The Social Benefits of Engaging Diverse Audiences

To Sustainability

“... talent for speaking differently, rather than for arguing well, is the chief instrument of cultural change.”

-Richard Rorty, philospher

Dominant Silo (Adversarial) Thinking

Economy

Society Environment

VS

You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model

obsolete.

- Buckminster Fuller

Systems thinking

Reframe as It Needs to Make Sense

Visioning

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

-Antoine de Saint Exupery

Backcasting

Roles of Environmental Communication

Engage your Audience:Recycling or Sorting Trash?

Common Southeast Alaska attire. Chris Hatton 2013

Connect to their values

Connecting to Values

• "Every Albertan has a stake in the quality of our air and it is imperative the economic growth does not compromise Alberta's right to breathe clean air!”

• -Danielle Smith, Wildrose Leader, 2010

Effective Engagement

• Assume that others may not share your values and worldviews. Ask, listen and find out what is important to others.

• Use local language that speaks to local values. • Complete feedback loops • Communicate face to face as much as possible

Invite Rethinking, Valuing All Opinions

The Purple Thistle Food Forest, Summer 2012

Empowering

• This had implications for the way they saw the world around them, and the way they engaged in the built environment.

• Collaboration builds bridges showing your opinion matters.

Communities Build Resilience

Thank you!

Contact

Dr. Liza Ireland Acting Program Head, MA in Environmental Education and

Communication ProgramRoyal Roads University250 896-4292Liza.Ireland@royalroads.ca