Colleton Co-authors Paper Emphasizing Communication to Drive Positive Change

In a first-of-its-kind special issue devoted to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) six commissions, an article by the Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) highlights the role of communication in “Creating Pathways for Positive Change.” IGES President Nancy Colleton, who has been nominated to the post of Global Chair of the CEC, co-authored the paper that was published this month in the Survey and Perspectives Integrating Environment & Society, or SAPIENS, journal.

The paper, which resulted from the collaboration of 8 authors involved in the CEC, examines emerging, successful trends in communication and their role in change management. Key elements, such as contextualizing a problem, engaging stakeholders and understanding the interests of the different actors involved in the policymaking process, highlight the need to integrate effective communication strategies in change management practices, particularly those aimed at promoting conservation and sustainability. Additionally, a case study uses a recent IUCN experience in the development of sustainable forest governance in Ghana and the challenges of managing and sustaining change in the long-term are addressed. 

“Communication can play a critical role not only in change management but in all kinds of engagement to advance conservation, a message that is at the heart of our work at the CEC.” Says Colleton, “We hope this article helps articulate that effective communication can be an asset at every stage of  the process, just as much as ineffective communication can become an obstacle to real change.”

The article is available for download from the S.A.P.I.E.N.S. website at: http://sapiens.revues.org/1419