As the global population grows, economies develop, and climate impacts increase, the pressures on our historic and natural resources continue to mount. Environmental issues offer particular challenges because of their complexity, their import, and their impacts on multiple communities and on multiple levels of governmental jurisdictions. Conflict is often experienced within a community as well as between communities sharing the same resources, and between and among responsible agencies of government.
Environmental problems typically involve many different types of parties, issues, and resources. What is often at stake in the most intractable environmental problems are core issues such as individual and community health, racial and ethnic justice, the integrity or destruction of whole ecosystems, and the economic or cultural viability of various human communities. The environmental arena invokes passion because the consequences of these issues are so profound to individual and community life.
This course explores best practices for understanding and transforming environmental conflict through the use of deliberative environmental conflict resolution (ECR) processes. The class begins by examining the nature and dynamics of environmental disputes and methods for assessing conflict situations. The course then turns to methods for conceiving, conducting and completing various forms of ECR processes with a focus on the principles of equitable collaboration. Students will develop a capacity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of ECR processes while learning about best practices for preventing, preparing for, and addressing environmental conflict.
- Teacher: Frank Dukes
- Teacher: Alena Yoder