University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center Institute for Engagement and Negotiation

This collection contains the records of RG-15/5 (Weldon Cooper Center/ Institute for Engagement and Negotiation (IEN) and consists of project-based information, meeting notes, and developed reports for various environmental and social justice issues, including Virginia waterway rehabilitation projects, hazard waste sites, economic development, traffic, affordable housing, food resources, national parks, and governmental regulations. Included are photographs and negatives of sites that the Institute protects and snapshots of staff; newsletters; and research material. Founded in 1980 as the Institute for Environmental Negotiation, it served as a leading environmental and public policy dispute resolution organization. Over its four decades of work, IEN's focus expanded beyond environmental sustainability to more intentionally encompassed environmental, economic, and social resilience. It was rebranded in 2019 as the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation to reflect this evolution. The Institute focuses on promoting sustainable environments, resilient communities, community health, fresh food access, social equity, and capacity building through training and leadership

The records in this collection span from 1980 to 2024 and document the Institute’s work with Virginia sites, including the Elizabeth, Dan, and James Rivers, Chesapeake Bay, Shenandoah National Park, Birdwood Golf Club, Clinch River Valley, Lynchburg, Isle of Wight, Loudoun County, and the Hampton Roads area. There are also some national projects.

There are reparative documents including a 2016 University of Virginia Board of Visitors Resolution on Human Rights against racism (relating to the year 1965); a food program "Why Food Heritage Matters" by Leni Sorenson identifying diverse communities through the history of food (2nd Virginia Food Security Summit), information about the Saponi Tribe (Archeology Society of Virginia), and the history of families that lived in Shenandoah who were forced to move out of their homes during the building of the Shenandoah National Park in the 1930's.

Also included are four CD-Rs with presentations, photographs, and a report. See External Documents, for a detailed folder listing of the boxes below.