Finding My Place - At Least Academically!

Since I arrived in Denmark people have been asking me what I am studying here. Some of you may be wondering the same. When a Dane asks the question and I reply "forestry", they often display a confused look followed by the inevitable, why? The confused look comes from the history of the near entire deforestation of Denmark during the agricultural era in Northern Europe. At one time only 2-3% of Denmark's forests remained. Due to reforestation efforts this figure is now up to 10-12%. Further, I think the government's goal is to get this number up to 20% or so by 2025. So in fact Denmark has a fair amount of interesting experience when it comes to forestry.

As the conversation proceeds my interest in conflict management inevitably comes up and then people are REALLY confused. Conflict management in forestry? I am trying to get better at describing what this might entail, in essence it is trying to guide or facilitate a negotiation or dialogue process about allocation of forest land and resources. For example, reforestation involves much deliberating and negotiating the what and the where. (Also the how as Denmark is, like many northern European countries, flirting with how to convert large plantation forests, mainly of Norway Spruce, into native, broadleaf species, such as Beech).

SO, I am here to learn mainly the science and economics aspects of forestry (with more on social issues next year), along with some new conflict management tools to work at a large international or regional NGO which assists/facilitates the capacity of individuals, agencies, local ngos, communities, etc to sort through the complex maze of issues, interests, values, and needs that are inevitably part of a decision-making process and implementation of forest usage plan. Whew, did you get that? A long explaination that I will slowly become better at saying more quickly and clearly I promise, but its a work in progress through which I am trying to understand what skills I am able to bring to the table to contribute to this important work.

Why I am writing about this now is that today I was fortunate enough to have and "ah-ha!" moment; the opportunity to feel a confident and deep sense of commitment to this course of study. It happened when I was speaking with Professor Gregg Walker from Univ of Oregon and now visiting University of Copenhagen for our conflict management class. It was so nice to talk with someone who also took a rather non-traditional route to this line of work and feel encouragement. Sometimes I feel like I know a little bit of everything and a whole lot of nothing. Perhaps this is common when work becomes interdisciplinary. In anycase I am beginning to see that my experience in different cultures is important to my understanding and sensitivity about different communication styles and that my background in political science and peace studies through which I have always been interested in examining social and enviromental issus can also be of value.

So - it was a good day, and one in which I felt some greater degree of confidence that this is a purposeful path to be on and that my background can contribute to my learning here in ways that I hadn't considered previously - what a relief!