Humanity currently faces one of its greatest challenges in history – the ever increasingly complex task of dealing with unsustainable social, economic and technocratic development in a globalized world. The last decades of dialogue pertaining to the concept of sustainable development have amounted to mere surface attempts at changing global political and economic systems that are clearly unjust, unstable and unsustainable. More than ever the responsibility rests upon thought leadership institutions, such as the International Sustainable Development Research Society, to rise to the challenge of informing policy and decision makers and social practitioners on how to deal with the core issues of unsustainability. A fundamental understanding of the barriers and mechanisms for rapid transitions to a more just, resilient and sustainable world is the urgent task.
The focus of this conference on ‘Just Transitions’ captures this challenge, and is divided into a number of themes, sub-themes and associated tracks that collectively represent this plea.
The main themes and sub-themes of ISDRC 19 are as follows:
A. Crisis, complexity, global change and transitions, with a critical analysis of the science of sustainability, academia, ethics and leadership:
- Academia, Education and Sustainability Science
- Justice, Ethics, Deep Ecology and Spirituality
B. Rethinking development in terms of greening the developmental state, new forms of urbanism in the context of ecology, social development and food security:
- Social Dynamics, Behaviour, Psychology and Sustainability
- Conservation, Preservation, Ecology and Restoration
C. Better Governance, Institutions and Economic structures, to support sustainable development and design:
- Economics, Business, Design and Innovation for Sustainability
- Globalization, Policy, Institutions and Governance
D. Achieving rapid transitions for sustainable living, decoupling production and consumption from resource limits and ecological constraints, and pioneering innovative, liveable and sustainable contexts:
- Resources, Land Use and Decoupling
- Transitions to Sustainability
Researchers from the global north and south are invited to submit abstracts and contribute to the debates that will unfold at ISDRC 19, which is scheduled from 1 to 3 July 2013. It will be held on the Spier wine estate, with its sustainability-oriented values, in the picturesque Lynedoch valley outside Stellenbosch, the capital of the South African winelands – about 30 minutes’ drive from Cape Town.
A limited number of oral and poster papers will be accepted for the proceedings, and will be subjected to a double-blind review process for formal publication purposes. Contributors are therefore urged not to miss the absolute deadline of 12 November 2012 to submit their abstracts (online only). Accepted contributions will be notified by mid-December with the requirement to submit full papers, for the reviewing process, by the end of January 2013.
Further information, and specifically on the tracks and submission procedure can be found on the website: http://www.isdrc19.co.za
We look forward to welcoming you in South Africa.
Alan Brent (Prof.)
ISDRC 19 Chair
Please find attached the 2nd Call for Abstracts for the 19th ISDRC conference that will be held on Spier wine estate from the 1st to the 3rd of July 2013.
The final deadline for abstract submissions which will be peer reviewed is 18 December 2012. After this date abstracts will still be accepted but will not be peer reviewed.
Download the 2nd Call for Proposals: Click Here.