What Does it Mean to be in Peace with Nature? Indigenous Relational Theory and Environmental Peacebuilding

Lena Dedyukina, University of Ottawa (Canada)

The concept of "peace with nature," introduced in 2022 during the 15th International Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, offers a shared vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050, along with increased recognition of the role of Indigenous peoples in biodiversity protection. Building that vision has involved critical discussions and research on resource extraction and related social and ecological injustices. For Indigenous peoples, peace with nature is neither a metaphor nor a policy, but a lived relational ethic grounded in responsibility, reciprocity, and kinship with land, water, and more-than-human beings. Considering the need for a deeper understanding of the "peace with nature", this presentation explores the intersection of Indigenous relational theory and environmental peacebuilding to highlight the possibilities for a more transformative approach to biodiversity protection. Being in peace with nature requires moving beyond the management of resources to sustaining relationships of care, responsibility, and respect across human and more-than-human communities.