cfp.english.upenn.edu

9th Global Conference
Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship

Sunday 11th July 2010 – Tuesday 13th July 2010
Mansfield College, Oxford

Call for Papers
Science and Technology – Citizenship and Sustainability

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference aims to explore the role of ecology and environmental thinking in the context of contemporary society and international affairs, and assess the implications for our understandings of fairness, justice and global citizenship. ‘Environmental justice’ is conceived broadly as reflecting not only justice in the context of human communities but also towards other species, ecosystems, habitats, landscapes, succeeding generations and the environment as a whole. ‘Global citizenship’ is understood as an awareness of individual’s relative responsibilities in the global context.

Within this framework the 9th Global Conference on Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship will explicitly explore the role of science and technology in achieving sustainability. Science, (including physical and social science, traditional ecological and medicinal knowledge and western science) has a central role in achieving sustainability in terms of explaining impacts upon the environment and identifying ways in which we can mitigate environmental damage enabling us to live more sustainably. This includes both the application of new technologies as well as giving greater attention to non-western knowledge and practices. Science also plays a part in explaining the interconnectedness of people and the environment, nature and natural resource use. However, environmental justice and sustainability cannot be achieved with science alone and it is increasingly being recognized that inter- and multi-disciplinary perspectives and approaches are essential. Contributions are called for that explore these themes. In particular papers are sought which investigate and question the inter-relationships between the field of science and other disciplines in the environmental context; and which explore the inherent challenges such interconnectedness involves.

Papers, presentations, reports and workshops are invited on any of the following indicative themes:

* Environmental Science and Technology
o The social nature of technologies: technology and ‘progress’; what counts as technological development?
o Western science and traditional knowledge: strengths, weaknesses and the pooling of human knowledge and resources.
o Developing countries and environmental science and technology: the responsibility of the developers towards developing countries; access to alternative technologies
o Public perceptions of the possibilities and risks offered by technology: Genetic modification, biotechnology and energy production.
o Sustainable infrastructure, green construction and sustainable cities
o Achieving environmental justice in the context of climate change
o Integrating science with other disciplines: challenges and opportunities for inter- and multi-disciplinary research and collaboration
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* Citizenship and Sustainability
o Ensuring good environmental governance: the role of law and policy at the global, regional, national and local levels.
o Public participation and environmental science: engaging citizens in the processes of achieving sustainability through the design and implementation of technologies.
o The role of civil society: communities taking responsibility for the local environment
o Corporate social responsibility: ensuring transparency and accountability in a globalised world.
o The role of NGOs: raising awareness and working on the ground to achieve positive environmental and sustainability outcomes.
o The role and place of environmental protest: forms of resistance to new technologies, their significance and impact.

The Steering Group welcomes the submission of pre-formed panel proposals. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 15th January 2010. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 28th May 2010.

300 word abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to both Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:

a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract.

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Organising Chairs:
Erika Techera
Senior Lecturer, Centre for Environmental Law
Macquarie Law School, Macquarie University NSW 2109, Australia
E-mail: erika.techera@law.mq.edu.au

S. Ram Vemuri
School of Law and Business, Faculty of Law, Business and Arts
Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia
E-mail: ram.vemuri@cdu.edu.au

Rob Fisher
Network Founder and Leader
Inter-Disciplinary.Net
Freeland, Oxfordshire,
United Kingdom
E-mail: ejgc9@inter-disciplinary.net

Perspectives are sought from

* people engaged in actor network theory, agriculture and agricultural economics, the built environment disciplines, conflict resolution and mediation, critical geography, environmental studies, human development and ecology, industrial relations and design, law and the legal professions, philosophy and ethics, political science and international affairs, public policy and advising, social sciences, sociology of science, theology, urban studies and western European studies
* people in the public and private sectors who are involved in planning and project development, policy-making and implementation, and negotiation and mediation at national and international levels
* people in Governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, voluntary sector bodies, environmental charities and groups, business and professional associations

The conference is part of the Critical Issues series of research projects run by Inter-Disciplinary.Net. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and challenging. All papers accepted for and presented at the conference are eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers may be invited to go forward for development into 20-25 page chapters for publication in a themed dialogic ISBN hard copy volume.

For further details about the project please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/critical-issues/ethos/environmental-ju...

For further details about the conference please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/critical-issues/ethos/environmental-ju...