ICCB 2025 Philosophy Statement
English Version (Below and here), Chinese Version Linked Here (ICCB 2025理念声明), Japanese Version Linked Here (ICCB 2025 理念表明), Spanish Version Linked Here (Declaración filosófica del ICCB 2025)
The International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) 2025 is about bringing together conservation professionals from all over the world, including traditional knowledge holders, researchers, practitioners and students, to energise our shared discipline. Our philosophy is to provide a safe and inclusive space that is accessible for people of many cultures and backgrounds to share their insights, knowledge, and research with the shared aim of addressing conservation challenges and advancing conservation science and practice. The conference will be held in Australia in the city of Brisbane or Meanjin as named by Turrbal people, one of two traditional owner groups of the land – the other being the Jagera. It is one of the most biodiverse cities in the world! Our conference logo, designed by Quandamooka artist Amanda Diamond of Yura Bunji Art, reflects the ICCB 2025 philosophy by including representations of the people of the Brisbane River, the three islands of Moreton Bay, and some of the beautiful native species that can be found in the immediate vicinity of the conference venue.
In addition, our selection of the conference location has been guided by opportunity for inclusivity. A key priority is providing hospitality and a safe environment for people from all nationalities, and for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The city of Brisbane openly values diverse communities and endeavours to support people from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Brisbane is home to a multi-cultural population and has a reputation for being a safe and accommodating city. Importantly, Brisbane City Council has made a number of commitments to universal inclusion of all residents and visitors that are members of the LGBTQIA+ community. More information about the commitment to and celebration of this community can be found here.
English will no doubt be the common language at ICCB 2025. However, we are aware that conservation is practised and communicated in many languages other than English. That is why we want to encourage the participation of people of all linguistic backgrounds. Attending an international conference can be intimidating, especially for those whose first language is not English. At ICCB 2025, we are committed to lowering the language barriers for participants as much as possible. We are currently exploring options for supporting participants with diverse linguistic backgrounds, and look forward to sharing and showcasing our commitment to a diverse community.
Language Acessibility at ICCB 2025
The philosophy of ICCB 2025 is grounded in inclusivity and accessibility, prioritizing the sharing of conservation insights, knowledge, and research from diverse cultures and languages worldwide.
A recent study showed that language can be a major barrier to non-native English speakers attending conferences. At ICCB 2025, we are committed to reducing the language barriers to encourage the participation of people of all linguistic backgrounds. The aim of this short survey is to understand the views of potential ICCB 2025 participants on the most needed type of support, and make concrete plans to implement language support before and during ICCB 2025.
Take the ICCB Language Accessibility Survey: