Re-Staging La Rasgioni: Lessons Learned from Transforming a Traditional Form of Conflict Resolution to Engage Stakeholders in Agricultural Water Governance

Abstract

This paper presents an informal process inspired by a public practice of conflict mediation used until a few decades ago in Gallura (NE Sardinia, Italy), named La Rasgioni (The Reason). The aim is twofold: (i) to introduce an innovative method that translates the complexity of water-related conflicts into a "dialogical tool", aimed at enhancing social learning by adopting theatrical techniques; and (ii) to report the outcomes that emerged from the application of this method in Arborea, the main dairy cattle district and the only nitrate-vulnerable zone in Sardinia, to mediate contrasting positions between local entrepreneurs and representatives of the relevant institutions. We discuss our results in the light of four pillars, adopted as research lenses in the International research Project CADWAGO (Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance), which consider the specific "social-ecological" components of the Arborea system, climate change adaptability in water governance institutions and organizations, systemic governance (relational) practices, and governance learning. The combination of the four CADWAGO pillars and La Rasgioni created an innovative dialogical space that enabled stakeholders and researchers to collectively identify barriers and opportunities for effective governance practices. Potential wider implications and applications of La Rasgioni process are also discussed in the paper.

Great expectations? Reconciling the aspiration, outcome, and possibility of co-production

“…Scope 2 outcomes) are invariably more time intensive and deliberative than the one-off or smaller number of workshops and consultations reported [3,[34][35][36]. While short-term events can shift participants' perspectives and are reported by the projects as sufficient for achieving specific Scope 1 outcomes [8,37,38], these changes may not be sustainable and may not push the boundaries of current systems [19]. Although we were not able to ascertain whether the short-term nature of current co-production efforts are merely a reflection of funding constraints or an assumption that sufficient outcomes have been achieved, in-line with the literature, we argue that more regular or extended periods of engagement may be required for scope 2 co-production [37][38][39].…”