GENI - Negotiations and consultations in Northern and Indigenous Areas

This course is obligatory for students who belong to the Master in Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas (GENI).

Other students should have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject (social sciences, law).

Negotiations and consultations are a central component for Indigenous peoples and local communities. It is important for managing relations both with governments at different levels (municipal, provincial, and federal/central) and with groups outside the governmental sphere (e.g., businesses, NGOs).

This course has three goals: 1) provide an overview of the state of legal and political environment on consultation, including legal benchmarks arising from court decisions on the duty to consult and accommodate, and from policy documents e.g. white papers; 2) examine seminal and current research on consultation and negotiations among Northern actors; and 3) provide applied learning experience through negotiation and consultation simulation exercises.

In this online class we will work with three types of material/information:

• Literature on negotiations in general and specifically studies related to Indigenous peoples and local communities.
• Content related to negotiation and consultation (court judgements, policy documents and videos).
• Interviews with a variety of experts from the field to bring in both formal, academic and practice-oriented perspectives.

As the underlying philosophy of the class is to combine a diverse range of knowledge, students will be encouraged to combine theoretical knowledge with practical examples.

Students who successfully complete the course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The student gains knowledge about:

• the foundation and premises of negotiation and consultation as based in case law and international law;
• how differences in colonial histories and different systems of government influence and define conditions for consultation and negotiation arrangements;
• distinctions between the concepts of negotiation and consultation.

Skills

The student knows how to:

• Describe and apply negotiation and consultation methods and principles.
• Reflect on negotiation and consultation approaches and ethics of practice.
• Compare and outline key features of the current consultation and negotiation environment as it relates to Northern and Aboriginal/Indigenous communities and actors.
• Identify the historical context and current trends in reached agreements among Aboriginal/Indigenous communities, government, and industry.

Language of instruction and examination

This course is open for inbound exchange student who meets the admission requirements, including prerequisites. Please see the Admission requirements" and the "Type of Course" sections for more information.

Do you have questions about this course? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412

More info about the coursework requirements

Early in the semester, the students are expected to submit an individual paper of max. 600 words. The paper must be accepted before submission of the final exam.

By the end of the course, the students are expected to participate in one of two workshops; on consultations, and on negotiations, where they apply their practical skills.

Re-sit examination