Norway's Interspecies Council Gives Nature a Voice in Local Governance
In Oppdal, Norway, an innovative interspecies council convened to reimagine nature-centric governance by giving non-human entities a voice in regional decision-making. Humans, including locals and experts, represented various species such as northern bats, birch trees, reindeer, and wolf lichen. This practice, inspired by the 1980s Council of All Beings developed by John Seed and Joanna Macy, was adapted by activist Phoebe Tickell into a formal decision-making methodology. The council addressed specific local issues, balancing economic development with ecological health amidst Oppdal's transition into a year-round tourist destination. Participants discussed the need for a shift in human consciousness to recognize humans as part of a relational web with nature. This event reflects a growing international movement towards establishing nature rights, seen in UK river rights recognitions and broader multispecies assembly initiatives. The council aims to produce tangible outputs like manifestos or decisions, followed by impact evaluations, thereby integrating ecological perspectives directly into municipal governance structures and challenging traditional anthropocentric policy frameworks.
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Norway's Interspecies Council Gives Nature a Voice in Local Governance
In Oppdal, Norway, an innovative interspecies council convened to reimagine nature-centric governance by giving non-human entities a voice in regional decision-making. Humans, including locals and experts, represented various species such as northern bats, birch trees, reindeer, and wolf lichen. This practice, inspired by the 1980s Council of All Beings developed by John Seed and Joanna Macy, was adapted by activist Phoebe Tickell into a formal decision-making methodology. The council addressed specific local issues, balancing economic development with ecological health amidst Oppdal's transition into a year-round tourist destination. Participants discussed the need for a shift in human consciousness to recognize humans as part of a relational web with nature. This event reflects a growing international movement towards establishing nature rights, seen in UK river rights recognitions and broader multispecies assembly initiatives. The council aims to produce tangible outputs like manifestos or decisions, followed by impact evaluations, thereby integrating ecological perspectives directly into municipal governance structures and challenging traditional anthropocentric policy frameworks.
The Guardian