Projektdetails
Hochschule
Pädagogische Hochschule Steiermark
Projektleitung gesamt
Saxinger, Gertrude; Dr. Mag. / Universität Wien
Projektleitung intern
Kowasch, Matthias; Dr.
Interne Projektmitarbeiter/innen
Externe Projektmitarbeiter/innen
Kooperationspartner
Universität Melbourne
Beschreibung (engl.)
Context HEUREKA explores how formal education and capacity building in community-mining industry relations can foster collaborative and consensual decision-making and mitigate conflicts. The overarching aim is to contribute to socially just and sustainable futures in mining regions. We will co-create transformational knowledge and “connect (the) minds” of stakeholders in New Caledonia as an exemplar, with global lessons for gendered and intergenerational incorporation of local and Indigenous knowledge into decision-making and good governance. Our theoretical framework integrates perspectives from geography, anthropology, education and media studies. New Caledonia will be a ‘prism’ through which we develop a global theoretical understanding of what ‘collaborative and consensual decision-making’ involves in a mining context, how powerful this concept can be and how it can be achieved. Research questions What economic, political, social and cultural components of community–company relations underpin ‘collaborative and consensual decision making’? How can Indigenous knowledge (IK), mining-related knowledge and techniques for informed participation be integrated into formal education and capacity building? How can mining companies and communities work together to integrate IK meaningfully into consultative processes and planning/production activities? What can we gain scientifically and practically from comparing mining regions internationally, in order to advance the nexus of extractive industry studies and educational sciences for informing community participation in mining-related decision making? Methods HEUREKA is driven by mixed scientific methods and meaningful stakeholder engagement, employing a community based participatory research approach, which benefits communities through secure local ownership of knowledge. Future-oriented education and capacity building will take place through joint community and stakeholder workshops, development of teaching and capacity-building materials, citizen science video-making and scientific and lay-language publications in an Online Toolkit and in print. Level of originality An innovative combination of disciplines and stakeholders will assist the relevance of our research. We will contribute to local and international political and industry fora to promote new models of sustainable resource extraction, community–company relations and decolonised education/capacity building. Participants Indigenous Kanak communities of Baco and Touaourou, Environord, Vee Caa, Lycée Michel Rocard Pouembout, Koniambo Nickel SAS (KNS), Gertrude Saxinger, Matthias Kowasch, Prof. Simon Batterbury, Susan Thieme, Emma Wilson (ECW Energy Ltd.), Indigenous community researchers, postdoc researcher, two Indigenous PhD students, student assistant.
