[URBANTH-L] CFP: 6th Global Conference: Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship

[Angela Jancius]

6th Global Conference
Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship
Monday 2nd July - Thursday 5th July 2007
Mansfield College, Oxford

Call for Papers: Environments, Sustainability and Technologies

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference aims to explore 
the role of ecology and environmental ideas in the context of contemporary 
society and international politics, and assess the implications for our 
understandings of fairness, justice and global citizenship.

In particular, the 6th Global Conference on Ecological Justice and Global 
Citizenship will explicitly explore the relationships between environments, 
sustainability and technology, the role of technology in creating 
possibilities for sustainable resources for the future, and the inherent 
problems and dangers which accompany that role.
Papers, presentations, reports and workshops are invited on any of the 
following indicative themes;

1. GM

* GM as a symbol of public perceptions of the possibilities and challenges 
offered by technology and public understanding of risks of technological 
developments in relation to the environment
* Expert vs. lay knowledge; Who decides? Scientists, politicians or 'the 
people'?
* Participatory decision-making; e.g., the 'GM Nation' debate that took 
place in the UK in summer 2003
* Environmental ethics; relations between humans and 'nature'
* New and emerging thinkers and trends of thought
* The role and place of Environmental protest; forms of resistance to GM, 
their significance and impact
* The political economy of GM; trade, aid, justice, international dimensions
* Technology and 'progress'; what counts as technological development? Which 
is more modern - GM food or organic food?
* Developing countries and GM; the place of developing countries in the GM 
debate; the responsibility of the developers towards developing countries; 
whether patterns of development are predicated on wrong perceptions about 
the role of technology; the coverage of and access to alternative 
technologies

2. Cooperative and Sustainable Development

* Human rights, state sovereignty and the global commons
* The significance of the welfare state; the principle of distribution
* Sustainable employment and cooperation between capital and labour
* Property rights and private insurance vs. pooling of human and ecological 
resources
* Transport and the environment; designing and delivering national and 
international transport systems; creating sustainable transport networks
* Responsible consumption and corporate transparency and accountability
* Communities taking responsibility for the local environment
* Civil society and the role of NGOs

3. Environmental Education and Intellectual Health

* Environmental issues and the curriculum; integrating environmental 
awareness and education in the primary, secondary and higher education 
sectors
* The components of scholarship: discovery-research, teaching, integration 
and application
* The emerging synthesis of perceptual psychology and ecological awareness
* The humanistic model vs the ecological model
* The role of the planning and design sciences
* Teaching citizenship, identity and ethics
* Designing the ecological curriculum
* The integration of distinct disciplines; trans-disciplinary innovations

4. Citizenship, Technological Innovation & Sustainability

* The deployment and mobilisation of technologies
* How we engage with the various ways in which citizens (in lay or 
professional roles) can, are, or could be involved in the processes of 
achieving increased sustainability in the way they design, make and 
implement technologies
* The social nature of technologies;
* Developing understandings of user and community 'participation' in design 
and decision making processes
* The need for greater multi- and trans-disciplinary collaboration and its 
essential accompanying characteristic of inter-disciplinary or joined-up 
thinking
* Technology, buildings, cities and planning policies: the role of 
technology in designing and constructing buildings and cities to more 
sustainable effect; the impact of information technologies; knowledge 
management and the environment
Papers are also solicited for sessions which deal with issues surrounding 
the health impacts of technological developments. For example, we welcome 
submissions dealing with themes exploring the notion of 'environments' (both 
natural, built and virtual) as a backdrop where technologies are used 
through thought and action to achieve sustainability, but where mismatches 
between environmental issues and technological solutions have experienceable 
effects on health which, untreated (such as non- recognition of stress, 
mental ill health), result in illness. Papers could also deal with the gap 
between environmental ills and technological and technical solutions, and 
the possible consequent greater probability of disease and death. Holistic 
solutions to health, illness and environmental issues could usefully be 
explored, along with citizenship issues and access to health care.

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, philosophy and ethics, political 
science and international affairs, public policy and advising, social 
sciences, sociology of science, theology, urban studies, 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
Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be 
submitted by Friday 9th March 2007. If selected for presentation, 8 page 
draft conference papers should be submitted by Friday 8th June 2007.
Papers should be submitted to the Joint Organising Chairs: these should be 
sent as an email attachment in Word or WordPerfect; abstracts can also be 
submitted in the body of the email text rather than as an attachment.

Joint Organising Chairs

Dr. S. Ram Vemuri
School of Law and Business
Faculty of Law, Business and Arts
Charles Darwin University
Darwin, NT 0909, Australia
Email: Ram.Vemuri at cdu.edu.au

Dr Rob Fisher
Inter-Disciplinary.Net
Priory House, 149B Wroslyn Road
Freeland, Oxfordshire OX29 8HR
United Kingdom
Email: ejgc6 at inter-disciplinary.net

All papers accepted for and presented at the conference will be published in 
an ISBN eBook. Selected papers accepted for and presented at the conference 
will be published in a themed hard copy volume. Four themed volumes are in 
print and/or in press from previous meetings of the project.

The conference is part of the 'Probing the Boundaries' programme of research 
projects. It aims to bring together people from different areas and 
interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are 
innovative and exciting.

For further details about the project please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/ptb/ejgc/ejgc.htm

For further details about the conference please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/ptb/ejgc/ejgc6/cfp.htm