Call for Papers: Landscape Justice in the Arctic

2018-01-19

RGS-IBG Annual Conference, Cardiff, 28th August – 31st August 2018

Sponsored by the Political Geography Research Group (PolGRG)

Convenors: Corine Wood-Donnelly and Hele Kiimann (Uppsala University)

This session will focus on the theme of justice and the future of the Arctic. Its purpose is to identify the gap between current realities and future challenges, using principles of justice to develop integrative and actionable adaptation strategies for the geographies of the Arctic and sub-Arctic region.

The Arctic has often been conceived as an ‘attractive laboratory for certain types of international cooperation’ and the condition of state change in the region provides an opportunity to generate new ideas of cooperation and equitable systemic structures. Despite good intentions of stakeholders in the region, there is an inherent disjunction between the governance and economic development of the Arctic; caught in between are its people and landscapes. It is a significant problem that the ecosystem vulnerability and the need for sustainable development of resources is the language of official discourses, but the reality is the economic development of many resources is anything but sustainable, is often environmentally risky and is rarely equitable to the peoples of the circumpolar Arctic. 

If an antidote to the effects of anthropogenic climate change and the presence of inherent systemic inequalities is to be found, radical models should be envisaged if environmental, social and territorial justice is ever to be realised for the Arctic landscape.

The session organisers seek scholars who can engage with any of the questions below or contribute new questions:

  • Is there a moral contract between the state and the Arctic populations?
  • What does social or territorial responsibility look like in the Arctic?
  • What are possible models of justice for the Arctic?
  • Are there ways to promote and enable landscape justice in the Arctic?

Please email an abstract of not more than 250 words to ArcticJustice@IRES.uu.se by Friday 9th February.

For more information about the session, please email Corine at corine.wood-donnelly@ires.uu.se. If you are interested in submitting a paper or would like to discuss your ideas, please feel welcome to drop us a message in advance of the deadline.

Download CFP: Landscape Justice in the Arctic as a pdf file.

For more information about the conference visit RGS-IBG Annual Conference homepage.

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