This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference aims to explore the role of ecology and environmental ideas in the context of contemporary society and international politics, and assess the implications for our understandings of fairness, justice and global citizenship.

In particular, the 3rd Global Conference on Ecological Justice and Global Citizenship will explicitly explore the relationships between environments, sustainability and technology, the role of technology in creating possibilities for sustainable resources for the future, and the inherent problems and dangers which accompany that role.

Papers, presentations, reports and workshops are invited on any of the following indicative themes;

1. GM

• GM as a symbol of public perceptions of the possibilities and challenges offered by technology and public understanding of risks of technological developments in relation to the environment
• Expert vs. lay knowledge; Who decides? Scientists, politicians or 'the people'?
• Participatory decision-making; e.g., the 'GM Nation' debate that took place in the UK in summer 2003
• Environmental ethics; relations between humans and 'nature'
• 'New and emerging thinkers and trends of thought; e.g., recent books - Bill McKibben's Enough, Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake; other examples welcome
• The role and place of Environmental protest; forms of resistance to GM, their significance and impact
• The political economy of GM; trade, aid, justice, international dimensions
• Technology and 'progress'; what counts as technological development? Which is more modern - GM food or organic food?
• Developing countries and GM; the place of developing countries in the GM debate; the responsibility of the developers towards developing countries; whether patterns of development are predicated on wrong perceptions about the role of technology; the coverage of and access to alternative technologies

2. Cooperative and Sustainable Development

• Human rights, state sovereignty and the global commons
• The significance of the welfare state; the principle of distribution
• Sustainable employment and cooperation between capital and labour
• Property rights and private insurance vs. pooling of human and ecological resources
• Transport and the environment; designing and delivering national and international transport systems; creating sustainable transport networks
• Responsible consumption and corporate transparency and accountability
• Communities taking responsibility for the local environment
• Civil society and the role of NGOs

3. Environmental Education and Intellectual Health

• Environmental issues and the curriculum; integrating environmental awareness and education in the primary, secondary and higher education sectors
• The components of scholarship: discovery-research, teaching, integration and application
• The emerging synthesis of perceptual psychology and ecological awareness
• The humanistic model vs the ecological model
• The role of the planning and design sciences
• Teaching citizenship, identity and ethics
• Designing the ecological curriculum
• The integration of distinct disciplines; trans-disciplinary innovations

4. Citizenship, Technological Innovation & Sustainability

• The deployment and mobilisation of technologies
• How we engage with the various ways in which citizens (in lay or professional roles) can, are, or could be involved in the processes of achieving increased sustainability in the way they design, make and implement technologies
• The social nature of technologies;
• Developing understandings of user and community 'participation' in design and decision making processes
• The need for greater multi- and trans-disciplinary collaboration and its essential accompanying characteristic of inter-disciplinary or joined-up thinking
• Technology, buildings, cities and planning policies: the role of technology in designing and constructing buildings and cities to more sustainable effect; the impact of information technologies; knowledge management and the environment

Perspectives are sought from

• people engaged in actor network theory, agriculture and agricultural economics, the built environment disciplines, conflict resolution and mediation, critical geography, environmental studies, human development and ecology, industrial relations and design, philosophy and ethics, political science and international affairs, public policy and advising, social sciences, sociology of science, theology, urban studies, western European studies
• people in the public and private sectors who are involved in planning and project development, policy-making and implementation, and negotiation and mediation at national and international levels
• people in Governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, voluntary sector bodies, environmental charities and groups, business and professional associations

Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 14th November 2003. Full draft papers should be submitted by Friday 16th January 2004.

All papers selected for and presented at the conference will be published in an ISBN eBook; selected papers accepted for and presented at the conference will be published in themed volumes. Two themed volumes from the previous conferences in this series are in press.

Papers should be submitted to Dr Rob Fisher as an email attachment in RTF, Word or WordPerfect formats; abstracts can also be submitted in the body of the email text rather than as an attachment.