“HWC situations are typically characterized by inadequate or inappropriate information exchange and communication, often resulting locally in low levels of productivity or success and high levels of distrust between stakeholders”.
We are using the words with which, in 2004, Francine Madden commented on the state of communication in the field of Human Wildlife Interaction at the end of the IUCN World Parks Congress, to explain the underlying bases of Coexistence.life, a project dedicated to the use of communication in promoting human wildlife coexistence.
Communication in the field of human wildlife Interaction means many different things: it means awareness, knowledge, and involvement. It also means dialogue between institutions and communities it means education as well as stories to recount. It means generating enthusiasm, explaining, clarifying, simplifying, educating and helping. All with the aim of making coexistence with wildlife and its consequences consciously accepted by communities because they are efficiently managed and known.
Communication can prove to be a truly strategic tool in promoting coexistence, provided it is effectively planned and handled with care.
In the evolution that human wildlife interaction has undergone in recent decades, ever greater understanding has come about, with increased urgency and awareness, that acceptance and participation by societies and stakeholders are essential requirements for the sustainability and long-term duration of this coexistence. The actions required in this regard have proved increasingly numerous and pressing, even though the skills, resources and recognition of the role of communication in this area are still far from optimal.In the evolution that human wildlife interaction has undergone in recent decades, ever greater understanding has come about, with increased urgency and awareness, that acceptance and participation by societies and stakeholders are essential requirements for the sustainability and long-term duration of this coexistence. The actions required in this regard have proved increasingly numerous and pressing, even though the skills, resources and recognition of the role of communication in this area are still far from optimal.
A lack of communication or poor information profoundly affect the A lack of communication or poor information profoundly affect the perception of the interaction with wildlife, often exacerbating its consequences, exaggerating the damage compared to reality and allowing the exploitation of the data for political purposes, thus altering the public’s perception of the issue. Often, monkeys, ungulates or small rodents wreak far greater damage than elephants or leopards although the latter are much easier and more fascinating victims to stigmatize and condemn, generating reactions disproportionate to the actual damage they cause. Often, however, despite this emerging awareness, the damage wrought by bad communication is recognized only after the event, when the project has been completed. But unfortunately, in some cases a willingness to accept is now compromised in a way that can be reversed only with difficulty.
On the other hand, good and effective communication has great power. To be sustainable and lasting, coexistence should be – as far as possible – consensual and informed, and the tools available to us to achieve these two conditions are that of creating a desire or at least a willingness in people, putting them in a position to face the challenges, to give voice to their doubts and fears to help them put these in perspective, providing support in the process and creating a bridge of dialogue between institutions and communities to ensure that the former are updated on the mood barometers of the latter and can thus adjust to it while the latter can feel protected with the sensation that the situation is under control and being well managed. This is what effective communication can do.
Acceptance must start from the society itself and its motivations and management tools, all strictly linked to its culture, traditions and social Acceptance must start from the society itself and its motivations and management tools, all strictly linked to its culture, traditions and social possibilities. “Biological science alone does not provide a complete understanding of or solutions to the conflict. In reality, half of the challenge of addressing the conflict is in understanding the human dimension with its social, cultural, political, economic, and legal complexities”
But unfortunately, communication in this area is still greatly penalized by a lack of specifically allocated resources and, often, by a lack of competent figures in the work teams.
“Relevant and timely exchanges of information about all aspects of HWC need to be developed and implemented, and resources need to be made available. This information needs to be used by local managers and communities, as well as funding agencies, practitioners, and facilitators to ensure that best practices are being understood, adopted, improved on, and shared across the spectrum of HWC practitioners”, said Francine Madden in her commentary, going on
“Some processes and precedents exist that could help others address the challenges of improving communication, facilitating information e“Some processes and precedents exist that could help others address the challenges of improving communication, facilitating information exchange, and building trust” emphasizing how although present, the precedents exist but resources are spread about on the internet and difficult to find. This represents a waste of valuable time for those working in the field, often resulting in them having to reinvent the process from scratch and risking losing their effectiveness.
On this basis of this, Coexistence.life has been created, a shared platform on which information, experiences and communication materials linked to the world of human wildlife interaction are brought together with the aim of:On this basis of this, Coexistence.life has been created, a shared platform on which information, experiences and communication materials linked to the world of human wildlife interaction are brought together with the aim of:On this basis of this, Coexistence.life has been created, a shared platform on which information, experiences and communication materials linked to the world of human wildlife interaction are brought together with the aim of:
- Promoting the spread of ideas and concepts, coming from different cultures and traditions, to create effective and attractive messages of coexistence
- Minimizing the waste of time and resources in the search for case studies, examples and experiences of good practice related to the world of communication and HWI
- Helping to minimize the risk of ineffective communication due to a lack of experience or previous knowledge on the terms that make communication effective and offering a rich collection of examples
- Promoting the discussion of HWI in areas other than work and creating a pool of resources from all over the world for those who want to recount stories and experiences on this topic
- Offering support to those who work in the field of HWC but do not have the specific communication skills or the necessary resources to allocate to the development of an adequate strategy.
Thus, in the hope of having you as guests and collaborators, being able to make a contribution that really fulfills your needs and with the aim of constructing a new small contribution to the establishment of coexistence, welcome to Coexistence.life!
Explore the site and the resources available and if you feel you’d like like to work with us, you will find many different ways in which you can make your experience precious!Explore the site and the resources available and if you feel you’d like like to work with us, you will find many different ways in which you can make your experience precious!
Explore the site and the resources available and if you feel you’d like like to work with us, you will find many different ways in which you can make your experience precious!
Thank you everyone!
