Long-term and meaningful community leadership and engagement in natural resources and environmental governance through university access programs

Abstract

Indigenous and local people are increasingly asked to participate in natural resources and environmental governance with limited training and knowledge of environmental, economic, and social policies. This article presents the case for the development of university access programming with a specialization in environmental, economic, and social policy towards building long-term capacity of communities for participating in governance. It does so by looking at examples of existing access programs, identifying potential focus areas, and considering the institutional support networks that would be required for such a program to succeed. Access programs are increasingly becoming part of the university landscape, typically filling gaps where community people require skills and qualifications. Access programs also present unique opportunities for interdisciplinarity, decolonization, and community-focused approaches to education.