We were in Chengdu recently holding a training on resolution of environmental disputes in China through negotiations approaches. Our trainers and collaborators on the program came from the Harvard Negotiation & Mediation Clinical Program. Many thanks to Stephan, Maggie and Brian.

It was a few days well spent with a group of fantastic Chinese environmental lawyers and some experts on negotiations of the highest caliber.  For several years, NRDC has been working with lawyers and judges in China to promote better ways to handle environmental disputes.  We believe that Chinese lawyers have a role to play as problem-solvers, and actors who can help to create more value for all sides involved.  We found a very receptive audience for this approach in Chengdu, and will be working to do more in this area down the road.

Many thanks as well to our local partners on the project: the All-China Lawyers Association, the Sichuan Provincial Lawyers Association, their respective Environment & Resources Law Committees and the Environment & Resources Law Institute at Peking University.

NRDC's own Michael Zhang left the lawyers for a morning to visit with some of Chengdu's more charismatic residents. See his video below:

Visit Greenlaw!  See NRDC's bilingual blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and the power of the people at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn (Chinese) and http://www.greenlaw.org.cn/enblog (English).