DSSP is a training and research program developed and operated by the University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF) and the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL), Instituto de Estudios Ambientales (IDEA). The program focusses on territorial rights, land use, access to and the extraction of natural resources that are deeply entrenched with diverse forms of violence, reproducing structural inequalities and conflicts.
The recently-signed peace agreement gives the Colombian society the opportunity to balance different interests and negotiate a durable and sustainable peace. The way that knowledge is produced and shared will play a crucial role in this process. The main objectives of DSSP are therefore:
1. To introduce interdisciplinary, integrative and innovative scientific approaches, concepts and methods on the study of environmental relations, natural resources and conflicts
2. To develop a research agenda addressing the SDGs
3. To internationalize science and foster comparative analysis of research sites and regions with transnational and regional partners
4. To explore and critically reflect the role of higher education for the SDGs.
With our international partners, the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana, the UN-System Staff College (UNSSC), the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua (UNAN-Managua) and other universities in the Latin American region, the DSSP is able to extend the activities beyond the bilateral partnership between ZEF and IDEA.