Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions

Spring 2014 Seminar Series: Michael Beevers

Date and Time
Friday, January 24, 2014 - 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Location
LSRC A158

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Michael Beevers, an assistant professor of environmental and international studies at Dickinson College, will present a lecture titled "Narrative and Natural Resource Governance in War-Torn Societies: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Beyond" at Duke on Jan. 24. 

Over the last two decades, natural resources emerged as a dominant explanation for violent conflict, particularly in Africa. International efforts to govern natural resources are now a substantial part of peacebuilding operations. Drawing from substantial fieldwork in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Beevers will discusses why international interventions in natural resources sectors often fall short of their intended objectives, and do not help build the underlying conditions necessary for long-term peace. He will argue that explanations for conflict, and more importantly most viable solutions, are dominated by a 'conflict resource' narrative that renders invisible historical sources of tension and creates new sources of instability. 

This talk is part of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions and the University Program in Environmental Policy seminar series featuring leading experts discussing a variety of pressing environmentally focused topics.