#POLLEN24 – Call for papers “Putting the Critique into Practice: Political Ecologists as Change Agents in Global/Local Wildlife Conservation Practice”

POLLEN24 in Dodoma invites abstracts for papers that address issues around effective changes in wildlife conservation at global and local scales. More information about this CfP, including its rationale, deadline, and contacts below.

POLLEN24 – 10-12 June 2024, Dodoma- Tanzania

Organized Paper Session

Political ecology has been instrumental in thinking and theorizing how power and powerful actors interplay in global/local wildlife conservation practices. Political ecology has rightfully critiqued certain kinds of conservation regimes (top-down PA-centric fortress conservation) and developed new ideas of conservation (rights-based, convivial conservation). An increased focus on social science in conservation projects and organizations has also brought political ecology into mainstream conservation narratives. On the other hand, the discipline often remains an academic exercise as the traditional ‘power-full’ conservation actors carry on business-as-usual global/local wildlife conservation practice with limited or questionable integration of rights, social justice, and actual empowerment. The rise in neo-protectionist regimes against community-led conservation is another testimony that the critiques from political ecology are getting limited reception in the practice of conservation.

Here, in this regard, the question arises of whether political ecologists can become effective change agents in species conservation efforts. If yes, through what kinds of pathways? Can political ecology principles and political ecologists independently drive global/local species conservation action? What training, organizational work and collaborations are necessary for putting the political ecology into practice of conservation? What could be the challenges and limitations of such endeavors?

With these questions, this call for paper wants to reach out to political ecologists who have worked in the practice of wildlife conservation at the global or local scale to present their ways of working to create effective changes. The following themes, although not exhaustive could be used to think through the efforts that political ecologists put into practice.

• Political ecologists working ‘politically’ with different conservation actors (government, NGO, business, local community etc) to design conservation policies
• Political ecologists creating rights-based community-centric wildlife conservation practices
• Political ecologists working to transform negative human-wildlife relations
• Political ecologists working to reduce global/local trade in wildlife parts
• Political ecologists designing natural resource extraction (timber, NTFPs, animal life) at global/local level
• Political ecologists creating changes in organisational (academic, NGO etc) set up, functioning and policies
• Political ecologists as liaisons in global environmental bodies (CITES, COP, IUCN etc)

Political ecologists interested in this CfP can submit their abstracts (of their case studies or own efforts) of not more than 250 words by email on or before 8th December 2023 to Sayan Banerjee (sayan.workspace@gmail.com). This session is primarily envisioned as a single-site panel at Dodoma, Tanzania. But, depending upon the abstracts received, it could become a multi-sited hybrid panel. The final proposal for an organized session, along with the selected abstracts will be submitted to POLLEN 2024 by December 12, 2023.

You can also access this CfP here.