The Better Future Project’s “Divest for Our Future” campaign aims to persuade college and university presidents and boards to immediately freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies, and divest from direct or indirect ownership of fossil fuel stocks and bonds within five years.

Better Future Project (BFP) believes that in order to make progress in meeting its goals, activists must learn to more effectively engage universities. HNMCP students will assess the challenges of this context and develop a training and related resources to help activists more effectively engage stakeholders about addressing the impact of fossil fuels.

Activities:

Conducting interviews and/or focus groups with BFP staff, student activists, community organizers, university investment decision makers, and other stakeholders and experts to understand the context of divestment negotiations and the unique challenges and opportunities

• Researching and adapting negotiation techniques for an audience of activists negotiating with university administrators
• Delivery of 1-2 day training in mid-November (tentatively November 8–9, 2013)
• Collection of feedback from training to use for evaluation and revision

Deliverables envisioned:

• Assessment of the context of divestment negotiations
• Development of a basic curriculum to train BFP divestment activists in negotiation techniques
• Instructional guide on delivery of training
• Additional resources to assist with ongoing negotiation skill development and improved communication with university administrators

Training Delivery