Mountains and Sacred LandscapesAn International Conference Sponsored by:
India China Institute, The New School
International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture
Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
April 20 – 23, 2017
The New School, New York City
New Proposal Submission Deadline: Sept 19, 2016 5pm EST
Call for Proposals and Papers
The India China Institute (ICI) at The New School, the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture (ISSRNC), American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) are excited to announce an international conference on the theme of mountains and sacred landscapes. The conference will include the latest research on the intersections of religion, nature and culture and will feature special presentations from the India China Institute’s three-year Sacred Himalaya Initiative.
The conference seeks to critically explore the ways in which the idea of sacred landscapes is entangled with diverse communities, with particular attention to mountain landscapes. The conference will feature interdisciplinary dialogue about what kinds of meanings shape, and are shaped by, the effects of climate change, mass extinction, human population growth and ecological degradation of mountains, forests, rivers and other sacred landscapes.
As we enter the new geologic epoch that scientists and scholars are referring to as the ‘Anthropocene,’ diverse global mountain communities have begun to face
growing social, economic, political, and ecological challenges. Melting glaciers, shifting agricultural patterns, conflicts over mining and resource extraction, risks to livelihoods, and the consequences of increasingly erratic global climate change pose unknown future challenges to many sacred landscapes, including mountain communities and ecosystems around the world, as well as the human and non-human beings that rely on them.
We invite scholars from all disciplines, including environmental history and environmental studies, science studies, anthropology, philosophy, political science, religious studies and geography, to submit proposals related to sacred landscapes.
Proposals may address any of the following themes:
• Challenges and opportunities for sacred landscapes in the 21st century
• Theoretical and/or religious conceptualizations of place, space, and landscape
• Negotiation of community, climate change, and mountain spirituality
• Traditional/local knowledge and its effects on social and ecological justice
• Ecosystem sustainability and the future of mountain and forest people
• Ecosystem destruction and the fate of the non-human community
• Mountains as diverse ecosystems and sites of religious negotiation
• Manifestations of the sacred in diverse landscapes
• Negotiating environmental challenge through ritual practices
This year’s conference explicitly seeks to disrupt the conventional “three people reading papers” session. We seek innovative and unconventional proposals from all fields for this interdisciplinary conference. We invite proposals for
individual papers, entire sessions, round-tables, interactive workshops, conversations, and alternative formats. We are also proposing two experimental TEDx style presentations of 10 minutes with 5-7 presenters.
Submission Guidelines
– Paper proposals: Must include a brief 150 word abstract and an extended 500 word summary of the paper.
– Session proposals should include individual paper proposals (meeting the guidelines stated above) for each participant as well as an overview document which states the proposed session title, individual participant names, paper titles, respondents, in the appropriate/ desired order of presentations.
– Proposals for sessions or events that do not fit the traditional session format are encouraged and can be described as appropriate. These might include round-tables, jam sessions or workshop proposals.
Monday, September 19, 2016 by 5pm EST is the deadline for paper and panel proposals. The Proposal Submission Form will open on June 1, 2016 through the ICI website at: www.indiachinainstitute.org/2017conference/. Submission guidelines, the travel aid application process and the means for requesting Visa letters will be clarified at that time. All conference-related questions and inquiries should be directed to: sacredmountains2017@gmail.com.
Travel Aid and Visas
Scholars whose papers are accepted and who would be unable to attend without financial support will have an opportunity to apply for modest, supplementary travel grants. Most of these grants will go to students with little funding available to them or scholars from institutions and countries with fewer resources for travel to international conferences. Scholars who will need letters of invitation in order to obtain a visa for travel to the United States must indicate this in their application form. This process can often take considerable time so it should be undertaken upon the acceptance of proposals or papers.
Participation Requirements for Presenters
All presenters must be members in good standing of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture and registered for the conference by March 1 2017. All scholars interested in religion, nature and culture are encouraged to support the Society by joining or renewing at the ISSRNC membership page.
Publications
Presenters and session organizers are encouraged to submit their articles for publication, or their sessions for special issues, to the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture (JSRNC).
Conference Sponsors
International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture More information about the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture and the JSRNC can be found online at: http://www.religionandnature.com/society/. Interested scholars are also encouraged to follow the ISSRNC Facebook page, Twitter @ISSRNC and Academia.edu.
India China Institute
More information about the India China Institute at The New School can be found online at http://www.indiachinainstitute.org. Interested scholars are also encouraged to follow the ICI Facebook page, Twitter @india_china and our YouTube channel.
Center for Latin American and Latino Studies
More information about the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University can be found online at: www.american.edu/clals/. Interested scholars are also encouraged to follow the Center on Twitter @AU_CLALS and our Facebook page.
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
More information about the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development can be found online at: www.icimod.org. Interested scholars are also encouraged to follow the ICIMOD Facebook page, Twitter @icimod and YouTube channel.
