The conference will be held from July 12th to 19th 2016 in Caux, Switzerland. With the choice of this topic we want to highlight the challenges arising over the last years due to the impact of companies setting up in complex environments. These businesses have a direct impact on the communities and their habitat therefore sometimes causing complex conflictive situations locally without the political or social infrastructure to address them. These situations may vary from complaints in property rights, to protests about water use or environmental degradation to more concrete actions such as sit-ins that escalate rapidly from the side of communities and lead to losses in costs and time managing conflicts from the company’s side.
Furthermore, local communities have expectations towards the industry regarding distribution of wealth or the socioeconomic development of their region. A non-judicial approach such as mediation and dialogue processes to help find common ground moving forward is practical.
In 2016, the Summer Academy will provide insights into how médiators working under such difficult circumstances can develop strategies meeting international standards and taking into account all the tension and conflict factors.
Pre-announcement [PDF]
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