The shortcomings of mainstream environmental politics are contributing to a growing interest in the relational ethics and practices underlying the sympoietic processes (Haraway, 2016) by which humans and non-humans collectively produce autopoietic social-ecological systems. This includes the performance, by community-led initiatives (CLIs), as well as the translocal/transnational networks they create, of the role of “social learning spaces” where new and old modes of thought and tangible practices beyond extractivism and mastery of nature are experimented with, enacted, and coordinated (Egmose, Hauggaard-Nielsen and Jacobsen 2022).
Such interest is driven by the goal of shifting the metabolic profiles of societies towards regenerative and democracy-enhancing goals. This implies going beyond the “decarbonization consensus” (Bringel and Svampa 2023) by conceiving post-carbon transitions as social-ecological processes in which modes of thought, political ecologies, institutional processes, and experience-based social learning play equally relevant and interconnected parts.
We invite researchers, activists, community organisers, project managers, and policy administrators to submit proposals for contributions to this conference. We aim to promote interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives at theoretical, conceptual, and methodological levels. Submissions might be based on formal research or on concrete activist, economic or public policy initiatives.
The conference is structured around two interconnected topics:
- Ethics: The role of modes of thought that question instrumental approaches to social exchanges and relating to nature. This includes cosmologies, epistemologies, spiritualities/wisdom traditions, and cultural positions providing post-human, post-patriarchal, post-developmentalist and decolonial counterpoints to modernity, by re-signifying relationships with the non-rational dimensions of human existence, as well as the other-than-human dimensions of nature.
- Practices: The contribution of non-mainstream pedagogies, action research methodologies, and other engaged and participatory approaches to knowledge production and diffusion to democratic deepening by promoting, among social movements, policymakers and community-led initiatives, the enactment of emancipatory, participatory, and commoning-oriented practices in everyday life.
We will issue regular updates about the organisation of this conference via the event’s webpage (https://ssecommons.cei.iscte-iul.pt ), e-mail and the social media accounts of CEI-Iscte (Linkedin, Facebook and X). You can join our mailing list to receive notifications of open calls and submission deadlines directly by submitting this form. Any questions regarding the organisation of the conference or participation can be sent to ssecommons.cei@iscte-iul.pt.
The Call for Contributions closed on 1 June 2024. Registrations are open for attendees here.
Grants and Bursaries requests: Due to lack of funding SSE Organization is not able to offer any grants, travel support or registration fee waivers.
Face-to-face event: This event is fully presential. It is not possible to present or attend online.