Access to valuable natural resources has often generated conflict between nations, regions, communities, individuals and corporations. Whether they’ve been full-scale wars or delicate negotiations, what can we learn from how conflicts over oil and water have been handled in the past? How are communities, countries and populations pitted against each other when it comes to access and control of these resources? What are current and forthcoming conflicts around oil and water resources and how do we address them?

In “All’s Fair in Oil and Water,” we will use the stories of the Great Lakes Compact, the current conflict over oil in Nigeria, and a collaborative water management model in India to examine conflicts over oil and water.

Panelists:
Ann E. Feldman, Ph.D. — Founder and Artistic Director, artistic circles
Samuel W. Speck, Ph.D. — U.S. Commissioner, International Joint Commission
Clement Adibe, Ph.D. — Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, DePaul University
Jerome McDonnell — Host, Worldview, Chicago Public Radio (moderator)

Recorded Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at International House.