The IASC blog & website have moved to: 
www.iasc-commons.org

Call for papers: ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE: LESSONS ACROSS NATURAL RESOURCE SECTOR

 

 

A University of Cape Town project led by the Environmental Evaluation Unit,

Department of Environmental & Geographical Science

In collaboration with researchers in the Departments of Law, Sociology, History, Botany, Economics and the Graduate School of Business

Contributions are invited towards a book entitled Environmental Governance for Social Justice: Lessons Across Natural Resource Sectors in Southern Africa.

Worldwide, natural resources are faced with increasing pressures from globalization, growing consumption levels, stark disparities between the rich and the poor, and contestation for use by different stakeholders. As a result, natural resources are threatened by over-exploitation, mismanagement, degradation and pollution. These threats have had a severe impact on local communities and indigenous people, many of whom are exposed to abject poverty and who rely on natural resources for food security, income and livelihoods. An increased understanding of the complex interactions and interdependencies that exist between natural and socio-economic systems has prompted calls for alternative and innovative approaches to managing natural resources. In some cases this has included shifts from a centralized, top-down approach to a more holistic and people-centred approach that embraces the concepts of social justice, participation, poverty alleviation and human rights. In other instances, however, peoples’ rights are trammelled and the poor often find themselves the victims of autocratic policy decisions. Issues of governance underpin many of these threats and pressures, meaning both the political dimension of policy formulation as well as the ’system of rules that shape the actions of social actors’ (in Treib et al, 2007, p. 3). Environmental governance is concerned not only with government regulation and law enforcement, but also with the ’political, institutional, and cultural frameworks through which diverse interests in natural and cultural resources are coordinated and controlled’ (Cronkleton et al, 2008, p. 1). An integral part of this picture is the interaction between private and public actors to address natural resource management problems.

Despite the plethora of research undertaken on environmental governance, research has traditionally been undertaken within specific natural resource sectors and by specific disciplines with limited joint analyses and sharing of knowledge and lessons learned across these sector studies. Yet a number of interesting parallels are emerging with regard to natural resource management across coastal and land-based sectors, including:

- the role played by government in regulating access to and use of natural resources,

- an emphasis on participatory approaches to resource management,

- influences and outcomes of different institutional models of governance, including devolution,

- influences of international and regional soft law instruments on governance approaches in Southern Africa,

- the role of customary law and indigenous knowledge systems in governance,

- governance changes that occur with the commercialization of natural resources,

- approaches towards compliance that move beyond reactive law enforcement,

- the evolving institutional landscape within communities as resources become more scarce and contested,

- conservation governance and the impacts of protected areas on livelihoods,

- identification and maintenance of alternative livelihoods as a means to address poverty in resource scarce and stressed areas,

- approaches towards securing equitable and fair benefit sharing,

- the influence of globalization, corporatization and market forces on the governance of natural resources, and

- governance approaches in a time of high volatility and rapid environmental and climate change.

Contributors are invited to prepare chapters relating to these themes – or to propose new themes - to form part of a book, to be published in 2012. This stems from a project initiated by the Environmental Evaluation Unit at the University of Cape Town, working in collaboration with researchers in various disciplines across the university. The project aims to consolidate and enhance intellectual understanding, knowledge and capacity regarding environmental governance in southern Africa through collaborative trans-disciplinary research across natural resource sectors and institutions. A key interest is to bring together expertise from different sectors and disciplines to critically analyze existing concepts and approaches to environmental governance and seek models of governance that uphold principles of equity, social justice and environmental sustainability.

The book will be edited by Associate Professor Merle Sowman, Dr Rachel Wynberg and Dr Maria Hauck, all of the University of Cape Town. The publisher has not yet been finalized, although several have expressed interest.

Potential contributors should submit a 300 word abstract by 15 November 2010. Those selected for inclusion in the book will be notified by 30 November 2010.

Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to prepare an extended abstract for presentation to a writer’s workshop in Cape Town in February 2011.

Authors should note the need for papers to be integrative in nature, drawing on lessons from a variety of sectors, disciplines and/or ecosystems. Although papers can include case study reviews and material, the requirement for cross-cutting analysis is highlighted, encouraging co-authorship across sectors if appropriate.

Only original and unpublished papers will be considered and manuscripts must be in English.

Submissions from nationals in Southern African countries are especially encouraged.

A multi-disciplinary Advisory Committee will be formed to review individual chapters based on their expertise.

Please submit abstracts to: Fahdelah.Hartley@uct.ac.za by 15 November

Additional information about the project is available from Associate Professor Merle

Sowman or Dr. Rachel Wynberg

Shareable Magazine is Hiring Part-time Contract Editors (mountain view)

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Date: 2010-09-21
Reply to: job-zvmwe-1966914496@craigslist.org

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Shareable Magazine is Hiring Part-time Contract Editors http://shareable.net

Are you passionate about alternative economics, innovations in government, or the commons? Are you obsessed with new projects that help people share, manage resources, collaborate, make decisions, and learn together? Do you have domain experience one of the areas below combined with passion, integrity, reliability, writing talent, and great contacts in your field? Do you love collaborating with thoughtful people?

If so, then writing and editing for Shareable Magazine might be for you. We're looking for editors for the following channels:

WORK & ENTERPRISE:
Write about startups that help people share real world resources, the changing nature of work, new peer production methods, and shifts in the economy at large. Write useful how-to articles and guides that help people create a work life and an economy that's sustainable and fulfilling. Business reporting training or experience appreciated, but not mandatory. Key words: workplace democracy, product service systems, social enterprise, collaborative consumption, peer production, the dematerialization of the economy, work-life balance, entrepreneurship, local economy, Gen Y at work.
LINK: http://shareable.net/channel/work-enterprise

CIVICSYSTEM:
Write about how governments are becoming more shareable through new democratic processes, increased transparency, and other innovations that give citizens more power. Writing is a mix of news, how-tos, and useful guides. The goal is to increase awareness of and equip citizens with new innovations for government. Key words: Gov 2.0, participatory budgeting, citizen deliberative councils, open government data, fair elections.
LINK: http://shareable.net/channel/civicsystem

ECOSYSTEM:
Write about innovations in managing important physical commons like fisheries, forests, climate, water and more. Write useful how-tos, guides, and share news of the commons. Make the commons relevant to a general audience. Environmental reporting experience appreciated, but not mandatory. Keywords: social-ecological resilience, the commons, Elinor Ostrom, The Resilience Alliance, conservation, environment.
LINK: http://shareable.net/channel/ecosystem

Editors will also have the opportunity to foster online community, guest posts on other influential sites, invite others to write for their channel, and edit submitted pieces.

Considering talent from San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY:
Reply to this ad with a less than one page e-mail that includes:

• 2-3 paragraphs summarizing why you're qualified and desire the work. Relevant domain experience important.

• a link to an online resume like LinkedIn, but NO ATTACHMENTS, PDFs, PASSWORD PROTECTED GOOGLE DOCs, etc

• links to three writing samples

• please put this in the subject line: Applying for [Channel Name] Editor

• the date you can start

• Compensation: Pay is for approximately one day a week, competitive for nonprofits.
• This is a part-time job.
• This is a contract job.
• This is at a non-profit organization.
• OK to highlight this job opening for persons with disabilities
• Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
• Please, no phone calls about this job!
• Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Sustaining Commons: Sustaining our Future
 
IASC 2011 Second Announcement: 
Deadline for Abstract submission extended to

15th April 2010!

Dr. Ostrom to address the plenary at IASC 2011!

We are very pleased to share with you that Dr. Elinor Ostrom, Founding President of IASC and 2009 Economics Nobel Laureate, has agreed to address the plenary at IASC 2011 in Hyderabad. Upon accepting our invitation to speak, Ostrom wrote, “I am looking forward to the meetings with considerable enthusiasm.”

Call for Abstracts: 

Owing to a great amount of interest generated regards IASC 2011 from various prospective participants and in order to accommodate requests for extending the time for submission, the deadline for submission has now been extended till 15th April 2010. 

For the first time, abstracts to the IASC Conference are being accepted through the online submission process. All interested participants are invited to submit abstracts for presentation of papers, posters, videos or for panel sessions, symposia or workshops focused on specific issues through the online conference system. Papers may address theory, policy, practical work, empirical research, describe case studies or any aspect of issues of commons listed below (indicative subthemes):

· The Commons, Poverty and Social Exclusion
· Governance of the Commons: Decentralization, Property Rights, Legal Framework, Structure and Organization
· The Commons: Theory, Analytics and Data
· Globalisation, Commercialization and the Commons
· Managing the Global Commons: Climate Change and other Challenges
· Managing Complex Commons (Lagoons, Protected Areas, Wetlands, Mountain Areas, Rangelands, Coastal Commons)
· New Commons (the New Global Commons – Digital Commons, Genetic Commons, Patents, Music, Literature etc)

Submission of Paper, Video and Poster abstracts 

Making an online submission would require the author/s to follow the online submission system. All submissions must include the mandatory information as indicated in the online format. Should you face any specific problem related to the online submission process, do let us know at iasc2011@fes.org.in. Guidance on full paper, poster and video submission will be provided to authors on acceptance of abstracts. 

For assistance on the submission process, visit:
http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/conference/index.php/IASC/index/pages/view/submissionguidelines


Paper Abstract Guidelines
Word Limit: 100-300 words. Identify the Conference Sub-Themes the abstract is relevant to(academic reviewers of your abstract will be assigned based on the sub-theme you indicate); provide a title for the abstract/paper; names and contact information for all contributing authors; 5 keywords (i.e. describing methods, region of study, etc). Note: Final paper should be between 6,000-10,000 words.

Poster Abstract Guidelines
Word Limit: 100-300 words. Identify the theme or provide a title for your poster; indicate if your poster will present a project, conceptual work, or results from an empirical study, etc. In your abstract, you may include key elements of the script of your poster. 

Note: Practitioners are strongly encouraged to submit poster abstracts, and the profile of posters will be elevated at the IASC 2011 Conference, to successfully "bring a practitioner perspective to the Conference."

Video Abstract Guidelines
Word Limit 100-300 words. Indicate the title of the video, run-time of the video, original format of the video, equipment needs for showing the video, production credits, date the film was produced and description of its original purpose if not created for this Conference itself, the contact details for the corresponding presenter. The online process allows users to upload links to their videos as supplementary files along with their abstracts. Interested participants are requested to post hard copies of their videos to the mail address mentioned below:
Foundation for Ecological Security
PB No. 29, Anand - 388001, India
Tel: 02692-261402/261238/261239

Submission of Panel abstracts 

Panel sessions
We encourage the submission of proposals for organizing panels focused on a specific theme or topic. A panel session may have 4-5 papers focused on a central theme. A total time of about an hour and a half is allocated to each panel presentation. It is up to the organizer of the panel to determine how to fill those hours (in terms of number of speakers, etc.). However, time for questions from the audience and discussion needs to be considered. 

A panel submission would need an identified organizer/coordinator, an abstract summarizing the aims of the panel session and how each paper will contribute to the overall aim (abstracts should be a maximum of 500 words and include names and affiliations of the organizer and individual presenters) and planned outcomes (if any).

Authors of individual papers that constitute a particular panel are requested to make individual submissions into the online conference system as well, and enter a note stating that they are also part of a proposed panel for IASC2011, along with details of the Title and Panel Organizer of that particular panel/s in the space provided under "Comments to Co-chair" within the online abstract submission form.

Workshops, Symposia, Pre-Conference Workshops 
We encourage a range of alternative activities such as workshops, symposia and pre-conference workshops as part of/build up to the Conference. Please note that the proposals for organizing workshops, symposia and pre-conference workshops would need to be presented as abstracts (of maximum 500 words) outlining the ideas and/or aims and emailed directly to iasc2011@fes.org.in 
 
IMPORTANT DATES
· Call for Abstracts: December 14, 2009
· Abstract Submissions: February 1, 2010 to April 15, 2010 – Open Now
· Abstract Selections: May 31, 2010
· Early Registration: September 30, 2010
· Complete Paper Submissions: October 31, 2010

Contact: 
Jagdeesh Rao Puppala, Conference Co-Chair 
Foundation for Ecological Security 
PB No. 29, Anand - 388001, India 
Tel: (+91) 2692-261402 / 261238 / 261239 
Email: iasc2011@fes.org.in 
Website: http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/

13th Biennial IASC Conference

Call for Panels

1. Customizing Commons: Methods for Diversifying Institutional Design
Coordinated by Bryan Bruns -- http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/customizing-commons-call-for-papers.pdf

2. Inside the natural resource bureaucracy: How does the internal organization of bureaucracies affect natural resource management?
Coordinated by Forrest Fleischman -- http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/IASCBureaucracyPanelProposal.pdf

3. Rural out-migration and resource dependent communities in a globalized world Coordinated by James Patrick Robson and Prateep Kumar Nayak-- http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/callforpaper.pdf

4. Call for Papers: IFRI and IFRI co-hosted panels for IASC 2011

As in years past, the International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) research program (www.umich.edu/~ifri) plans to organize several panels at the 2011 annual meeting of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) in Hyderabad, India (10-14 January 2011; more information at http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/) . IFRI will co-host a number of panels with CIFOR (www.cifor.cgiar.org/), as well as with the IFLEA project based at the Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn (www.iflea.uni-bonn.de/index.shtml). We invite paper contributions on the eight panel themes listed below:

1. Inequality in Forest Commons

2. Understanding Commons Institutions and Interactions across Scales

3. Comparative research on forests and forest commons

4. Forest Policy Decentralization in East Africa: Institutional and Livelihoods Change in East African Forest Landscapes (IFRI-IFLEA co-hosted panel)

5. Dynamics of Natural Resource Policy Decentralization

6. Methods for measuring vulnerability and adaption (IFRI-CIFOR co-hosted panel)

7. Climate Change and Governance (IFRI-CIFOR co-hosted panel)

8. Property Rights and Tenure in Forest Commons (IFRI-CIFOR co-hosted panel)

Please visit our website regularly for updated information on IASC activities at: www.iascp.org

IASC 2011 Call for Abstracts

Thirteenth Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Commons (IASC) 

January 10-14, 2011 Hyderabad, India
 
Hosted by the Foundation for Ecological Security
 
Chaired by: Mr. Nitin Desai, Co-Chair: Jagdeesh Puppala 

http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/

Theme: Sustaining Commons: Sustaining our Future

The Conference will provide opportunities for academics, researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, knowledge and experience. Multiple forms of participation are envisaged at this global meeting. These include:

·         Paper presentations
·         Thematic panels
·         Poster presentations
·         Video presentations
·         Pre-Conference workshops
·         Practitioners’ Colloquium
·         Young researcher sessions
·         Exhibitions

SUB-THEMES

The Conference will deal with physical common resources such as Forests, Grazing resources, Protected Areas, Water Resources, Fisheries, Coastal Commons, Lagoon Commons, Irrigation Systems, Livestock and Commons as well as New Commons such as Information Commons, Cultural Commons, Genetic Resources, Patents, Climate, etc.

The above subjects would be captured under the following sub-themes:

1. The Commons, Poverty and Social Exclusion;
2. Governance of the Commons: Decentralization, Property Rights, Legal Framework, Structure and Organization;
3. The Commons: Theory, Analytics and Data;
4. Globalisation, Commercialisation and the Commons;
5. Managing the Global Commons: Climate Change and other Challenges;
6. Managing Complex Commons (Lagoons, Protected Areas, Wetlands, Mountain Areas, Rangelands, Coastal Commons);
7. New Commons (Digital Commons, Genetic Commons, Patents, Music, Literature etc);

Please note that the papers may cut across more than one of the seven sub-themes. The illustrative sub-theme questions and topics below are intended to help contributors and are in no way binding. For more information on the subthemes visit the conference website: http://iasc2011.fes.org.in/

IMPORTANT DATES

· March 31^st 2010: Deadline for submission of paper, panel and poster proposals
· September 30^th 2010: Deadline for submission of papers
· August 1^st 2010: Early registration deadline (tentative)

GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS

 We invite anyone interested or working on the issues relating to Commons to participate in the Conference. We encourage scholars and practitioners to submit abstracts for panels, individual papers, poster and videos. The panels, papers, poster and video abstracts should be submitted to the Conference Committee through the online submission process.

Job Vacancy Announcement

Two Assistant or Associate Professors

The Arizona State University, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, home to the anthropology program at ASU, invites applications for two sociocultural anthropology positions available at the assistant or associate professor level. We are seeking individuals whose research focuses on human-environment dynamics. ASU strongly encourages excellence in scholarship and teaching that transcends traditional subdisciplinary and disciplinary boundaries.

We are particularly interested in candidates who can articulate the rigorous ethnographic study of local peoples, cultures, and the environment with other research strengths at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change and ASU, such as urbanization, health, globalization, migration, environmental and social justice, technology and society, environmental social science, institutions, and social complexity.

Minimum qualifications include a Ph.D. in anthropology or a closely related discipline; research interests in environmental anthropology, broadly construed; and an ability to contribute to undergraduate and graduate instruction in sociocultural anthropology. Preferred qualifications include an active ethnographic research program that involves students and an ability to contribute to the school’s new transdisciplinary social science-based degree programs, such as environmental social science, in addition to the anthropology degree programs. Qualifications that are required for applicants at the associate professor level and preferred for applicants at the assistant professor level include a demonstrated record of: scholarly achievement, ability to obtain external funding, leadership in professional activities, and teaching effectiveness.

Review of applications will begin on January 8, 2010 and will continue weekly until the search is closed. Applicants must apply online at http://academicjobsonline.org and include a letter of application that includes a statement of professional interests and goals, a statement of teaching philosophy, curriculum vitae, and the names and email addresses of three references. Please make sure your name appears in each uploaded file name. You may address your letter to Professor James F. Eder, Search Committee Chair.

Information about the School can be found at http://shesc.asu.edu. A background check is required for employment. Arizona State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to excellence through diversity. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. See https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/