Re-establishing legitimacy after stigmatization: Greenpeace in the North American North

Abstract

Abstract International environmental non-governmental organizations (IENGOs) have a long and checkered history of involvement and impact in, and on, the North. Using the example of Greenpeace, arguably one of the most stigmatized IENGOs in the North American North, this paper explores the questions: why are IENGOs stigmatized in the North American North and how might they overcome their stigma with local audiences? It outlines the role of moral legitimacy in stigmatization and overcoming stigma, and the challenges of (re)establishing moral legitimacy with a stigmatizing audience, in this case, Inuit in Northern Canada and Greenland.