Mary Dumas was selected along with 35 applicants from 14 countries to participate in the inaugural World Water Diplomacy workshop conducted in 2011 by Tufts University and the Harvard Project on Negotiation.
The interactive, 5-day program, led by faculty from Tufts University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Program on Negotiation, presented a method of water diplomacy that takes science, policy, and politics into account within complex water systems. Designed as a joint learning experience to inform the development of a new PhD discipline, participants brought their experiences working on water issues around the world, and together with faculty, and examined the many features of water systems that cross physical, disciplinary, and jurisdictional boundaries.
Workshop participants gained the skills required to create more adaptive, flexible water networks that address interdisciplinary issues during each phase of problem identification and management design and decision-making, as well as how to teach these network management skills to others. For information about the Water Diplomacy Workshop, click here.
Dumas & Associates, Inc. has worked on local and transboundary water resource issues in the Pacific Northwest for over 15 years. Mary is a dispute resolution professional and trainer in conflict resolution, multi-party negotiations, and citizen engagement for professional associations, certificate and university programs. She guest lectures at the Program on the Environment, University of Washington, Washington AgForesty and other community-based leadership and dispute resolution centers’ mediation certification programs.
