POLLEN Principles

  1. POLLEN regards political ecology as a wide field of research and practice that fundamentally holds that politics and ecology cannot be separated and should be studied and practiced in conjunction
  2. POLLEN is a network of autonomous (primarily academic but also activist and other) ‘nodes’ that study, teach, and practice political ecology.
  3. These nodes are what POLLEN is all about: autonomous groups of political ecologists working in and on different traditions. Nodes from all over the world are welcome to join POLLEN.
  4. POLLEN provides an inclusive platform for the ‘cross-fertilization’ of ideas where many rich, diverse traditions can come together, discuss, and debate the latest developments in the field. The platform should be a space that promotes respectful and caring exchanges across academic disciplines and cultures.
  5. POLLEN coordinates between, but also supports, nodes in ensuring that political ecology messages, lessons and insights are shared, broadcasted and heard widely.
  6. POLLEN is governed in a horizontal, non-hierarchical structure as far as possible.
  7. POLLEN aims to hold biennial conferences (since July 2016). A POLLEN Assembly will be held at the conference to discuss the network and appoint (i) a secretariat host and (ii) next conference host.
  8. The POLLEN secretariat is held for two years by the node(s) that has been appointed by the POLLEN Assembly. The tasks of the secretariat are to facilitate communication, membership and to maintain the website.
  9. The POLLEN website is managed so all nodes can use the platform independently as far as possible, in particular to be visible as political ecologists and to post news and blogs.
  10. POLLEN as an inclusive and caring intellectual network: The POLLEN network strives to create an intellectual and social space in which members should expect that their dignity, identity, privacy, personal space and autonomy be respected. The network rejects racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia and ableism. Harassment and discrimination, in word and deed, are unacceptable. This extends to all participants in network events and virtual fora, and to all forms of harassment, bullying, abuse, intimidation, exploitation, violence and silencing on the basis of, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, gender, gender self-identity, gender re-assignment, sexual orientation, class/caste, disability, pregnancy / maternity, marriage and civil partnership, religion or belief. Furthermore, POLLEN is dedicated to fostering collegial debate across plural perspectives, approaches and ways of knowing in political ecology. This extends to understanding and challenging ourselves to work against the ways that knowledge itself can be weaponized and used to dominate, silence, sanction or delegitimize critique and to perpetuate and reproduce injustice in the social relations and structures within our own network institutions.

The principles were updated on November 10, 2020 following suggestions made at the POLLEN20 Assembly.