Social Conflicts in the 21st Century – the Shadows of Global Environmental Change

KARL BRUCKMEIER Social Con lic s in he 21s Cen u y – he Shadows o Global En i onmen al Change1 In oduc ion: changing o ms o social con lic s The heme o his symposium, “Cul u al He i age and he Inno a ions o he Humani ies in he 21s Cen u y” includes di icul aspec s as ha o “Social Con lic s in he 21s Cen u y – he Shadows o Global En i onmen al Change” o which i is no ob ious wha hey include in e ms o cul u al he i age and humani ies. The ques ion, how o deal wi h new social con lic s can be answe ed in his pe spec i e o cul u al he i age and he new humani ies as one ha equi es new ways o dealing wi h cul u al he i age and inno a i ein e - and ansdisciplina y hinking; such hinking is sp eading in he humani ies, in he social and na u al sciences, and in he e e yday sphe e o li ewo ld. Social con lic s a e no longe speci ic socio-cul u al, e hnic, eligious, poli ical o economic con lic s, no longe clea in na u e and scope, bu become mul i- ace ed. The adicaliza ion o social, cul u al o poli ical g oups is no su icien as hei explana ion; many people and social g oups a e in ol ed, no only adicals. Mani old, poli ical and o he a i udes and in e es s a e included. The no ma i e implica ions o he e m adicaliza ion make i di icul as a diagnos ic e m o e eal he easons o con lic s and explain con lic escala ion. These new con lic s show he signs o he p esen ly globalising mode n socie y ha has been called by Beck he global o “cosmopoli an isk socie y” (Beck 2002). Many o he con lic s ha e o do wi h en i onmen al p oblems and, as he diagnosis o he isk socie y heo y says, e e yone can be in ol ed in such con lic s, independen om class membe ship, social and economic s a us, poli ical o ien a ion and cul u al sel -pe cep ion. The cha ac e is ic ea u e o such con lic s is, ha hey ha e se e al easons and causes, social as well as ecological. No always he main easons become mani es in he ac ual con lic s o a e a icula ed by he con lic ing pa ies as he easons why hey a e in con lic . En i onmen al o esou ce use con lic s can be masked as e hnic o economic con lic s, which seems o be he case wi h many, also iolen con lic s in ecen decades, also in Eu ope, e.g., in he ci il wa and wa ollowing he dissolu ion o o me Yugosla ia.In his case he e hnic di isions and ela ed con lic s, exis ing since he beginning o he s a e o Yugosla ia a e he 1. Wo ld Wa , and he alling 1 Deb ecen Uni e si y, Symposium “Cul u al He i age and he Inno a ions o he Humani ies in he 21s Cen u y”, Oc obe 8-9, 2014 Ka l B uckmeie - Social Con lic s in he 21s Cen u y – he Shadows o Global En i onmen al Change 49 apa o he Communis egime masked mo e complex con lic s wi h u he easons, among ha also sca ci y and access o na u al esou ces, e.g., in he Koso o. The cha ac e iza ion o such con lic s as poli ical is no longe adequa e o deno e hei na u e; hey include poli ical as well as u he componen s and do no always allow o a poli ical logic o con lic esolu ion. Con lic esea ch Con lic esea ch is no a homogenous ield o esea ch in he sense o a specialized discipline as ound in academic science; i de elops in changing o ms o specializa ion and knowledge combina ions ha a e desc ibed as in e - o ansdisciplina y (Nowo ny e al 2002). A well-known o m o con lic esea ch is he peace and con lic esea ch ha includes also en i onmen al con lic s (Gledi sch 2004) as a specialized ield o esea ch, dealing wi h local, na ional, ansbounda y o in e na ional con lic s ha a e pe cei ed as poli ical con lic s and o en include iolence and mili a y o ms o in e en ions. This is no he only ele an ield o esea ch om which knowledge abou he new con lic s is a ailable. To unde s and he con lic s discussed he e, con lic esea ch needs o be b oadened, becoming an in e disciplina y ield o esea ch whe e many ace s o con lic s a e o be s udied. Complex social con lic s ha e a ious easons and causes, as well in he li ewo ld o people, as in he s uc u es o socie al sys ems, in he s uc u es o powe and o ms o owne ship, and in he ways humans deal wi h na u e and use na u al esou ces. En i onmen - ela ed con lic s make i necessa y o c oss he bounda ies be ween he humani ies, he social and he na u al sciences. The con lic e m needs o be discussed c i ically o he newcomplex con lic s. In academic con lic esea ch domina e abs ac and gene al de ini ions. Con lic s a e o en in e p e ed as da ing back o di e en alues o in e es s o ac o s. In he classical wo k o Rapopo (1960) con lic s a e di e en ia ed in igh s ( o o e come he o he ), games ( o ou wi he o he ) and deba es ( o change he iews o he o he ). Ins ead o con lic also u he e ms associal dilemma, dispu e, con o e sy, a e used. A mo e de ailed discussion o mul i-causal and mul i-scale en i onmen al con lic s is ound in he e iew by S epano a and B uckmeie (2013a) whe e he discussion o he con lic e m is summa ized as ollows. De ini ions o en i onmen al con lic s, such as “incompa ible in e ac ion be ween a leas wo ac o s o e he use o na u al esou ces o an en i onmen al sys em, whe e one o he ac o s is damaged by he in e ac ion, and he o he ac o in ends o igno es his damage” (Mason e al 2007: 327) a e gene al and ague, need o be speci ied wi h con lic ypologies de eloping om empi ical esea ch. Such b oad con lic e ms gi e ise o con o e sies abou he phenomena o subsume unde he con lic e m. Non- iolen , small-scale and local con lic s o en lack con lic indica o s aso ganized ac o s, legal and poli ical dispu es and decisions, public a en ion, iolence, go e nmen al ac ion. Con lic s a e o en deal wi h in o mally, wi hou poli ical decisions and as non-secu i y issues, a e no seen as public policy issues and hus no 50 METSZETEK Vol.3 (2014) No.4 equi ingconce ed ac ion. The policy esea ch on con lic , peace and secu i y co e s a pa o en i onmen al con lic s, bu o he con lic s ha occu in semi-public, local and p i a e sphe es and in e e yday li e, a e co e ed less. En i onmen al and esou ce usecon lic s a e o en mul i-dimensional. Fo such con lic sa p ocess pe spec i e is use ul o s udy con lic s in hei de elopmen and wi hin hei social and na u al en i onmen . Cul u al iews o con lic s a y be ween iews o con lic s as aboos and con lic s as necessa y componen s o social li e. E en in cul u ally simila a eas in Eu ope he e a e signi ican di e ences in unde s anding, assessing and esol ing con lic s in poli ics and e e yday li e. Gene al de ini ions need o be speci ied h ough mo e conc e e aspec s o con lic s, ega ding he ac o s in ol ed, e.g., as igh s, in e es s, posi ions and s a egies, alues and wo ld iews (c . S epano a and B uckmeie 2013b). The con lic s become always mo e complex, as he de elopmen and ne wo king o social sys ems and mode n socie ies hemsel es. Some o he knowledge and p ac ical equi emen s o he analysis and esolu ion o he complex con lic s a e ound in ecen con lic esea ch, dispe sed in se e al a eas o specializa ion: in esea ch on en i onmen al and esou ce use con lic s (B uckmeie 2005), in poli ical con lic esea ch (Dudoue 2006, Va isco 2010), in social-psychological esea ch on con lic s and media ion (Ba -Tal 2009), and in some ields o economic and managemen esea ch whe e he esolu ion o con lic s is desc ibed unde he e m o ans o ma ion, (Mason and Mulle 2007), meaning he guided ans o ma ion o con lic in o coope a ion. Fo many o he new con lic s discussed he e he con en ional o ms o poli ical con lic managemen and in e en ion o police o mili a y, o ju idical solu ions o he con lic s h ough cou s, a e no longe adequa e. Many o he con lic s a e local, non- iolen con lic s a low in ensi y ha can be deal wi h in such in o mal ways o con lic esolu ion as media ion o h ough nego ia ions be ween he g oups in ol ed. The gene al app oach o esol e he con lic s is h ough hei g adual ans o ma ion in coope a ion o he con lic ing pa ies. Bu he many o ms and ace s o such con lic s include also iolen ones whe e iolence happens in di e en o ms, om mili an p o es o ci il wa and wa . Scena ios o con lic s esul ing om clima e change gi e a a he d ama ic pic u e o coming con lic s. Clima e change in he 21s cen u y:a new s a e o na u e – „wa o all agains all“ Violen and non iolen con lic s esul ing om clima e change a e pa adigma ic examples o he new o ms o con lic s eme ging in he isk socie y, including wa s, ci il wa s, and mani old peace ully mi iga ed con lic s. These con lic s esul om he en i onmen al ca as ophes ha humani y has e oked, unwillingly,wi h he pa h o de elopmen ha he socie ies o he wo ld ha e soone o la e en e ed, beginningabou 500 yea sago, called “mode nisa ion”. Since abou hal o ha ime indus ialisa ionis he dominan mode nisa ion pa h, which is a di ec cause o he clima e ca as ophehumani yis en e ing in he 21s cen u y. Ka l B uckmeie - Social Con lic s in he 21s Cen u y – he Shadows o Global En i onmen al Change 51 The ising a e age empe a u e on he plane , wo deg ees Celsius o mo e in wo, 20 h and 21s , cen u ies,iscaused by a p ocess ha can be desc ibedsimple in na u al scien i ic e ms as he ise o g eenhouse gases, especially CO2-emissions in he a mosphe e. F om he le el o 275 ppm be o e he begin o indus ializa ion g eenhouse gases aided o 400 ppm in ecen yea s. A educ ion o 350 ppm is seen as necessa y o p e en u he d ama ic clima e change. Bu he ou look is, ha he “hea ing o he a mosphe e” is going on o longe ime. In he las yea sabou 35 billion ons o CO2ha e been emi ed in he ai e e y yea . I do no epo in de ail he e he knowledge ha clima e esea ch has p o ided (summa ized in he epo s o he In e go e nmen al Panel on Clima e Change, IPCC) abou he sou ces o emissions ha include indus y, bu o a la ge deg ee also mode n ag icul u e h ough me hane emissions, he second impo an clima e change gas. The phenomena o clima e change ha a ec humans di ec ly include: ex eme wea he si ua ions; mo e s ong s o ms as hu icanes; mo e d y seasons some pa s o he wo ld, especially in he “low la i ude coun ies” in he opical zone, and mo e we seasons in o he s; ise o he sea le el wi h mo e inunda ions in coas al a eas and la ge pa s o coas al lowland d owning in he sea. The u he discussion is abou o ms, consequences and solu ions o complex social con lic s esul ing om clima e change. Mo e han hal o he global popula ion li es close o he coas , abou 60% in he zone om 0-100 km om he coas line. Two hi ds o he so-called mega-ci ies o he wo ld, ci ieswi h many millions o inhabi an s, a edi ec ly loca ed a he coas . Wha shall he people li ing he e do, when hei land is looded and hei houses a e washed in o he sea, when big ci ies a e h ea ened by inunda ions, and many inhabi an s lose hei base o exis enceo can no longe be p o ec ed h ough dams and dykes, because hese become oo expensi e (Yasuha a e al 2001)? Wha e e will happen o he people, many con lic s a e o be expec ed, al eady be o e millions o people a e mig a ing o ese led.No coun y, no democ a ic o au ho i a ian poli ical sys em, is p epa ed o clima e change, in spi e o all he o ical commi men s o clima e policy. The i s success ul yea s o global clima e policy, connec ed wi h he Mon eal Con en ion and he Kyo o P o ocol, ha e meanwhile ended in ailu e o new nego ia ions and policies, so ha he aim o keep clima e change wi hin he le el o 2 deg ees Celsius is gi en up since yea s.Poli ically seen he igh agains global wa ming seems o be los o some ime and he consequences can be an icipa ed as equi ing con lic -p one adap a ion o clima e change. In ecen yea s he analysis and discussion o con lic s esul ing om global en i onmen al change, especially clima e change, in ensi ied in he in e na ional esea ch o he IPCC. An h opogenic clima e change is seen in he ecological discou se as one o he main easons o coming con lic s be ween and wi hin coun ies. The books o he Ge man social psychologis Ha ald Welze „Clima e wa s - he easons o killing in 21s cen u y“ (2008) and o he Canadian mili a y scien is Gwynne Dye „Clima e wa s“(2008) desc ibe possible scena ios. Bo h au ho s see ci il wa s and wa s because o global wa ming o clima e change as mo e likely han peace ul solu ions o clima e ela ed con lic s. Also he Ge man Ad iso y Council on Global Change” has diagnosed, “Clima e change s eng hens mechanisms leading o 52 METSZETEK Vol.3 (2014) No.4 insecu i y and iolence” (WBGU 2007: 2). This abs ac o mula ion ansla es in he book by Dye , who uses he Hobbesian o mula ion o he s a e o na u e as “a wa o all agains all”, in scena ios o possible clima e wa s. Welze e lec s abou changing o ms o iolence in he pas , p esen and u u e. Bo h au ho s desc ibe po en ial consequences o global clima e change s a ing om discussions o con lic s and ca as ophes since he 1990s, when he wo ld should ha e become mo e peace ul a e he end o he Eas -Wes con o ma ion wi h he collapse o Eas Eu opean socialism. Bu i seems ha he “peace di idend” does no come, ins ead he coun ies o he wo ld glide in o new con lic s ela ed o clima e change and o he en i onmen al p oblems. Two wa s abou access o na u al esou ces (1. and 2. I ak wa ), ci il wa s like ha in o me Yugosla ia, ca as ophes like he genocide in Rwanda, and he con lic in Da u seem o indica e ha he wo ld is en e ing in new egional con lic s whe e na u al esou ces and en i onmen al p oblems play an always g ea e ole. The Da u con lic is seen by Welze and o he au ho s as he i s case o a ci il wa whe e clima e change is one o causes. Global en i onmen al changein he o ms o clima e change, biodi e si y educ ion and land use change ans o ms in o social con lic s h ough he in ol emen o social ac o s and g oups, h ough mani old social causes and consequences ha appea in hese con lic s. Whe eas in he 20 h cen u y en i onmen al p oblems we e deal wi h mainly as such o pollu ion o ai , wa e and soils and how o clean he poisoned en i onmen , he 21s cen u y is o become he one whe e global en i onmen al change “dic a es” de elopmen o limi s i . The 20 h cen u y appea ed in en i onmen al his o yas he one o exponen ial g ow h in many a eas - popula ion g ow h, economic g ow h, g ow h o na u al esou ce use, and g ow h o en i onmen al pollu ion. The 21s cen u y is o become he one whe e g ow h has o come o an end, ei he h ough conce ed ac ion in all coun ies, o , i his is no ealized, in ca as ophic o ms, o which con lic s esul ing om clima e change can gi e examples. These con lic s appea as mul i-causal, iolen and non- iolen , local, na ional and in e na ional con lic s, whe e he o ms o con lic s we know om he pas , do no p o ide any longe models and knowledge o p e en ing, de-escala ing, managing o esol ing con lic s. Social con lic s in he 21s cen u y Wha can be said gene ally abou con lic s in his cen u y is ha all sphe es o social con lic s a e in luenced and changed h ough he ongoing p ocesses o globalisa ion o mode n economies and socie ies, also small-scale and local o egional con lic s a e ans o med h ough hese p ocesses in o in e connec ing mul i-scale con lic s. Social con lic s appea in u u e o en as complex con lic swi h chains o in e connec ing and ein o cing causes and consequences. This makes hei diagnosis and he o ms o con lic esolu ion complica ed. I becomes con o e sial wha he main easons and causes a e and how hey in e connec . Ka l B uckmeie - Social Con lic s in he 21s Cen u y – he Shadows o Global En i onmen al Change 53 - Mul i-causal a e such con lic s because no single eason o cause is su icien as explana ion. The e is a complex in e ac ion and ein o cemen o many social, cul u al, poli ical, economic, ecological easons and causes when, o example, ag icul u al p oduc ion collapses in ce ain egions, wi h consequences o mig a ion o people and igh s o access o and edis ibu ion o na u al esou ces. - Mul i-scale a e such con lic s because o he in e ac ion o local, egional, na ional, in e na ional and global p ocesses o social and ecological change. Clima e change is a global phenomenon ha esul s in many o ms o con lic s ha span om local o global le els. Also ob iously local con lic s, in coas al ishe ies o example he o e ishing o local species, ha e connec ions o b oade con lic s andappea , in he las analysis,as caused by global sca ci y and o e use o na u al esou ces. - Many ac o s a e in ol ed in such con lic s and he e is a ely a single and simple clea age ha sepa a es he con lic pa ies in wo g oups wi h con as ing in e es s as adi ionally assumed in poli ics, e.g., poli ical di e ences be ween le wing o igh wing pa ies and g oups, o be ween economic and ecological in e es s and ac ion. Wi h he blending o mul iple easons and causes also se e al clea ages o e lap and in e ac . - Solu ions in o m o poli ical ac ion by go e nmen al ins i u ions can no longe be expec ed as he only and su icien ones. Con lic mi iga ion equi es, ollowing he many o ms, scales, causes and ac o s in he con lic s, a much b oade spec um o o ms o in e en ion and ac ion: much mo e manage ial ins umen s s e ching o e di e en sphe es o cul u al, poli ical, economic ac ion. Many go e nmen al and non-go e nmen al o ganisa ions and ci il socie y ac o s need o be in ol ed in he esolu ion p ocess. - In he discou se o c i ical heo y Honne h (2011) has diagnosed ha he social con lic in mode n socie y akes wild and anomic o ms o aspi ing ecogni ion. Al hough no hough o he en i onmen al con lic s, he o mula ion can, mu a is mu andis, be applied o he new en i onmen al and esou ce use con lic s, whe e anomia is no esul ing om seeking ecogni ion, bu om seeking o su i e. I is no only a p ocess o adicaliza ion ha esul s in con lic s; mo e complex p ocesses and dissol ing o bounda ies be ween socially s uc u ed sphe es o o ganized ac ion a e going on. In he Eu opean wel a e s a es, un il he end o he 20 h cen u y, i was possible o channel and manage social con lic s in he classical o m o a class comp omise, wi h he nego ia ions be ween labou unions and en ep eneu ial o ganiza ions as he pa adigma ic example. Con lic s ha we e o long ime egula ed na ionally, asclass con lic s in mode n capi alis socie ies, become wild, indi idualized and de egula ed. Following he - con o e sial - hypo hesis o he isk socie y heo y o indi idualiza ion and dissolu ion o old o ms o class s uc u e and o ganized collec i e ac ion, i can be a gued: social con lic s a e becoming mo e agmen ed, indi idualized and diso ganized, wi h unclea on s and clea age lines, unclea o ms o ac ion and esolu ion s a egies, wi h inc easing sca ci y o na u al and o he 54 METSZETEK Vol.3 (2014) No.4 esou ces necessa y o li e. Escala ion o iolen and a med con lic s may happen when old social and cul u al ies dissol e h ough mode nisa ion, when social and economic exclusion p e en he sa is ac ion o basic human needs (e.g., measu ed in he “Human De elopmen Index” o he Uni ed Na ions De elopmen P og amme), and when he nega i e ac o s ein o ce each o he . As di icul as he answe o he ques ion o easons and causes o complex con lic s is ha how o sol e hem- h ough local ac ion and a local le els, whe e he con lic s do no appea in hei ull scope, o a se e al scales, o which ha dly poli ical and o he ins i u ions o mi iga ion exis . How such new con lic s di e om he ones in es iga ed, desc ibed and explained in p io con lic esea ch, can be ound ou om he analysis o hei dynamics ha di e om olde o ms o social con lic s in many ega ds, including he ollowing momen s: - Dissolu ion o social bounda ies:Thesocial s uc u es and social bounda ies ha c ea e he con en ional con lic s in mode n, indus ialized, capi alis socie ies dissol e o become unclea . Pa ies in con lic wi h each o he and ac o s in ol ed a e o en om di e en social g oups o classes, con lic s alsono simply be ween ich and poo g oups, coun ies and economies, al hough much o ha global clea age o he ich and poo appea s in he diagnoses o en i onmen al con lic s, e.g., in hen hypo hesis o he “en i onmen alism o he poo ” (Ma inez-Alie 2002). - New social ac o s o g oups ha a e in con lic wi h each o he includeo en social mo emen s o mixed, “hyb id” g oups o people li ing in one place ha a e in con lic wi h o he g oups, local en e p ises, go e nmen al ins i u ions;bu his may no show he ull scope o he con lic . Con lic s may also de elop be ween ac o s and g oups in one coun y ha come in con lic wi h g oups in o he coun ies, so ha he con lic e eals only hough mul i-scale analysis o i s in e connec ions in he chains o ex ac ion, ading, p ocessing and consump iono na u al esou ces ha may include global esou ce lows. Examples o ha can be ound in he dis ibu ion con lic s men ioned in Table 1. - The con lic s appea as consequences o he globaliza ion o economy, poli ics, and o al socie y, o global social and en i onmen al change. In he global con lic s mo e and mo e ac o s, o ganisa ions and g oups in di e en places and coun ies come in con lic wi h each o he . This can be seen as a esul o he global esou ce lows om less de eloped o indus ialised coun ies. - The dissolu ion o poli ical bounda ies, desc ibed as di e en ia ion o he na ional s a e in o mul i-scale s a es wi hlocal, egional, na ional and in e na ional componen s, esul ing in ac ion ac oss adminis a i e, legal and e i o ial bounda ies o s a es,shows he con lic s o be o he kind insu icien ly desc ibed in phenomena as ”sub-poli ics” (by Beck) and “exis en ial poli ics” (by Giddens), as ci il socie y ac ion, and as new o ms o ac ion o social mo emen s ha igh agains globalisa ion and o en i onmen al p o ec ion. Ka l B uckmeie - Social Con lic s in he 21s Cen u y – he Shadows o Global En i onmen al Change 55 - Dissolu ion o knowledge bounda ies: A a ely explici ly discussed assump ion in con lic esea ch and managemen was, ha con lic s need o be unde s ood in hei na u e, which equi es knowledge abou he speci ic sphe es o cul u al, economic, poli ical ac ion, and some kind o p o essional knowledge o con lic mi iga ion. The new con lic s emain unclea in hei na u e, equi e in e disciplina y knowledge, and s ill hey canno be sol ed in many cases, al hough solu ions a e u gen ly needed. The ollowing G aphic 1 by Howi a emp s o make isible he mul iple in e ac ing ac o s causing esou ce use con lic s and c ises as mul i-scale phenomenon, s e ching om local o global le els. All ac o s ha in luence en i onmen al con lic s and show hei social ace s a e men ioned. G a phic 1: M u l i-scale c isis phenomena in he sea ch o a new wo ld o de Sou ce: Howi 2001: 87 56 METSZETEK Vol.3 (2014) No.4 Clima e change and en i onmen al p oblems mo e gene ally gene a e con lic s o complex na u e. En i onmen al p oblems canno be seen sepa a e om social con lic s, bo h o e lap and ein o ce each o he , show mul iple and ci cula causali y. In con lic s wi h mani old causes and consequencesen i onmen al p oblems and sca ci y o esou ces ansla e in o in e connec ing social, poli ical and economic con lic s o access o and dis ibu ion o na u al esou ces as wa e , land, li ing esou ces. As Escoba (2006) o mula ed, a ious o ms o cul u al, economic o ecological dis ibu ion con lic s eme ge. The mul i- ace ed ecological dis ibu ion con lic s ha e a a ie y o social and economic causes and consequences, among hese sca ci y and unequal access o, owne ship and dis ibu ion o na u al esou ces, appea ing in he global esou ce ade and he pa e ns o global inequali y be ween ich, indus ialized and poo , esou ce deli e ing coun ies. The inequali ies gi e ise o many o ms o local, na ional and in e na ional con lic s. Social inequali ies a e also discussed in no ma i e and e hical e ms as en i onmen al (in-)jus ice (Schlosbe g 2007), ega ding access o unpollu ed ai , wa e and soil o ulne abili y h ough en i onmen al isks. Acco ding o he inexac gene aliza ion o he inequali y hypo hesis ha appea s in he ecological discou se, also in Becks´ isk socie y heo y, a e he ones who ha e o ake he la ge pa o en i onmen al “bads” and bu dens he inhabi an s o he poo coun ies in he Global Sou h, he women in all coun ies, and he u u e gene a ions. As en i onmen al o ecological dis ibu ion con lic s (Ma inez-Alie 2009) appea such o wa e and land use, con lic s h ough pollu ion o he en i onmen , o e use o limi ed esou ces, and global clima e change. Al hough o en mani es as local con lic s hey include global dimensions h ough globalisa ion and global ade o esou ces o global en i onmen al change, especially clima e change. Examples o such con lic s include he ones desc ibed in Table 1. Table 1: Ecological dis ibu ion con lic s Ma inez-Alie (1995: 80) desc ibesecological dis ibu ion con lic s as “ he social, spa ial, and empo al asymme ies o inequali ies in he use by people o en i on- men al esou ces and se ices, i.e. in he deple ion o na u al esou ces (including he loss o biodi e si y), and in he bu dens o pollu ion” ha may e oke local o global con lic s. Ma inez-Alie (2004: 8 ) desc ibes ecological dis ibu ion con lic s as hey appea in he commodi y chains – ex ac ion o ma e ials and ene gy, manu ac u e and anspo , disposal o he was e: Ka l B uckmeie - Social Con lic s in he 21s Cen u y – he Shadows o Global En i onmen al Change 63 Discussion and conclusions Con lic mi iga ion o such complex social and en i onmen al con lic s as discussed abo e is no necessa ily a ask o go e nmen al ins i u ions, cou s and diplomacy, mo e o ci il socie y ac o s, and i becomes pa o s a egies o sus ainable de elopmen and global go e nance. Con lic esolu ion is no a alue o goal in i sel , as i was o en seen in peace and con lic esea ch, bu needs o de elop in b oade and long- e m s a egies o social and na u al esou ce managemen ha allow o build las ing solu ions, as pa o he p ocess o building a new wo ld o de ha discussed, e.g., in he global scena ios o sus ainable de elopmen as he Millennium Ecosys em Assessmen om 2005. To de elop and p ac ice such s a egies equi es in e disciplina y esea ch, also in he humani ies, o deal wi h e hical p oblems when con lic s esul om unequal dis ibu ion o na u al esou ces be ween coun ies, na ional economies and social g oups. F om he ongoing ansdisciplina y scien i ic and poli ical discou ses as ha abou en i onmen al and global go e nance, en i onmen al jus ice and ci izenship, o new no ma i e o de s, can he ollowing conclusions be d awn ega ding he con ibu ions om he humani ies o he deba e o complex social con lic s and hei esolu ion: 1) Dealing wi h complex social con lic s equi es mul i-scale s a egies o knowledge gene a ion and applica ion which need o be lea ned by scien is s and o he ac o s in he p ocesses o analysing and esol ing such con lic s; hey a e no a ailable in o ms o well-de eloped me hods and ools. The humani ies can p o ide in his si ua ion ways o dealing wi h no ma i e knowledge, which was o a long ime neglec ed in scien i ic discou ses. 2) Al hough he global sus ainabili y discou se as aming discou se o con lic esolu ion has b ough subs an ial p og ess in o mula ing he equi emen s o socie al ansi ions o sus ainabili y, i is in dange o become empo a ily blocked, as he clima e change discou se as pa o i , h ough he neolibe al policies and economic s a egies ha end o weaken poli ical ins i u ions and ci il socie y sec o s. 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