by Mae Burrows B-A. (Huns.), Simon Fraser University THESIS SUBMiTTED IN PART lAt FlJCf iLLMENT OF THE REQUiREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the SGtrooi of Communication 63 Mae Buffuws 1996 SIMON FWER UNiVERSlTY Apn"l1996 All rights mewed. This work may not be rep- in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the authur. The author has granted an t'auteur a accorde une licence irrevocable non-exclusive ficence irrevocable et non exclusive allwing the National Library of perrnettant 1 la BibliothBque Canada to reproduce, toan, nationate du Canada de distribuie or sell copies of reproduire, prster? distribuer ou - his/her thesis by any means and vendre des copies de sa these in any form or format, making de quelque maniere ei sous this thesis avaiitable to interested quelque forme que ce suit pour persons. mettre des exemplaires de cette thke B la disposition des personnes interessbs. 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Titfe of ThesisfProjectExtended Essay CONSENSUS NEGO1[*fATIOS: CONFLICT RESOLUTlON OR VANCOUVER ISLAND CORE: A CASE STUDY Bunows (name) APPROVAL NAME: DEGREE: ;C?TLE: COSSE%SVS NEGOTIATION: CONFLICT RESOLU'f'iON OR CONTAIYMENT VAHCOCVER ISLAND CORE: A CASE STUDY EXAMWING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Dr- Gail Faurschou Dr. Afim Beak Co-Senior Supervisor, School of Communication, SFU Dr. Pat Howard CeSenior Supisor, khwiof Communication, SFU Citizen activists from aIf wafks of iife increasingly face the decision of whether or not to participate in matti-stakehokler. consensus negotiations to resolve environmental an3 other disputes. While this thesis studies one such consensus forum - the Vancouver Island Commission on Resources and the Environment (CORE) process - the ayrabysis has Implications beyond the !and-use debate. This study analyzes CORE as a particuiar example of consensus negotiations and anives at eunclusions criticaf of the efficacy of CORE and other such fora. As a government-institutedI formally facilitated process, CORE did little to encourage substantive debate about serious land-use problems. Nor did it resolve any of the contentious issues facing the province. Rather, it served to conbin debate and keep it out of the pubiic domain. The uncfefijing assumptior; of GORE that mnsenstis miif=be jmssibtz among participants who have fundamentally different values and goals is dt=aliy evaluated. Consensus is possible where there is common grottnd and goak but not in a mutti-stakehokler forum such as CORE where participants hold difkrenfworfd outlooks and purposes. In such a forum a negotiation is possible t@not a consensus. Therefore, people choosing to participate in multi- stakehofder fora should t>e prepared to engage in strategic negotiations. Ttre 'Ievef playing field" mythlogy of a round table forum is explored; the RofEon that patficipants are equal denies the significant differences in authority, 6rrandali resorrrces and neg&&hg skiffs they command. Partidpants who assume 3ey are participating as equals are not criticaliy evaiuaiing their own siiengths and weaknesses and thereby lose some of their effeciiveness. The conclusion of the thesis is that citizens can have a greater chance of affecting political change through public education, media work and direct government bbbying than they can through participation in government sponsored multi-stakeholder do ra. This was a particr'pant-obsenrer study in which the author participated direcdy in CORE as a Fishery sector representative. Further data was gathered through interviews with representatives from each sector and by analyzing written materials produced by government and non-governmental sources. There are many peol;!e who have supported, and contributed to, this study. First, there are the participants in CORE, who gave so much of their time and effort to resoiving land-use mn8icts. May we work together in a more effective probliem-solving fomm in the future. C WOUMlike to thank tkke S~O~repsei'rfatives, who gave sc generously of their time for the interviews and who were so thaughfful in sharing their insights WMI me. i would fike to thank people in the fishing community who have shared their analysis of the process with me. in particular, Iacknowledge Donna Gross for her hard work and for her significant time commitment in attending CORE meetings, and David Lane, my cofleague in this and many other batties to protect fih habitat and to promote democratic fora for resolving confiicts. f also acknowfeb~eDelores Broten for her interest in my thesis, her hard work in CORE, and mast of ail, for her dedication in publishing the Watershed Senfinel so &!at weemay Rave a Wenrecord of communtty reactions to CORE. Two co- workers in tfie fisher's zanior? who haw red my thesis and mnt.ribukci t~ the a~slysis,are &mk ;Srmand ?Ask tA4anior,and 1 appizdsite their mrrirrients. hd1 thank my friend, Lomine St. Martin, who has been very supportive about my wrk throughout graduate school. f woufd especially like to thank my two senior supervisors. Pat Howard for her astuteness, her critical perspeclive and for her encouragement to write in ptain English, so that my thesis muki have some iasting value in the community. i woufd also like to acknowiedge my other senior supenrisor, Alison Beale, for her suppori and encouragement throughout my middle-age graduate school experience. Bob Hackett, who is also on my committee, has provided useful cr%dmrnents thrwught~ithe dweioprnerrt of this thesis. And Michael M'Gonigle, my external reader, has always shown an enormous appetite for critical evaluation of public prcmses such as CORE; anc! f thank him also for his crif'fcal comments on my work. Roger Howard's enthusiasm for rrlaking this theoretical analysis have a practical application has been most encouraging. I wottfd also like to acknrwvfedge Stephen Duguid and Biti Jeffries of Simon Fraser University's Graduate Liberal Studies Program for the opportunity to explore ideas abstft Habemas's public sphere through the "Habermas, Community and the Public Sphere" seminar series. Finally, I would like to acknowiedge my partner, Donald Gutstein, for his unending support and e~courstgement,and for all the extra domestic responsibilities he took on while 1 was labouring over this thesis, And J want to thank our son Joshua, for the Saturdays I wasn't with him whiIe I was wwkiny on ahis project. I hope my work will help creak a better, cleaner world for him and his generation; a world which wjll hofd greater oppor?uni?iesfor public involvement in prddng our resources. viii Consensus Negotiation: Connict Reso/ufion or Containment Approval ii .. Abstract i11 V Acknowledgements vi Table of contents viii Chapter One Consensus negotiation: Common ground or strategic bargaining:- A case study The political background The announcement of CORE The structure ~f the Vancower Island CORE table ARernaje dispute resofMorr f he DFUC~SSmust be designed by the participants The agenda must be determined by the participants Participation: Ind~skeor restricted? Funding and other resou- must be prcvirjed to participants Finding common gramd, ampromise and consensus Theoreticat background Research rnethdofsgy Financing Sector representatives Consenration - Pauf Senez Socia! and Economic Sustainability (SESS) - Heather Pate Outdoor Recreatim - Les Carter YoL$! - fane Parker Tourism - Linda fetch Fo:est independents - Rick Jeffery Forest Empt=zymeni- Kim Potlock Fishery - Donna Gross Mining - Brice McK~igRt ~g~-lcttttuie;'Aquacu~tii~e- Bitan Cunie General. EmpEoyment - Cliff Stainsby Local Government - Ai Huddlestan Forest Macagers arrd Manufadurers - Bill Dumont Chapter One Fcoinotes Chapter Two CORE: Cofrbining conflict Conflict resolution did not occur Cornpelted to participate A predetermined structure and format undermined public involvement and public debate f he short~omingsof CORE as a mediation process SecZorai representation excfttded the public f he pre-set agenda The SotFth fstand Accord - a citizen initiative CORE - too process-oriented Unwitfingness of participants to accommodate each othef's interests COPE: A cornmunicsttion exercise to find common ground or a straiegic nqoiia@onto maintain ci gain ground? Socia! engineering, not consensus Chapter Two Footnotes Chapter Four The war in the woods: fs peace possibte? The probkm af different worfd outiooks at the table Different paradigms operating among different participants The paradigmatic debate about sustainabiiity Can consensus be reached among participants with different paradigmatic views?