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Earlier this month, four ECGG members headed to beautiful Tofino, British Columbia as part of the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN). The SSHRC-funded CCRN is an international partnership of university researchers, aboriginal and government organizations, community partners, and non-government organizations that have come together to explore linkages between communities, conservation and livelihoods around the world.

No matter the research context or question, transversal or cross-cutting topics are embedded within political, social, economic and cultural dimensions of governance. Colonialism, paternalism and conflict are some examples of transversal topics often influencing who makes decisions and what roles and responsibilities different actors may have in the governance of common resources. Research that acknowledges these topics provides broad perspectives on justice, inequality, and power.

This article originally appeared on the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature website.

Conversation Starters is an initiative by members of the Environmental Change and Governance Group (ECGG). The premise: We pose intriguing or provocative questions to initiate discussion among students and faculty associated with ECGG, and with the colleagues and communities with whom we work. Each episode of Conversation Starters will feature responses of 250 words or less from a small number of ‘virtual panelists’ to initiate discussion. Anyone is welcome to comment on the panelists’ responses or reflect on the initial question via the comments section below or using the #ECGGconvo hashtag. Our aim is to inspire critical reflection and dialogue through web-based social media platforms. So, please join in the Conversation!

Resilience is quickly becoming a powerful word steering high impact policy, international development funding and global environmental governance. The opening plenary @ ‘Resilience 2014 Resilience and Development: Mobilizing for Transformation’ made this especially clear, when five international development diplomats described how ‘resilience’ is a key word in their workplace. Could resilience be the framing we use to legitimize science directed societal transformation? If so, lets continue learning about and clarifying our definition/theory, while at the same time, leverage the capacity of ‘resilience thinking’ as a powerful boundary concept – perhaps capable of providing a bridge between communities of practice in turbulent times.

Conversation Starters is an initiative by members of the Environmental Change and Governance Group (ECGG). The premise: We pose intriguing or provocative questions to initiate discussion among students and faculty associated with ECGG, and with the colleagues and communities with whom we work. Each episode of Conversation Starters will feature responses of 250 words or less from a small number of ‘virtual panelists’ to initiate discussion. Anyone is welcome to comment on the panelists’ responses or reflect on the initial question via the comments section below or using the #ECGGconvo hashtag. Our aim is to inspire critical reflection and dialogue through web-based social media platforms. So, please join in the Conversation!

The Indonesian province of Bali is located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, located between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Bali is also situated in the southwest corner of the Coral Triangle – a region home to the highest marine biodiversity on Earth. Bali is well known for its distinct Hindu culture and as a top tourism destination.

Conversation Starters is an initiative by members of the Environmental Change and Governance Group (ECGG). The premise: We pose intriguing or provocative questions to initiate discussion among students and faculty associated with ECGG, and with the colleagues and communities with whom we work. Each episode of Conversation Starters will feature responses of 250 words or less from a small number of ‘virtual panelists’ to initiate discussion. Anyone is welcome to comment on the panelists’ responses or reflect on the initial question via the comments section below or using the #ECGGconvo hashtag. Our aim is to inspire critical reflection and dialogue through web-based social media platforms. So, please join in the Conversation!

Conference season is just around the corner and that means many members of the Environmental Change and Governance Group are busy preparing for upcoming presentations. Group members will be at a number of national and international conferences over the next few months. If you happen to be attending any of these conferences check out one of the talks to learn more about our recent work.

In her research on leadership in organizations, Patricia Pitcher speaks of the drama of leadership, its dreams, realities and illusions (Pitcher, 1996). In the unfolding of this drama, she identified three actor archetypes essential for success in any organization or team – the Artist, the Craftsman and the Technocrat.