Latest news with #systemicchange
Travel Daily News
a day ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
The Travel Foundation strengthens its leadership with three new trustees
The Travel Foundation appoints three new trustees and an advisor, enhancing its expertise to drive systemic change in sustainable tourism globally. Leading global sustainable tourism NGO, The Travel Foundation has welcomed three new trustees, bringing a wealth of new experience and expertise to its team. The Travel Foundation's new trustees are: Shannon Guihan , Chief Sustainability Officer for leading tour operator the Travel Corporation and Head of the TreadRight Foundation . , Chief Sustainability Officer for leading tour operator the and Head of the . Charlotte Lamp Davies , founder of A Bright Approach, a management consultancy specializing in business strategy, sales, and marketing for travel technology companies. , founder of A Bright Approach, a management consultancy specializing in business strategy, sales, and marketing for travel technology companies. Natasha Mytton-Mills, a policy and advocacy professional with extensive experience in strategic advocacy, policy development, and governance. The Travel Foundation has also welcomed its first 'Accommodations and Hospitality Advisor', Claire Whitely to its team. Claire has 15 years' experience driving sustainability in the hospitality industry, including within Hilton and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. Claire will provide pro-bono strategic guidance to the Travel Foundation, contributing to projects and methodologies to ensure best practice. Jeremy Sampson, Travel Foundation CEO said, 'This year marks a pivotal moment for the Travel Foundation as we prepare to take the next steps in our evolution and increase our impact. We have a clear mission, to accelerate change towards a more balanced tourism model and a distinct role, supporting others to lead the way for systemic change. These high calibre new additions to our team are well placed to contribute to that goal, with the expertise, knowledge and dedication to greatly enrich our work.' The leadership of the Travel Foundation's board of trustees has also seen some changes. Helen Marano is currently co-Chair, with Megan Morikawa. Jane Ashton, another long-term trustee and former Sustainability Director at easyJet has stepped into the role of Vice-Chair. Helen Marano remarked upon the valuable contributions the new Trustees will render in serving on the Travel Foundation board, 'We are honoured they want to join the team in furthering the direction of the organization and focus on driving the changes needed for the health and future of our industry.' The Travel Foundation's three key priorities across its work on climate change and inequity in tourism are: Research and advocacy: highlighting the need for change, showing the way forward, and supporting organisations to take effective action. Centre of expertise: developing practical solutions, training and capacity building to support many more tourism organisations to take action. Impact partnerships: collaborating with leading organisations to co-create innovative solutions that place our priorities at the centre of the sector's future.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
We demanded justice after George Floyd's death. Donald Trump made things worse, but we fight on
Yesterday, I led a private memorial service at George Floyd's graveside, along with his family, in Houston, Texas. Once that was over, we visited the housing project where Floyd and his siblings grew up. Half a decade after Floyd was taken from them, they were keen, as are we, to ensure his life and legacy will not be forgotten – and to remind the world why the fight for police accountability continues. He died in front of the entire world. Everyone saw the phone footage of the incident where a white officer in Minneapolis kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as he repeatedly said 'I can't breathe', and cried out for his mother. His desperate pleas for help were ignored by those sworn to serve and protect the public; but they were heard in every corner of the globe. The movement for police reform gained renewed fire, and people from all walks of life demanded systemic change and the protection of Black lives. Five years later, while the officer convicted of Floyd's murder is behind bars, the current climate in the US and regressive actions from those in power have set us back and prevented substantive police accountability. Just a few days shy of this sombre fifth anniversary, Donald Trump's department of justice announced that it would back away from cases to force reforms on police departments – including in Louisville, Kentucky, and in Minneapolis, the city where Floyd was killed. This outrageous decision is not a surprise; it is just the latest roadblock in the fight for police reform and justice. It is an insult to the mothers, fathers, children and loved ones of all those killed at the hands of law enforcement. The consent decrees and small incremental changes that were achieved after tireless advocacy, organising, protests and political courage have been dismantled by a department that should be protecting the civil rights of individuals, not eliminating them. This move isn't just a policy reversal. It's a moral retreat that sends a chilling message that accountability is optional when it comes to Black and Brown victims. Trump is shamelessly weaponising the justice department against marginalised communities. The decision to dismiss these lawsuits with prejudice solidifies a dangerous political precedent that police departments are above scrutiny. The timing is no coincidence; it is an insult to Floyd's family and the loved ones of victims such as Sandra Bland, Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner and countless others whose names we may never even know. I remember delivering the eulogies for Floyd (one in Minneapolis and one in his native Houston) like it was yesterday. There was so much frustration, anger, disgust and exhaustion permeating throughout the US and, in turn, in many nations across the world. In fact, his death sparked global protests against racial injustice, particularly at the hands of law enforcement. Many young people mobilised and hit the streets for the first time, and more than 200,000 folks joined us in the nation's capital for a march on Washington in August 2020 to call attention to ongoing police injustice. Despite a pandemic, hundreds of thousands from all races, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds protested alongside my organisation, National Action Network (NAN), as we led this march through the streets of Washington. Much has changed. In the wake of Floyd's killing, and amid calls to respect Black lives, many corporations made commitments to continue diversifying and investing in our communities. Now we are watching many of those same companies turn their backs on their own diversity, equity and inclusion policies, capitulating to a rightwing government. The 2021 conviction of Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd, represented one of the first major cases in which someone in law enforcement was held accountable for their actions. But now some conservative groups and individuals are pushing for Chauvin to receive a pardon from the president. Such action would be the height of throwing salt into an already achingly deep wound. It should not be entertained for a moment. Some (particularly those in power at the moment) would like to distort reality and act as though police brutality and misconduct aren't current problems. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to Mapping Police Violence, police in the US have killed 456 people so far this year (as of 23 May). In fact, there has only been a single day when police haven't killed a person in 2025. And as it highlights, Black people are 2.8 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than their white counterparts. This is why we still march, this is why we still put pressure on elected officials and corporations. For several months, NAN and I have been leading 'buy-cotts' to support businesses such as Costco who remain firm in their DEI commitments. I have had meetings with PepsiCo's chair and the CEO of PepsiCo North America, as well as Target's CEO. Recently, I joined fellow leaders of national civil rights organisations for a meeting with top Google executives. And on 28 August, NAN will lead a march on Wall Street to defend DEI, remind corporations of their own promises in the wake of Floyd's death, and reiterate that we will only spend our dollars where we are respected. When I stood in front of mourners five years ago at Floyd's funeral, I said that his story has been the story of Black people, because the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being is because society kept its knee on our neck. Well, just as we loudly proclaimed around the world then, we say it again, remembering George Floyd, remembering all the victims: get your knee off our necks. Do it now. Rev Al Sharpton is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist and radio talkshow host
