Managing social change towards sustainable development in the humid tropics Wendy Goldstein Graduate School of the Environment Macquarie University, Sydney IUCN CEC Regional Chair Oceania

A call to upscale our efforts during the DESD

To really connect to people and gain support for action we must connect with Values, motives, emotions Context – Livelihoods, community / sector concerns Current actions and knowledge Goals And create a “tipping point” for change Haribon Foundation

CEPA expertise helps us connect and supports change management C = Communication, Capacity E = Education, Empowerment P = Public, Participation A = Awareness, Action PAR = Participatory Action Research “CEPA” used in CBD and Ramsar – Wetlands

CEPA – social instruments for change Adds to science start a constructive dialogue establish working relations different stakeholders mentor capacity Instrumental: CEPA linked with other social instruments to facilitate change – legal, technical, financial Uganda Wetlands Program

Change management requires learning and adaptation at different levels Within individuals Within organisations Institutional - societal learning * CEPA is a vital tool IUCN CEC calls this New Learning * enhance a society’s capacity to govern itself in a sustainable way

Lessons and opportunities to use CEPA to connect to people Photo IDRC

1.Said not done Most governments, organisations and projects state CEPA are important YET Moral support or resources limited Few employ CEPA specialists – except press, media Many un-informed CEPA decisions CBD Communication tools

For Government Communication Integral part of policy and service delivery – not an after thought Must meet needs of citizens, communities, private sector High performing departments have a communication strategy in place CBD Communication tools

2. Frame the discussion Reactive communication “Clean coal isn’t really clean; in fact so called clean coal plants have yet to prove effective” What is wrong with this framing? It states the position wish to displace Once the audience has identified the story you are telling them, they stop processing information NB don’t repeat the negative frame in your communication Frameworks

Reframe discussion “Coal is dirty. Coal burning plants are the single biggest source of industrial air pollution and carbon emissions. It is time we moved to a new generation of energy sources that are clean, safe and renewable.” Frameworks

3. Clarity about “what is the issue?” Philippines community forest legislation First idea – develop community forest management capacity Different perceptions community – government Solution by multi stakeholder discussion NB: Change in organisation’s operations and institutions Photo: IUCN IDRC

Assumptions: Think all people should support our issues. People have deficit of knowledge - educate them. People look at cost and benefit before changing. (Source: Robinson, 2003, p4) 4. Being too ambitious

5. Jump to media and means of communicating without research P.S. face to face is most effective

Vietnam Unregulated aquaculture enclosures coastal lagoon Poor mobile fishers unable to make a living Lagoon environment threatened Local government officials unable/ unwilling to act No responsibility IDRC Tam Giang Lagoon

Lesson 6 - top down planning with inadequate consultation creates conflict Stakeholders* worked on options – still disagreement Local government went ahead and forced net enclosure owners to relocate to open up waterways. Result: violence between net enclosure owners and fishers * Government officials, researchers, net enclosure owners, mobile fishers IDRC 2006

Vietnam - Next efforts New legislation fisheries co-management Local officials support new approach: participatory action research with Vietnam universities, Dept Fisheries, and stakeholders find solutions to the impasse Demarcate pen zones, navigation space Photo: Tam Giang Lagoon Project IDRC

7. Learning collaboratively together Explore motives for change with people Doing research with people PAR (rather than for people). Natural resource users as collaborative learners Build adaptive learning skills in the community Build social capacity for different sectors/ interests constructively engage Build CEPA / advocacy capacity IDRC - Gonsalves et al Woodhill Photo Grazia Feyabend-Borrini

8. Preparedness to learn and change the way we work – organisational learning & institutions IDRC - PAR leads to different relationship between the researcher and the people Leads to changes to the roles, processes, and structure of scientific research organisations Innovation in institutions to manage active participation, diversity stakeholders (IDRC, Woodhill) IDRC

9. PAR on professional practice Critically reflective practitioners – lifelong learning CEPA professional development Critical friends

Important professional skill development - education for sustainable development Sustainability focus Futures thinking Values clarification Critical thinking Systemic thinking Participation in decision making Partnerships ARIES Macquarie University A/Prof Daniella Tilbury

ARIES change management in organisations To bring about and embed change in university business schools Industry local government ARIES uses EFS principles and Action Research

Robinson 10 Strategic choice of CEPA

CEPA - changing approach FROM Focus on conservation Focus on science Focus on media Telling solutions Behaving as experts Villagers as objects Planning based on assumptions TO Wider social system Focus on people Focus change strategy Innovative + collaborative solutions Behaving as partners Villagers as participants Planning based on motives of stakeholders Hesselink 2004

Where to? Survey IUCN - capacity needs communication BD Limited resources Lack of integration in other policies Lack of knowledge of marketing biodiversity Lack of examples to get started Limited communication and networking skills Limited knowledge about how to –Impact policy makers –CEPA planning, management and evaluation –Link between biodiversity and human welfare –Empower local communities

Opportunities for this conference? Define principles CEPA for learning more concretely Identify opportunities for integrating CEPA in humid tropics program Identify capacity building needs for CEPA Formulate recommendations for CEPA

Thank you Wendy Goldstein –