April 22, 2008 - 2:45am
The Institute for Coastal Research (ICR) at Malaspina University-College is holding a two-day symposium on April 28 and 29 focussing on the complex issues surrounding community engagement in the governance of coastal social-ecological systems.
“Many of BC’s coastal communities are a facing a time of dramatic and sometimes painful change in resource-based industries and the social and ecological systems that support them,” said Grant Murray, Canada Research Chair at Malaspina. “As part of an ongoing emphasis on maintaining healthy coastal communities and ecosystems, it has become increasingly apparent that we must look to improving forms of governance.”
The ICR has assembled a group of speakers with varying perspectives on community engagement and governance, including representatives from the mining, forestry, fisheries, academic and First Nations sectors. As a result, there is a great opportunity for the cross-fertilization of ideas.
The two-day symposium will have different structures each day, but with related objectives. The first day of the symposium will take place on April 28, from 9am to 4pm in building 355 at Malaspina’s Nanaimo campus, rooms 203 and 211, and will feature a presentation by keynote speaker Bonnie McCay, as well as six other invited speakers. Their will be time for audience Q&A after each presentation, as well as a panel discussion at the end of the day. Day two of the symposium will take place from 9am to 4pm in building 305.
“Day one is open to the public and we encourage anyone interested to register as soon as possible,” said Murray. “The second day is an ICR designed exploration and education workshop put together at the request of government for government officials to explore two complex fields of study and practice in a broad and non-specific way. It will feature a more informal, interactive discussion about governance, community engagement and the aquaculture sector, as well as the relationship between community engagement and ecosystem-based approaches to aquaculture management. The workshop will include invited resource people from various sectors - some from academia and some from government and the private sector in other fields. It is Malaspina University-College’s hope that this would be one part of an ongoing dialogue that would, depending on interest and capacity, include future workshops with other groups as well as multi-stakeholder discussions.”
“The term ‘community engagement’ has become a common refrain in discussions about improving governance, yet there is still much work to be done towards making community engagement truly effective,” added Murray. “This symposium provides a rare opportunity to hear from individuals with extensive experience in engaging different kinds of communities across a range of sectors and to provide a space for a discussion about the principles involved, the sorts of things that work, and the sorts of things that don’t.”
Some of the questions to be discussed will include how groups come together with respect to the governance of coastal, social-ecological systems, which mechanisms have worked, what best practices advice has emerged, and how community engagement relates to an increasingly prominent ecosystem based approach.
For more information, please contact the ICR at 250-740-6347 or visit the website at viu.ca/icr
Tags: In the Community
