Over the Easter break, students on a new Masters module led by 3S academic Dr Martin Mahony took on the role of diplomats to the Arctic Council, representing Arctic States and Indigenous peoples in a series of intense negotiations on pressing sustainability issues.
The module, ‘Negotiating Sustainability’, introduced students to the achievements and challenges of international environmental negotiations. Working with Dr Anthony Speca of Polar Aspect, students then took part in a ‘Norwich Model Arctic Council’ simulation, and tried their own hands at international diplomacy. Learning by doing, they experienced what it’s like to work through complicated disagreements, and ultimately to find consensus on thorny environmental questions.
This year, students focused on the issue of invasive species in the Arctic, and on measures that might be taken to protect fragile Arctic ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. The Arctic Council is unique as an international body because it brings together both Arctic States and Indigenous peoples’ organisations, such as the Inuit Circumpolar Council and the Saami Council. Simulating the interactions between states and Indigenous peoples offers students unparalleled insights into the complex political geography of the Arctic, and into the importance of Indigenous voices and knowledge systems to negotiating Arctic sustainability.
After several days of sometimes tricky diplomacy, delegates unanimously approved their ‘Norwich Declaration’. They agreed to deploy new technologies such as soil DNA monitoring to understand invasive species better, to strengthen regulations governing maritime transport in the region, and to establish an Arctic Invasive Species Knowledge and Coordination Centre that would combine both scientific and Indigenous knowledges to develop new approaches to managing invasive species.
As part of the event, students also enjoyed a field trip to Cambridge. At the British Antarctic Survey they learned about UK science diplomacy in the Arctic from the Head of the UK Arctic Office, Henry Burgess. They also enjoyed a personal tour of the Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute, where they handled objects from the museum’s collections and heard from Dr John Ash about his former work leading an international project to deal with radioactive pollution in the Barents Sea.
“It was truly an inspiring experience”, remarked a student who played the role of the Saami Council. “The entire process was planned to bring out the best in us when it comes to negotiations. It’s [an experience] I’ll never forget”. As well as learning about the Arctic and about international environmental politics, the module emphasises skills development and confidence-building. This was “an immersive and well-structured simulation that really helped me understand real-world decision-making, teamwork, and the complexities of negotiation” another delegate reflected. “Going into the experience I would describe myself as quite reserved and not particularly fond of public speaking, but as the week progressed it facilitated me to grow in confidence in a way I don’t think other module structures or traditional learning styles would have allowed me to.”
Dr Speca of Polar Aspect, who is also an Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences, was full of praise for the participating students. ‘It’s a great achievement to learn new diplomatic skills, master a complex sustainability issue, and grapple with the challenges and trade-offs involved negotiating a consensus approach to it. And all in a very short time! These students are future leaders in the making.’
The Norwich Model Arctic Council simulation will run again next year as part of the Negotiating Sustainability module, which is available to students on our 3S-led MSc programme in Sustainability & Society.
