In the contemporary world, sustainable use of natural resources and the enhancement of human security require an unprecedented level of cooperation by large numbers of people. Creating and maintaining this cooperation will involve numerous institutional and cultural changes. Also essential will be the ability to rapidly share information about the practical performance of policies, practices and technologies. Rapid, broad-based exchange of knowledge on these matters can accelerate social learning and reduce the potential for repetition of costly mistakes.

Electronic means of communication and information management, especially the Web, provide an infrastructure that can support the needed level of knowledge exchange. Over the coming years, this infrastructure will be accessible to a growing fraction of the global population. Some additional developments are needed, however, before the quest for sustainability and human security can fully benefit from the new infrastructure. One such development is the evolution of common practices and standards for collecting, compiling and distributing information. IRSS’s Knowledge Exchange program seeks to contribute to this evolution. The program is directed by Dr. Gordon Thompson.

IRSS’s work in this program area is often done in partnership with other organizations. We have worked with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Winston Foundation for World Peace, Clark University, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the World Bank, and the US Department of Energy. Our activities in this program area have occurred within the following categories:

• Education for sustainability

• Sustainable communities

• Technologies and practices for reducing environmental impacts

• Prevention and management of conflict

• Risk analysis and homeland security

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