POLICY MATTERS 2014: REMEMBERING ELINOR OSTROM
6
boundaries, she saw this as a reinforcement
of what truly constitutes common pool
resources. What I mean by ‘fluid nature of
tribal boundaries’ is that while many tribes
can and do confidently assert authority over
their central territories, they tend to adopt a
diplomatic inter-tribal relations approach to
the outer boundaries they share with other
tribes. It is not uncommon for neighbouring
tribes to have common areas within their
respective tribal territories, each one claiming
the area as part of their own territory based
on a spiritual or cultural historical association.
As we explored the principles of defined
territories, mechanisms of conflict resolution,
a graduated scale of sanctions for resource
appropriators who violate community rules,
self-determination recognised by higher
authorities and the opportunity for resource
appropriators to participate in decision-
making, I questioned their applicability to
Maori. Elinor on the other hand was more
interested in what self-determination really
means for Maori. She wondered if there was
a bottom line that guided Maori in their
Treaty settlement negotiations. A line that
they would never cross because to do so
would significantly compromise their ability
to manage their heritage in the future as
commonly held and managed resources.
As one can imagine neither of us answered
each other’s questions to a satisfactory level.
We were both left with more questions than
answers. However, what I did gain from
our discussion was an understanding that
the design principles she identified are not
meant to be interpreted literally but rather
expansively. “Defined territories” doesn’t
have to mean fences and signposts. It can
also be recognised through customary laws
and practices that demonstrate the historical
and cultural association a community holds
with a place that continues to this day and
beyond. The principles, however, should
be understood within an overall context of
community self-determination and not be
co-opted to mean other things. Her ideas came
from a place of optimism that people can and
should work things out and that communities
can successfully manage common resources
sustainably over time. Elinor was also very
clear in her talks with me, and in the Keynote
presentation she delivered to the Sharing
Power Conference the following day, that
there is no quick-fix panacea, there is no one
simple solution and nor is there one solution
for all contexts throughout the world. Rather
the key to effective long-term sustainability
in using and managing natural resources is
communication—treating nature as a shared
resource—sharing access, use and decision-
making. In other words, sharing power.
Elinor Ostrom was an accomplished, secure,
positive and unassuming person who had
great loyalty to the individuals and networks
that helped form her perspectives and career.
It was a truly generous gesture on her part to
travel to Whakatane, to be with CEESP, Ngati
Awa and the other neighbouring tribes and
conference participants at the Sharing Power
Conference. CEESP members Janis Alcorn,
Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend, Taghi Farvar
and Michel Pimbert who knew and worked
with Elinor over a long period of time were
instrumental in securing Elinor’s visit to
New Zealand. It is with pleasure that IUCN’s
Commission on Environmental, Economic
& Social Policy (CEESP) devotes this special
edition of the peer reviewed journal Policy
Matters to the influence and legacy of her
work.
Thank you Elinor for inspiring so many with
your ideas, vision and belief in a just world.
No reira, haere, haere, haere e te rangatira
Haere ki te wa kainga
Go to the home of all
time
Haere ki te kainga tuturu
Go to the true home
Hoki atu ki te Kaihanga
Return to the creator
Haere, haere, haere.
Aroha Te Pareake Mead
Ngati Awa, Ngati Porou, Chair
IUCN Commission on Environmental,
Economic & Social Policy (CEESP)
Director, Maori Business,
School of Management,
Victoria University of Wellington
POLICY MATTERS 2014: REMEMBERING ELINOR OSTROM
7
Remembering Elinor Ostrom
Her Work and its Contribution to the Theory and Practice of
Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resource Management
James P. Robson
1
, Iain J. Davidson-Hunt
2
, Alyne Delaney
3
, Gabriela Lichtenstein
4
,
Lapologang Magole
5
and Aroha Te Pareake Mead
6
The Commission on Environmental,
Economic and Social Policy (CEESP)—Theme
on Sustainable Livelihoods (TSL)—of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN), in partnership with the International
Association for the Study of the Commons
(IASC), is delighted to present this special
issue of Policy Matters, which focuses on the
outreach and impact of Dr. Elinor Ostrom’s
groundbreaking research on common
property (or commons) theory. Lin was a
supporter and friend of CEESP and a founding
member of the IASC, and we were all deeply
saddened by her passing in 2012.
Lin Ostrom’s work has been instrumental in
shaping contemporary analyses of resource
management and conservation, especially at
a local level. A ‘commons’ can be considered
any resource subject to forms of collective
use, with the relationship between the
resource and the human institutions that
mediate its use an essential component of
any management regime. While conventional
wisdom has long assumed that the sustainable
management of common resources is best
achieved through centralized government or
private control, Lin led the way in challenging
this assumption—showing how alternative
forms of property can work effectively if well
matched to the “attributes of the resource
and users, and when the resulting rules are
enforced, considered legitimate, and generate
long-term patterns of reciprocity” (van
Laerhoven and Ostrom 2007:19).
In recognition of her many achievements,
we wanted to invite and publish a series
of commentaries that build upon her work
and, where possible, provide case studies
demonstrating the practical application of her
theoretical contributions. A Call was sent out
in late 2012, soliciting expressions of interest
and abstracts from those keen to be involved.
Room was made for both traditional articles
and more creative print presentations in any
of IUCN’s official languages (English, French,
Spanish). We received an excellent response,
and after embarking on a long peer-review
and editing process, we were able to whittle
the submissions down to the collection of
research papers, essays, commentaries and
songs that follow.
Encapsulating voices from academia,
indigenous communities, government
agencies, development agencies and non-
governmental organizations (both local
and international), they all make clear the
connections between Lin’s work and the
authors’ own scholarship and/or practice. We
briefly introduce each in turn.
Preceding our introduction was a preface by
CEESP Chair, Aroha Te Pareake Mead, who
provided the impetus to develop this volume
following Lin’s participation in the Sharing
Power Conference of CEESP. Aroha provided
a personal testimony of Lin’s tireless efforts
1
Visiting Professor, Department of Environmental Studies,
University of Redlands, United States of America and
member of IASC. Email james_robson@redlands.edu
2
Associate Professor, Natural Resources Institute, University
of Manitoba and Co-Chair, Theme on Sustainable Livelihoods,
CEESP, IUCN and member of IASC. Email davidso4@
ad.umanitoba.ca
3
Associate Professor, Innovative Fisheries Management
Centre, Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg
University, Denmark and Editor-in-Chief, Commons Digest,
IADC. Email ad@plan.aau.dk
4
National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), Instituto
Nacional de Antropologia y Pensamiento Latinoamericano,
Buenos Aires, Argentina and member of IASC and SULi, CEESP/
SSC, IUCN member. Email Lichtenstein.g@gmail.com
5
Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Botswana
and member of IASC and SULi, CEESP/SSC, IUCN. Email
lapomagole@gmail.com
6
Chair, IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic & Social
Policy and Director, Maori Business, School of Management,
Victoria University of Wellington. Email Aroha.Mead@vuw.ac.nz