Page 44 - Urban Kapital Magazine PROMO 21_Neat

HIGHLIGHTING UK BAME
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM.
A conversation with UK BAME
environmental activist, Judy Ling
Wong.

Judy Ling Wong is an artist, poet, and, rath-
er significantly, an environmental activist
helping to reach society’s most vulnerable
communities. Born in Hong-Kong, 71 years
of age, and currently based in Snowdonia,
Wales, Judy Ling Wong continues to work
tirelessly as the current UK President of the
Black Environment Network (BEN).

BEN’s work focuses on interacting with
some of the most deprived ethnic groups,
particularly as many ethnic-minority com-
munities live in some of the worst environ-
ments. Making Judy a suitable leader for Judy Ling Wong.
such an organisation, she is a pioneer in the
field of ethnic participation in the built and sively in various sectors, most notably in the
natural environment and has won an OBE arts, psychotherapy and community engage-
for her efforts in this field. ment. This diverse background in experience
means Judy is uniquely placed to take forward
BEN works across diverse sectors in the the development of an integrated approach to
context of sustainable development, inte- environmental participation, bringing togeth-
grating social, cultural and environmental er different fields and sharing cultural visions.
concerns. Current themes include natural
conservation, urban design, history and Highlighting some of Judy’s achievements,
heritage, identity, health, employment, and she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society
access to the countryside and urban green of Arts in 1997 due to her contemporary en-
spaces. vironmental thinking. She was also honoured
with an OBE for her pioneering work in estab-
Judy is a major voice on policy towards lishing ethnic environmental participation.
social inclusion. Her contribution has in-
cluded membership of the DCMS Historic Recently, I had the fantastic opportunity to in-
Environment Executive Committee, ODPM terview Judy Ling Wong on her inspirations,
Urban Green Spaces Task Force, National work throughout the years, challenges, and
Trust Council for England and Wales, Wales future aspirations. Follow that conversation
Assembly Government Environmental below and read more on our website at www.
Strategy Reference Group, Scottish Muse- powellandbarnsmedia.com:
ums Council National Access and Learning
Steering Group, and the IUCN/WCPA Task Q1. How did your journey into environmental-
Force for Cities and Protected Areas. ism begin? Did becoming a traditional painter
at age 12 have any influence on your passion
BEN’s recent pioneering work involves the towards the environment and helping others
development of methodology to engage eth- feel the same way?
nic minorities in the countryside with the en-
vironmental and heritage sectors, opening Being an artist at an early age in the context
up access to enjoyment, volunteering and of Chinese tradition set up an identification
employment. These efforts are vital as eth- with nature. In Chinese traditional painting,
nic minorities are often disassociated from we draw inspiration only from nature and as-
nature and neglected in the eco-debate. pects of nature are seen as a vocabulary for
human emotion and aspiration. This really set
MAGAZINE // 44 sity of Melbourne, Judy has worked exten- to the environment.
the scene for the unfolding of my commitment
Upon completing her studies at the Univer-

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