Monique Rodgers
What employment sector do you work in?
NGO
How long have you had a green job for nature?
1 year
Salary Range
£30,001 – £40,000
Please describe the work that you do.
I work with Fauna and Flora International’s HQ in Cambridge and regional offices in Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Africa and Americas and the Caribbean to develop, deliver and facilitate well-being and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) policies and initiatives.
This can look like conceptualising leadership forum training, organising and hosting working groups, facilitating mindfulness drop-in sessions, leading training with our partners, and researching and developing EDI policy and practice appropriate in our different international regions.
What do you most like about your job? Any dislikes?
I enjoy the diverse range of forms my work takes – the tasks are varied from training facilitation, policy writing, research, training conceptualising and communication. I also engage with all of our regions (Asia-Pacific, Eurasia, Africa and Americas and Caribbean teams) on all levels of the organisation – assistants, managers, senior management and council.
What inspired you into this career?
I am passionate about embodiment work and intersectional justice. My personal background has played an integral part in leading to this career path – my upbringing in a post-apartheid South Africa and my family who have strong faith-based foundations has led me into researching the intersection of well-being and justice work.
This then formed the foundation of my work – understanding the relationship between individual, community and planetary health and healing.
Have you faced any challenges in progressing your career so far?
Yes, making the shift from freelance well-being practitioner and EDI facilitator to working in a conservation organisation – without much internal experience working in a conservation organisation.
Opening conversation on EDI is often met with resistance and defence – having a toolkit of strong personal practices has helped me navigate this particular challenge.
What education/training did you have?
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Media.
Masters in Movement, Mind & Ecology.
Public Policy Fellowship.
What advice would you give to someone coming into the profession?
The internal toolkit that has helped me transition into the profession:
– be curious & creative: about the work you do, how you do it and who you work with.
– persistence & patience
– a strong sense of self: having personal practices to ground & reflect
– leaning into community: this is not work we can do in silos. Lean on your community for support, to process and navigate. The work you do in conservation often isn’t work that you switch off from outside your 9-5.
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Tags: England, NGO sector, Policy and Law, Diversity and Inclusion, Unrelated first degree