This Dickinson COP17 Interview Database is a searchable video archive of interviews with delegates to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP17 brought an estimated 20,000 delegates from 190+ nations to Durban, South Africa from 28 November through 9 December 2011 to discuss strategies for addressing global climate change and negotiate collaborative actions. The delegates included representatives of national and local governments, intergovernmental agencies, and civil society, business, and scientific organizations.
The Dickinson-to-Durban Research Team interviewed more than 100 delegates, 23 of which are included in the database. Watch and listen to hear concerns and positions voiced at COP17 directly from delegates who attended the conference. Use the interviews in your research, analyses, studies and reporting to gain richer understanding of the varied perspectives of delegates from developing and developed countries, African nations, small island states, and other groups. (See below for terms of use).
How do I search the database?
What are the terms of use?
What is the Dickinson-to-Durban Research Team?
IRB approval and consent of interview respondents
Acknowledgements
You can search the database in a variety of ways to find content that interests you. Use the top navigation bar to find interviews with content related to broad topics such as development, adaptation, and the Kyoto Protocol. Use the “By Group” list on the right to find interviews with delegates associated with selected constituency groups (e.g. BINGO, ENGO, and YOUNGO), or with associations of nations (e.g. the African Group). Use the “Delegates” list to find the names and nationalities of the people we interviewed. You can also use the search function to search for key terms such as vulnerability, food security and least developed countries.
strong>What are the terms of use? < The video, interviews and other content on this website are copyrighted by Dickinson College. Use is permitted to quote interviews, analyze interview content, and use the sound and interviews for educational and academic research purposes, provided that this website is cited as the source. Video or sound that is copied for posting on another website should use interviews in their entirety to assure that the statements of interview subjects are presented in their full context. Users who publish works that use content from this site in written or electronic form are encouraged to notify the research team by sending an email to Dr. Neil Leary (learyn@dickinson.edu).
What is the Dickinson-to-Durban Research Team?
The Dickinson-to-Durban Research Team is composed of eleven Dickinson College students and three faculty leaders. The student members include Esther Babson, Emily Bowie, Christine Burns, Elena Capaldi, Timothy Damon, Anna McGinn, Sam Parker, Sam Pollan, Maggie Rees, Dani Thompson, and Claire Tighe. The faculty leaders are Drs. Jeremy Ball, Neil Leary and Jeffery Niemitz. To prepare for our research at COP17, the team participated in a yearlong program of immersion in climate change science, policy and governance, and received training in social science research methods and video technology. To learn more about the team, the program, and their activities, visit our blog: blogs.dickinson.edu/cop17durban.
IRB approval and consent of interview respondents
The research project was reviewed by Dickinson College’s Institutional Review Board under 45 CFR 46.110 of the Code of Federal Regulations and was approved as having met the requirements listed in the code on 23 October 2011. Questions about the IRB approval can be directed to the lead investigator, Dr. Neil Leary (learyn@dickinson.edu) or the Institutional Review Board Chair, Professor James Skelton (skelton@dickinson.edu).
Each interview subject was provided written and verbal information about the purpose of the research project and each signed a consent form granting permission to be interviewed and filmed, and to grant the right to use of the interview for educational and research purposes.
The Dickinson-to-Durban Research Team thanks all of the interview subjects for giving their time and consent to be interviewed. Thanks are also given to Professor Susan Rose and Jean Weaver of Dickinson’s Community Studies Center, and Brenda Landis and Andy Petrus of Dickinson’s Media Center, for providing training in research methods, interview techniques, and video technology. Financial support of some of our activities was provided by NASA through Grant No. NNX10AB47A, Cooling the Liberal Arts Curriculum, A Campaign for Climate Change Education at 4- and 2-Year Colleges.