’ advocates can become leaders. And the public will witness a movement that reflects them (POC) and therefore will be more willing to hear the message.

“If we want our collective mission of reducing suffering to take hold, we must reflect the country we are trying to change,” she says.

Encompass’s future

To reach more people and increase diversity, Encompass recently launched two programs that address diversity and inclusion.

First, the program will help other organizations understand why inclusion concepts are instrumental to their bottom-line and animal welfare.

“Some of our initial activities include presenting to organizational leadership and staff. [The organization will demonstrate] how they can help facilitate diversity and inclusion,” Birdie says.

“[We also will] create publicly available data-driven reports on the state of the movement’s racial inclusion.”

Lastly, the other program will support advocates of color enter the movement and thrive within it. This can help reduce recidivism and burnout.

“Some of our initial activities include creating a mentorship, sponsorship program wherein younger, newer advocates of color connect with older and more established mentors of color. [We] also [will] offer in-person and web-based leadership skills training opportunities.”

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American Ad Agencies Need to Embrace Diversity

Abbie Stutzer — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 07:00:07 +0000

U.S. ad agencies, known for using sexism and racism to a fault, may soon change their ways. And yes, it’s all because of money.

Ad agencies began to take hiring diversity seriously when General Mills, HP Inc., and most recently, Verizon, began to put the screws to them two months ago.

The three mega-companies told their marketing clients that if hiring habits weren’t changed, the businesses would take work elsewhere.

Kind of gross, but at least General Mills, HP Inc., and Verizon recognize that diverse groups of people come up with more diverse messages.

“Diego Scotti, chief marketing officer for Verizon, sent letters to 11 of the agencies the company works with on Sept. 16, describing diversity as ‘an explicit business objective,’” The New York Times reports.

“He gave the firms a month to submit details on how many women and minorities they employed across different roles and in senior leadership and asked for action plans describing how they would increase those numbers in the future.”

“Marketers are expected to have a deep understanding and insight about their markets, about decision makers and about customers,” Scotti adds.

“We are more likely to create solutions that amaze our customers if our work force and suppliers represent the communities we serve.”

The demands

General Mills made news in early August when the company publicly declared it wanted its creative departments to staff 50 percent female and 20 percent minority staff.

Yeah, those demands don’t seem all that great, but they do shine a spotlight on how white and male most ad agencies are.

Agencies are already in trouble

“In the last year, the chief executive of the J. Walter Thompson agency resigned after a lawsuit accused him of racist and sexist behavior, and dismissive remarks about gender equality were made by other top industry executives,” The Times reports.

To help mitigate those accusations, Ad Week planned a series of presentations during its annual industry event to help ad agencies “get it.”

For example, conference attendees could attend the following talks:

“Our Challenge to Erase Gender Stereotypes In Ads”

“Sexism in Advertising and What Brands Should Do”

Quaint.

Well, at this point, we’ll take change where ever we can get it—even if that change seems dated.

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