Call for Papers: IIM Bangalore and Geneva Graduate Institute host International Conference from 23 to 25 October 2024
Theme for this year’s conference is, ‘Local environmental democracy and green transitions: Mapping institutional mechanisms and political mobilizations’
31 July, 2024, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore and Geneva Graduate Institute will collaboratively host the international conference on ‘Local environmental democracy and green transitions: Mapping institutional mechanisms and political mobilizations’ on 23 to 25 October 2024, in Geneva.
As people and ecosystems confront escalating environmental challenges, there is a growing recognition of local stakeholders' pivotal role in decision-making processes. The international conference seeks to explore how local institutional mechanisms and political mobilizations shape green transitions. It asks: What is the interplay between environmental democracy and the pursuit of green transitions efforts worldwide? Which constellations of actors can be observed and how do they map onto decentralized institutional environments?
Abstract submission
The conference welcomes the submission of abstracts from participants who wish to participate in hybrid mode. Abstracts should include a title and a description (in English, maximum 400 words) as well as name, e-mail address and institutional affiliation/function of the author(s).
Abstracts must be submitted via email to democracy.applications[at]graduateinstitute[dot]ch
Key Dates
Deadline for submission: 31 August 2024
Notice of acceptance: 13 September 2024
Registration opens: 16 September 2024
Registration deadline: 30 September 2024
Conference dates: from 23 October 2024 14:30 CET to 25 October 15:15 CET
Please note that all accepted papers will be presented in hybrid mode. Only participants who have their own funding and make their own travel arrangements may be able to join in person.
For further queries contact conference organizers: IIMB faculty Prof. Rusha Das, Public Policy area (rusha.das[at]iimb[dot]ac[dot]in) or Christine Lutringer, Geneva Graduate Institute (christine.lutringer[at]graduateinstitute[dot]ch).
Format and Organization of the conference
Through the various contributions, the conference seeks to highlight the factors behind the mobilizations and the political, as well as policy responses. It aims to identify research gaps and novel approaches to address them. Each day will end with a brainstorming session on key questions and research avenues. Each panel will provide a platform for scholars from diverse fields to present their findings and engage in constructive dialogue.
The following thematic panels are envisaged:
Panel 1: Transnational Perspectives on Green Transitions
How do various political actors envisage green transitions? This panel seeks to bring together insights from different countries and from different disciplines (e.g. environmental sociology, political economy, ecology) to explore the various drivers and obstacles to green transitions within local political spaces. By examining case studies from different regions, especially in India and Switzerland, it aims to uncover the complex interplay between these factors and how they influence the pace and success of green transitions. Contributions may address factors such as economic incentives, regulatory frameworks, technological innovations, activism and the role of civil society.
Panel 2: Environmental Justice and Democracy
How do policies, discourses, and political action give voice to concerns of environmental justice? This panel proposes to examine the nexus between environmental justice and democracy and its articulations across political spaces. Contributors may discuss how local governance structures, policies, and practices either facilitate or impede transparent environmental decision-making processes. Case study approaches or comparative analyses between the decentralized political systems of Switzerland and India are particularly welcome.
Panel 3: Political Mobilizations, Civic Engagement and Legal Activism
What are the various ways in which political mobilizations and grassroots activism have influenced green transitions? This panel will examine multiple forms of engagement, from protest movements to community-led initiatives that advocate for environmental justice and sustainability. Contributions may focus on strategies for mobilization, challenges faced by local communities in their advocacy efforts, or the effect of economic, institutional and political reconfigurations, amongst others. Through the case studies brought by contributors, this panel seeks to explore different modes of engagement with local stakeholders as well as their effects on policy changes.
Panel 4: Policy Instruments
How do instruments such as Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and circular economy projects influence broader policy frameworks and environmental mobilizations? This panel proposes to examine the dynamics between specific environmental policy instruments that bear on local and regional levels of governance, and public participation. Contributions may analyze their temporal evolution, assessing the ability of these mechanisms and instruments to evolve in response to public pressure. The development of alternative modes of engagement, both within governance spaces and across them, is also of particular interest to this panel.
Panel 5: Political and Financial Autonomy in Environmental Governance
Examining the impact of political and financial autonomy on local environmental governance, this panel will incorporate perspectives from political economy. Contributions may explore how regional and local governments in federal states like India and Switzerland navigate political and financial constraints to implement sustainable practices. Discussions will include the role of fiscal policies, funding mechanisms, and political will in driving green transitions. This panel aims to identify pathways for enhancing local autonomy in environmental decision-making.
Panel 6: Future Research Directions in Local Environmental Democracy
The final panel will be a forward-looking discussion on future research directions in local environmental democracy and green transitions, incorporating perspectives from multiple disciplines. Participants will identify current research gaps, propose new research questions, and explore potential interdisciplinary approaches. The panel will also discuss how to build and sustain a research consortium that can advance knowledge in this field. The goal is to foster collaboration among researchers and practitioners, paving the way for innovative studies that can inform policy and practice
Call for Papers: IIM Bangalore and Geneva Graduate Institute host International Conference from 23 to 25 October 2024
Theme for this year’s conference is, ‘Local environmental democracy and green transitions: Mapping institutional mechanisms and political mobilizations’
31 July, 2024, Bengaluru: IIM Bangalore and Geneva Graduate Institute will collaboratively host the international conference on ‘Local environmental democracy and green transitions: Mapping institutional mechanisms and political mobilizations’ on 23 to 25 October 2024, in Geneva.
As people and ecosystems confront escalating environmental challenges, there is a growing recognition of local stakeholders' pivotal role in decision-making processes. The international conference seeks to explore how local institutional mechanisms and political mobilizations shape green transitions. It asks: What is the interplay between environmental democracy and the pursuit of green transitions efforts worldwide? Which constellations of actors can be observed and how do they map onto decentralized institutional environments?
Abstract submission
The conference welcomes the submission of abstracts from participants who wish to participate in hybrid mode. Abstracts should include a title and a description (in English, maximum 400 words) as well as name, e-mail address and institutional affiliation/function of the author(s).
Abstracts must be submitted via email to democracy.applications[at]graduateinstitute[dot]ch
Key Dates
Deadline for submission: 31 August 2024
Notice of acceptance: 13 September 2024
Registration opens: 16 September 2024
Registration deadline: 30 September 2024
Conference dates: from 23 October 2024 14:30 CET to 25 October 15:15 CET
Please note that all accepted papers will be presented in hybrid mode. Only participants who have their own funding and make their own travel arrangements may be able to join in person.
For further queries contact conference organizers: IIMB faculty Prof. Rusha Das, Public Policy area (rusha.das[at]iimb[dot]ac[dot]in) or Christine Lutringer, Geneva Graduate Institute (christine.lutringer[at]graduateinstitute[dot]ch).
Format and Organization of the conference
Through the various contributions, the conference seeks to highlight the factors behind the mobilizations and the political, as well as policy responses. It aims to identify research gaps and novel approaches to address them. Each day will end with a brainstorming session on key questions and research avenues. Each panel will provide a platform for scholars from diverse fields to present their findings and engage in constructive dialogue.
The following thematic panels are envisaged:
Panel 1: Transnational Perspectives on Green Transitions
How do various political actors envisage green transitions? This panel seeks to bring together insights from different countries and from different disciplines (e.g. environmental sociology, political economy, ecology) to explore the various drivers and obstacles to green transitions within local political spaces. By examining case studies from different regions, especially in India and Switzerland, it aims to uncover the complex interplay between these factors and how they influence the pace and success of green transitions. Contributions may address factors such as economic incentives, regulatory frameworks, technological innovations, activism and the role of civil society.
Panel 2: Environmental Justice and Democracy
How do policies, discourses, and political action give voice to concerns of environmental justice? This panel proposes to examine the nexus between environmental justice and democracy and its articulations across political spaces. Contributors may discuss how local governance structures, policies, and practices either facilitate or impede transparent environmental decision-making processes. Case study approaches or comparative analyses between the decentralized political systems of Switzerland and India are particularly welcome.
Panel 3: Political Mobilizations, Civic Engagement and Legal Activism
What are the various ways in which political mobilizations and grassroots activism have influenced green transitions? This panel will examine multiple forms of engagement, from protest movements to community-led initiatives that advocate for environmental justice and sustainability. Contributions may focus on strategies for mobilization, challenges faced by local communities in their advocacy efforts, or the effect of economic, institutional and political reconfigurations, amongst others. Through the case studies brought by contributors, this panel seeks to explore different modes of engagement with local stakeholders as well as their effects on policy changes.
Panel 4: Policy Instruments
How do instruments such as Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and circular economy projects influence broader policy frameworks and environmental mobilizations? This panel proposes to examine the dynamics between specific environmental policy instruments that bear on local and regional levels of governance, and public participation. Contributions may analyze their temporal evolution, assessing the ability of these mechanisms and instruments to evolve in response to public pressure. The development of alternative modes of engagement, both within governance spaces and across them, is also of particular interest to this panel.
Panel 5: Political and Financial Autonomy in Environmental Governance
Examining the impact of political and financial autonomy on local environmental governance, this panel will incorporate perspectives from political economy. Contributions may explore how regional and local governments in federal states like India and Switzerland navigate political and financial constraints to implement sustainable practices. Discussions will include the role of fiscal policies, funding mechanisms, and political will in driving green transitions. This panel aims to identify pathways for enhancing local autonomy in environmental decision-making.
Panel 6: Future Research Directions in Local Environmental Democracy
The final panel will be a forward-looking discussion on future research directions in local environmental democracy and green transitions, incorporating perspectives from multiple disciplines. Participants will identify current research gaps, propose new research questions, and explore potential interdisciplinary approaches. The panel will also discuss how to build and sustain a research consortium that can advance knowledge in this field. The goal is to foster collaboration among researchers and practitioners, paving the way for innovative studies that can inform policy and practice