Interspecies Council in Oppdal: A New Approach to Governance

In a groundbreaking initiative, an interspecies council convened in Oppdal, Norway, where non-human entities were represented by human delegates to discuss ecological governance. This council, inspired by the Council of All Beings developed by environmentalists John Seed and Joanna Macy in the 1980s, aims to expand decision-making to include the voices of various species. Facilitators identify multispecies stakeholders and assign human representatives, who then engage in discussions to produce a manifesto or decision that reflects the needs of the represented beings.

The Guardian

Oppdal, a village nestled in Norway's Drivdalen valley, is experiencing a demographic shift, with its population swelling from 5,000 to over 30,000 during winter due to tourism. This growth has sparked debates about balancing economic development with ecological preservation. Margrete Vognild Blokhus, a facilitator, noted that discussions among stakeholders are characterized by stewardship rather than conflict, although tensions remain regarding land use among farming, tourism, and conservation.

The Guardian

During the council, 38 local representatives embodied various species, including a spider, a Norwegian spruce, and a purple saxifrage flower. The discussions focused on the needs and challenges faced by these beings. A birch expressed concern about overpopulation, while the River Driva lamented its treatment as merely a resource. The council's aim was not to gather data but to foster interspecies empathy and dissolve the perceived divide between humans and nature.

The Guardian

The council concluded with the drafting of principles for human governance, which will be published as a manifesto. Plans for a six-monthly interspecies council and the establishment of a "höringsgruppe" for listening to non-human perspectives were also discussed. Phoebe Tickell, the initiative's architect, emphasized the importance of creating robust methodologies and accountability to ensure that interspecies councils do not devolve into mere greenwashing.

The Guardian

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the council, challenges remain in establishing meaningful decision-making power and ensuring that the initiative does not become superficial. Tickell warned that the success of interspecies councils hinges on their ability to integrate into governance structures as standard practice, akin to environmental impact assessments.

The Guardian

• “I’m worried there’s too much of me,” — A birch

The Guardian

• “I hate when humans make me fit in and be smaller than I am.” — The River Driva

The Guardian

• “To take care of nature, we have to know it and feel it and think like it,” — Margrete Vognild Blokhus

The Guardian

• “Is it sillier to ask someone to imaginatively inhabit the perspective of a different species for an hour, or to continue running governance systems that have driven a 70% collapse in wildlife populations in 50 years?” — Phoebe Tickell

The Guardian

The future of interspecies councils, as demonstrated in Oppdal, holds potential for transforming ecological governance by fostering a deeper connection between humans and the natural world.

The Guardian