Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. An analysis of participatory strategies in environmental conflicts in the Eastern Region of Uruguay

Abstract

The goal of this research initiation project, funded by the Scientific Research Sectorial Commission (CSIC) of Uruguay, was to assess the participation strategies promoted from 2010 to the present in the Eastern Region within the context of environmental conflicts. Through a variety of situations and actors involved, the project surveyed and characterized environmental conflicts in that time period and region while geo-referencing emerging concerns and issues. It identified the strategies developed by institutions and social stakeholders to address those conflicts. Subsequently, the ladder of participation was used in a processing job to classify and group the strategies according to common and discordant components, demonstrating that the diversity of actors identifies participation as a key element for conflict resolution. However, there is disagreement on which kind of participation to promote and through what strategies. The project comes to the conclusion that the analyzed participation mechanisms are far from fostering citizen power in decision-making, resulting in symbolic -informative and consultative- participation spaces. Finally, it reflects on potential elements to contribute to this discussion in terms of sustainable development in the Eastern Region.