On August 6 – 7, 2019, Communities Connect held a workshop at the United Nations Headquarters in New York concerning environmental challenges and consensus building. This two–day workshop featured speakers from UN Peacekeeping, the Community Sant’Egidio, and the Executive Director of Communities Connect and Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Dr. Borislava Manojlovic. The participants were university students and graduates as well as some high school students from abroad who are participating in the model UN focused on environmental challenges and are interested in careers in peacemaking, diplomacy and conflict resolution.
The workshop began with an opening lecture by Dr. Manojlovic followed by a lecture by Mr. Hector Calderon, Public Information Officer of UN Peacekeeping. Mr. Calderon gave an overview of the structure and budget of the UN as well as the Sustainable Development Goals and current missions and projects being carried out by the UN. Students were able to ask specific questions to both Dr. Manojlovic and Mr. Calderon. The lecture was followed by a group exercise led by Dr. Manojlovic and Morgan McMichen where participants used the problem tree model to discuss and present the most pressing environmental threats of today as well as viable solutions.
After the lunch break, participants heard from the UN Permanent Representative of the Community Sant’Egidio, Dr. Andrea Bartoli about peacemaking and diplomacy. He contended that peace is possible if we choose it. He spoke about his own fieldwork in Mozambique and how peace is an ongoing project that must continuously be nurtured. He defined conflict resolution as something which can be “understood as ordering in loving truth towards the good of all.” Through the subsequent Q&A with Professor Bartoli, it was apparent that participants came to understand that peace does not come in one form, have one recipe, nor does it mean the absence of conflict, but that it is possible if we choose to believe in it and let our actions reflect that belief.
The second day, Dr. Manojlovic and her team focused heavily on the topic: Negotiating Consensus on Environmental Challenges. She both lectured and did simulation exercises around the symptoms of climate change, the devastation that is already occurring and what is to come, as well as the responsibility of everyone from the individual to the states and the international community to come to a consensus and address this challenge. It is well known that there is a lot of denial of climate change. Dr. Manojlovic and the participants brainstormed the causes of this added challenge. Dr. Manojlovic demonstrated real practical ways to overcome perceived divergence in interests using theory and real life examples. Participants were challenged to come up with real action plans of consensus and through this exercise it became clear that their mindset shifted from the responsibility of mostly governments and the international community to lead the way to taking individual responsibility. Though they brought up relevant concerns about persuading older generations and deniers of climate change, they reflected upon their newly learned conflict resolution tools and how theory can be put into action. On top of this, they also stated their personal goals in the global movement to address today’s environmental challenges. The workshop concluded with the participants stating the most important lessons they learned from the experience. Their words radiated a sense of raised consciousness, personal responsibility and hope.
This special two–day workshop is the first in a series of Communities Connect’s educational programs aimed at connecting academics and practitioners in tackling today’s most difficult problems. Stay tuned for upcoming events and opportunities.
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