12th World Wilderness Congress Resolution Guidelines

The World Wilderness Congress is unique among civil society environmental forums as it provides the public a direct and concrete instrument for setting the global environmental agenda: resolutions. We invite all WILD12 delegates–participants to join in the resolution process by engaging with other delegates in polite and purposeful conversation and meaningful attempts to find common ground. Unity of purpose is essential for the success of any coalition, and the World Wilderness Congress is an instrument to help global civil society find such unity on the next steps we can and should take as an international wilderness movement.

Below you will find more information on what resolutions are, how you can participate, and what to expect when we convene in Hé Sapa (the Black Hills) from August 25-31, 2024.

How to Participate:

Sign up via the WILD12 App to present feedback at resolution contact sessions. Contact Sessions will be held on August 29-30, 2024. Limited space is available to speak during contact sessions and opportunities to speak will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. View Contact Session schedule on WILD12 app.
Submit a “spontaneous” resolution by 3PM MT, August 30, 2024. Should you develop a spontaneous resolution during the Congress, email Adam Hanson (adam@wild.org) and Tori Pfaeffle (tori@wild.org) and include in your subject line “Spon W12 Resolution”. Space is limited as to what can be featured on the final day of the Congress. We may not be able to feature all spontaneous resolutions. (See substance and format requirements below)
Vote on Resolutions in plenary on Saturday, August 31, 2024. Planned resolutions will be voted on in plenary and WILD will record and publish these vote totals.
Endorse Resolutions as a signatory by September 27, 2024. Final endorsements on spontaneous resolutions will be accepted through November 30, 2024.
Adopt Resolutions into your organization’s procedures and core policy objectives.

What are resolutions?

Have you ever wondered how or why the issues that capture the public’s attention garner such widespread notice? Social scientists who study this process know that it can be a complex and time-consuming process, oftentimes relying on external and unexpected events to launch certain policy ideas into the collective consciousness. However, one commonality shared among most of the subjects that make it on the public agenda is the presence of an organized and determined group of people who spend countless hours organizing communities and advocating for solutions. Some call this group an “an interest group,” especially when it consists of paid professionals. But when it is a mix of people, volunteering their time to leave a positive mark upon the world, we at WILD call it a “coalition.”

We see the World Wilderness Congress as a unique space to nurture such coalitions. A resolution is an instrument that expresses a coalition’s policy recommendations by identifying and defining a challenge and proposing action(s)/solution(s). Resolutions often guide actions, influence policy, and establish common goals among people, organizations, governments, and stakeholders. World Wilderness Congress (WWC) resolutions are to be centered around an environmental problem and include proposals for feasible action(s)/solution(s) (see below for WWC Resolution requirement details). Our resolutions are not condemnatory in nature, and they must include feasible solutions.

WILD12 Resolution Types and Process

Planned Resolutions

In the lead up to a Congress, working groups organized to discuss specific topics and develop resolutions and declarations that propose a roadmap for specific actions to address challenges. WILD organized and convened working groups centered around two overarching objectives: 1) strengthening the international movement by recognizing and embedding Indigenous leadership and contributions within our concepts and policies and 2) bringing greater attention to the environmental leadership of Indigenous Nations in the Great Plains and Black Hills. The results are resolutions and declarations, On Sovereignty and Wilderness: Deepening the Wilderness Concept Through Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom and Through the Eyes of Buffalo: A Strategic Platform to Restore All Natural World Relationships. In addition to these objectives, other delegates in anticipation of the Congress convened their own working groups and submitted resolutions.

Planned resolutions are available to view online, sign up via the WILD12 App to present feedback on planned resolutions during Contact Sessions.

Spontaneous Resolutions

Recognizing that good ideas are often born through dialogue during the Congress, WILD12 invites delegates to submit “Spontaneous Resolutions” that capture the momentum of these exchanges. (see substance and format requirements below)

Should you develop a spontaneous resolution during the Congress, email Adam Hanson (adam@wild.org) and Tori Pfaeffle (tori@wild.org) and include in your subject line “Spon W12 Resolution”. Space is limited as to what can be featured on the final day of the Congress.

Substance & Format

Substance

Be primarily about an environmental or ecological challenge, clearly stating the challenge and significant ecological threat/or opportunity citing credible evidence.
Propose a feasible solution that requires collective commitment and action.

Format

Length: No more than two pages with standard margins at 11 point font, the Resolution Review Committee may consider longer resolutions on a case by case basis.
Include three sections: the WHEREAS section, the THEREFORE section, and the RESOLVED section, PREAMBLEs are acceptable in certain cases.
The WHEREAS section lists important background information including: description of the opportunity, list of evidence and values.
The THEREFORE section broadly describes the way forward. Example: Whereas scientists have concluded that we need half of Earth’s wildlands intact in order to protect the biosphere, we therefore propose that we work around the world to empower people and nations everywhere to protect and steward half.
The RESOLVED section lists the specific commitments and actions needed to take the next step in solving the challenge.
Include two proposers (names and position required, country and email contact recommended), at least one is required to attend the congress.
Include at least one seconder (names and position required, country and email contacts recommended).

Contact Sessions

Contact sessions are informal meetings held during the congress that facilitate dialogue, negotiations, and consensus-building among delegates on “planned” resolution. The outcomes of these sessions often include agreed upon resolutions that can be brought forth to the plenary for vote. WILD12 contact sessions are being held from August 28-30, 2024. (see WILD12 App for schedule details for resolutions). Space is limited.

Voting

WILD12 organizers invite all delegates to vote on “planned” Resolutions on August 31, 2024. The voting process will occur via the WILD12 phone App and in-person. WILD will record and publish these vote totals. “Spontaneous” resolutions will go through review and WILD will circulate to WILD12 participants for electronic vote after the congress.

Endorsing Resolutions As A Signatory

After passing through the voting process, delegates (individual participants, organizations, agencies, or governments) can endorse Resolutions by becoming signatories, which signifies agreement with the resolutions content and commitment to support its objectives. Resolutions and declarations with endorsements will be published online and in the WILD12 proceedings.

Adopting Or Supporting Resolutions Post Congress

The World Wilderness Congress is not a governance body, meaning we have no authority over each other. Delegates are encouraged to adopt resolutions into organization’s procedures and core policy objectives and commit to advancing them in subsequent work. An example is adopting resolutions to steward as proposals to International Foras, to help inform and advance global environmental decision making bodies or discussions in the years following the Congress.