IEDS Founding Director, Dr. Saleem Ali has published a...
About Us & Contact
The Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security (IEDS) is a transdisciplinary research center dedicated to both the study and practice of techniques that resolve environmental conflicts, and to using ecological processes as tools of peace-building. We welcome new partnerships and would encourage scholars interested in collaborating with us on any of the following thematic areas to contact us. IEDS also has a publication series where we can publish working papers by scholars under our auspices online within these thematic areas.
Themes
IEDS operates within a framework of 3 broad themes that capture its mission and vision:
Borderlands: Boundaries in physical and cognitive space can be defining themes of diplomacy. IEDS explores how human territoriality can be constructively configured so geopolitical boundaries work within ecological principles.
Resource Values: Natural resources have values in both economic and ecological terms, and often a disjuncture in these values leads to conflict. IEDS works to find effective mechanisms for ascribing, communicating, and implementing values that minimize conflict.
Pragmatic Peace: Public policy has often been polarized between “hawks” and doves”, with each side dismissing the other’s motives and methods. IEDS works to reconcile these differences by promoting a practically implementable vision of peace.
Major Program Areas:
Within this framework IEDS has operationalized four major program areas:
Experiential Learning: Online and field oriented programs for conventional students and mid-career professionals
Measured Mediation: Providing mediation services with latest technical tools and measuring indicators of success
Participatory Action Research: Conducting empirical research that is calibrated to community needs
Clinical Case Compendia: Documenting diplomatic processes that lead to conflict resolution while providing security
Contact address:
Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security, Bittersweet House, 153 S. Prospect St., Burlington VT 05401, USA
Phone: 1-802-656-4055. Fax: 1-802-656-8015: Email: ieds@uvm.edu