Philosophical Reflections on Decolonizing Conservation - A Works in Progress talk by Federica Bocchi 

This “Works in Progress” talk by Federica Bocchi, a PhD candidate in BU's Department of Philosophy, took place at BU's Pardee School of Global Studies on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. The event was moderated by Caterina Scaramelli, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth & Environment. Dr. Adrian Currie, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology at the University of Exeter, joined us via Zoom.
Bocchi opens her talk with some general remarks about “decolonizing science,” highlighting several of the ways in which conservation efforts reinforce a colonial paradigm, wherein the scientific superiority of the west us presumed, indigenous populations are exploited, and local knowledge is neglected. In the second part of her talk she explores how to decolonize science, focusing on her own research in "critical metrology." She describes how traditional measurement practices have contributed to the scientific (and political) status quo and makes the case for why metrics in conservation should bring humans in.