Beyond Human-Wildlife Conflicts. Ameliorating Human/Nonhuman Animal Relationships through Workshops on Terminology

Human-Wildlife Conflicts (HWCs) occur when nonhuman animals’ needs clash with those of humans. One recent effort regards shifting HWCs into Human-Human Social Conflicts, where conflicts are about humans disagreeing on how to deal animals. This method can help reduce guilt placed animals, but also robs them their agency. Conversely, some in the field biology seek increase animal agency and moral status, even making key stakeholders. A helpful relationship may both aspects. Fourteen workshops (147 participants, 40 subgroups), relevant stakeholders, were run this topic. Participants involved and/or environmentalism sustainability. They sought develop terminology diminishing HWCs, while maintaining Common themes then brought out. Eight subgroups argued for more inclusive terms, like “sentient beings” 21 human/nature dichotomies. Both fit well increasing agency, giving nonhumans greater by narrowing human/nonhuman gaps. discussed animals as “icons”, which 26/30 saw as, at least potentially, problematic, arguing it conceptually “freezes” species, ignoring dynamism. In sum, aid framing healthier relationships natural world.