Page 209 - Sustainability Communication Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Theoritical Foundations

192 H. Heinrichs

educational-informative approaches, participation methods offer a chance for the
structured integration of diverging perspectives and the development of creative
solutions to collective problems. In general we can define the newer participation
methods as: “forums for exchange that are organized for the purpose of facilitating
communication between government, citizens, stakeholders and interest groups,
and businesses regarding a specific decision or problem” (Renn et al. 1995: 2).
The newer participation methods have in common that they offer a structured
possibility for communication among heterogeneous groups of actors. At the same
time there are also differences in the extent to which they depend on a particular
political context and function. The following review shows the defining characteris-
tics and uses of the most important participation models.

Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Since the 1970s in the USA the so-called alternative dispute resolution procedure
(ADR) has been developed and used so as to avoid long legal disputes and court
cases. Mediation is the most common ADR method. It is used in both interpersonal
and business conflicts, and especially in environmentally relevant projects regarding
their location and infrastructure (Susskind and Fields 1996). In acute or threatening
conflicts, ‘neutral’ and competent mediators provide moderation or mediation to
support the conflict parties’ search for solutions acceptable to both sides (win-win
situation). By systematically revealing the particular interests and perspectives of
each party, the method promises to find common ways of viewing a problem and
finding a viable compromise as a solution. The willingness of both parties to negoti-
ate constructively is a necessary condition for it to be used successfully. Mediation,
which arose in the competitively organised political-legal system in the US, has
been used in Germany since the 1990s to deal with on-going conflicts over the
environment as well as to prevent their occurrence (Baugham 1995).

Stakeholder Dialogue

Companies, and especially those with environmentally sensitive production meth-
ods and products, such as the chemical industry, have been put under increasing
public pressure since the 1970s by social movements and environmental organisa-
tions. Beyond environmental and legal requirements, they have to face increasing
public discussion of the environmental and social compatibility and sustainability
of their activities. With the method of stakeholder dialogue – i.e. the structured
communication of all groups with a claim on the outcome of a particular activity –
participative-cooperative elements have become part of the corporate policy of numer-
ous (multinational) companies. The spectrum ranges from neighbourhood dialogues
with the local population at production sites to industry-wide dialogs with NGOs.