Draft/example email for inviting partners

We have drafted an email that you can use if you would like to invite colleagues to join POLLEN. We would like to thank Sabaheta Ramcilovik-Suominen for suggesting this great idea. We hope this draft email will encourage existing nodes to ask their global partners to start their own node: 

Dear…, 

In attempts to branch out across the globe, we would like to invite you to start an institutional or individual ‘node’ in our network – Political Ecology Network (POLLEN). 

POLLEN is a global network, consisting of a large variety of researchers, groups, projects, networks and other ‘nodes’ around the world, that work at the interface of political, economic and social factors with environmental and social justice issues and change. 

As the name suggests, the aim of POLLEN is to facilitate interaction and creativity through ‘cross-fertilization’ and to promote the important field of political ecology worldwide, among academics as well as others. Historically, the term ‘political ecology’ has not been confined only to an analytical approach and research program, but also to the theories and narratives that mobilize social and political movements with an ecological agenda. 

We, therefore, aim to function as a vehicle to promote, encourage and facilitate political ecological research with other academic fields and disciplines, as well as civil society. The members of POLLEN are both individuals and ‘nodes’. 

These nodes are really what POLLEN is all about: autonomous groups of researchers and practitioners working in and on different traditions. It is established mainly to coordinate between, but also to support, the various nodes in ensuring that political ecology messages, lessons and insights are shared, broadcasted and heard more widely. This is done mainly on our blog 

One of the main activities of POLLEN is to hold a biennial conference. For more information see our website. 

To start your own POLLEN node, please fill in your details on our open Google Sheet membership database, and email the POLLEN secretariat (currently hosted by the Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University) at politicalecologynetwork@gmail.com to request that your node is added to the website. 

That’s it. We are not a listserve – but do ask for contributions once a month for our newsletter.