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Rare-Earth Elements Mining and Milling Conflicts
Guy Burgess & Sanda Kaufman
This case study uses the technique of developing “anticipatory” scenarios. It offers students the realistic situation of a think-tank seeking to acquire negotiation and conflict management skills from outside partners, in the context of a project on global strategies regarding the mining and acquisition of rare-earth elements (REEs). REEs (mostly metals) are key to modern consumer electronics, electric transportation, and military systems. They are not really rare, though known reserves are limited. Considering the stakes, hybrid warfare tactics may be at play to skew the market in favor of certain actors, and against others. Such a possibility presents numerous opportunities for negotiation and conflict prevention. This case study encourages students to focus on thinking, strategizing and decision skills, as well as I imagining an uncertain future using anticipatory scenarios for developing responses to emerging hybrid warfare threats.
Rare-Earth Elements Mining and Milling Conflicts (PDF)
Additional teaching notes and materials available on Mitchell Hamline Open Access.