Institute for Engagement & Negotiation

Want to learn how to better run your public engagement processes? Learn from experts in the field of community-based facilitation about how to make your collaboration more equitable and successful. Over 2 days, participants will learn facilitator roles, responsibilities, and practice a range of core facilitator skills-- including designing an agenda. This interactive training will provide numerous opportunities for participants to practice the skills they are learning and get feedback. Don’t wait to register because this training is filling up fast! Register at https://lnkd.in/g_ieRJ-e #training #community #facilitation?

McCarthy Award Nominations are OPEN! Do you know someone who deserves recognition for doing excellent or innovative work in conflict resolution and collaboration on environmental issues?? We want to know!?? The Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute is now accepting nominations for the?2025?McCarthy Award, which is presented annually?to an individual who has taken a leadership role in preserving and protecting Virginia's environment by fostering collaboration and conflict resolution.? Please help us recognize and celebrate those who are fostering, encouraging, and initiating great collaborative work by submitting a nomination. Nominations forms?for the 2025? award are due?by March 28th, 2025 by end of day? should be submitted to Blair Blanchette at [email protected].? The award will be presented at the VNRLI Graduation on June 12th, 2025,?in Charlottesville. You can find the nomination form?and?learn more about the award?here.

IEN's new?Community-Based?Facilitation?Training?Series?kicks off next month in Charlottesville! The training will be held March?19-20th. Participants will learn?facilitator?roles and responsibilities and practice a range of core?facilitator?skills, including designing an agenda. To learn more about this opportunity, or to register, please visit?https://lnkd.in/eXx8maAc.

The Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program is collaborating with over 100 partners representing diverse interests - federal and state agencies, local governments, and a variety of stakeholders - to develop a Virginia Ocean Plan. Is the ocean important to you? Virginia CZM wants your input to help shape the draft Virginia Ocean Plan. There are many ways to connect with this effort, but for a start consider attending the upcoming Virginia Ocean Plan Community Open Forum. Registration is requested but not required. The event will be held on August 15th from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Virginia Aquarium (717 General Booth Blvd., Virginia Beach). You can register here: https://lnkd.in/eryqKrAj

In recognition of National Intern Day this past Thursday, IEN would like to thank all of our summer Student Research Assistants (SRAs) for their many contributions to our work! Our outstanding SRA team includes Lola Garvie, Max Klavon, Hayden Luckert, Emilie Hoke, Spenser Duval, Rose Freeman, Jordan Murphy, Caroline Jaffe, and Emily Kurtzhalts.

IEN is excited to announce a new publication with a chapter co-authored by IEN Director Tanya Denckla Cobb and Shantell Bingham, former Program Director of the Charlottesville Food Justice Network. Written for communities, urban planners, professionals, and academics, this open access book is significant and weighty in its focus on equity and ethics in planning. Planning for Equitable Urban Agriculture: A New Ethic in City Building addresses the opportunities, challenges, and possibilities for planning for equitable urban agriculture and the chapter by Tanya and Shantell can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/gXQbry5C?

?IEN is excited to host a new community-based facilitation training October 2-3, 2024 in Charlottesville! If you’re interested in the course, you can sign up here to be notified when registration opens: https://lnkd.in/gDSFgHwC. Please save the date to join us in October!?

In May IEN’s Director Tanya Denckla Cobb was part of an exciting panel, Bending the Arc: Land and Food Justice in Virginia, which explored the legacies of harm in agriculture and land ownership in our state. Other panelists included Ebonie Alexander (Black Family Land Trust), Michael Carter, Jr. (Carter Family Farms), Paul Freedman (UVA Department of Politics, Environmental Thought & Practice), and Tom McDougall (4P Foods). The recording of the webinar can be found at https://lnkd.in/gfnkhEfJ

Last week IEN’s team of Mike Foreman, Meredith Keppel, and Emilie Hoke facilitated a workshop on the Climate Smart Commodities (CSC) program for partners of the Virginia Tech Soil Health Coalition. Participants had a chance to share their experiences, and contribute to goals to shape the future of the program. Attendees were a true cross-section of the field, and diverse experiences allowed for a lively discussion at Virginia State University's Randolph Pavilion. We are grateful to all the participants who took time to engage in this important work. IEN will be developing a report capturing the results of the day and recommendations for next steps.

The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation is thrilled to share the news that one of our flagship projects,?The Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT), was recently highlighted in the most recent issue of the journal?Local Development & Society.?The article, entitled “Facilitating climate adaptation: The resilience adaptation feasibility tool (RAFT) framework”?authored by Bev Wilson, Elizabeth Andrews, Tanya Denckla Cobb,?and Sierra Gladfelter,?describes the?RAFT’s?innovative?collaborative approach to?supporting localities in increasing their?climate resilience?and how it evolved over 9 years through an iterative process of working closely with 26 localities across the Commonwealth of Virginia. We’re excited that this article can help share the successes of The?RAFT?model and how it might serve other communities elsewhere. Check out the open source article yourself or share it with others at:?https://lnkd.in/gpaGhTXG.