Reimagining Ecological Collaboration as Deliberative Peacework

Ecological collaboration is a path to rebuilding collaboration between old enemies. One theoretical perspective is that building restorative capital can deliver environmental benefits for enemies that also induces a peace dividend. Two case studies are discussed to this end: (1) the work of the NGO EcoPeace toward delivering a renewable energy for desalinated water swap between renewables-rich Jordan and water-rich Israel, with a trickle down to impoverished Palestinians in the Jordan River Valley; (2) Non-Chinese scholars collaborating on climate projects with Chinese universities is a restorative diplomacy step toward renewing peace via environmental restoration. A related theoretical framework to restorative capital building for this work is widening the contracting zone for peacebuilding by one adversary gifting in a domain where it has comparative advantage to induce reciprocal, complementary gifting that the second adversary is better placed to gift.