CfP Rethinking Extractive Industry: Regulation, Dispossession, and Emerging Claims

This might be interesting for the environmental side of things, and it looks like a big, local conference.

2nd CALL FOR PAPERS

Rethinking Extractive Industry: Regulation, Dispossession, and Emerging Claims

March 5-7, 2009, York University, Toronto

The Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC),
together with the Extractive Industries Research Group (EIRG), both
located at York University, are hosting a conference entitled
“Rethinking Extractive Industry: Regulation, Dispossession, and Emerging Claims.” Taking place from March 5 to 7, 2009 as part of the University’s 50th anniversary and CERLAC’s 30th anniversary
celebrations, the conference will bring together cutting-edge research on the socio-ecological, spatial, and political-economic dimensions of industrial extraction. Through critical theoretical reflection and policy-relevant analysis, three tracks aim to advance our understanding of the social regulation of extractive industries in its broadest sense.

While we are open to a range of conceptualizations, we particularly
invite proposals to the following three tracks:

Track 1: The Political Economies and Ecologies of Extractive Regimes

The first track examines the political economy and ecology of the
contemporary global regime governing investment in extractive
industry—in particular, its financial, socio-economic,
spatial/geographic, and ecological-natural dimensions. Key questions include: How is it that particular national and global regimes of extraction have emerged around particular natural resources? What are the historical dimensions that shaped these regimes? And how do contemporary global financial flows influence the possibility of regulating their at once ecological and socio-economic contradictions? Possible panel themes include: Socio-environmental Histories of Extraction; The Political Economy of Resource Control; and Socio-Natures of Particular Natural Resources.

Track 2: Critical Explorations of Emerging Accountability Mechanisms

The second track seeks to map out developing notions of accountability in industrial extraction and their expressions in a variety of regional sites. Papers revolving around particular global/regional cases will identify key actors accountable for extraction and to whom they are accountable, who regulates and enforces these relationships, and which actors and interest groups are included or excluded from the process.
Many of these papers will focus on transnational accountability
mechanisms, their significance, and the particular challenges presented by these emerging forms of governance. Possible panel themes include: Formal Corporate-Community Agreements; Science, Environmental Assessment and Accountability; and Transnational Lawsuits.


Track 3: Global/Local Encounters: Civil Society, States and Corporations

The final track identifies how social response, including active
protest, has been central to shaping socio-environmental regulation and to restructuring industry-community relations. Here we seek to identify what forms of social mobilization have been most effective in improving the conditions of affected communities. We also wish to explore issues of representation and legitimacy in civil society organizations and the ethical and political dilemmas raised by transnational advocacy efforts. Key panelists will be invited from social movements and organizations, and will include representatives of Canadian First Nations, historically marginalized social groups in extractive sites, and NGOs involved in more critical advocacy work. Possible panel themes include: Critical and Comparative Studies of Indigenous/Community Consultation; Critical
and Comparative Studies of ‘Successful’ Social Movements; and Global
Networks for Corporate Accountability and Oversight.

Proposals should identify the track(s) most appropriate to your paper and include an abstract of up to 150 words. Please also name
authors/co-authors, institutional affiliations and contact addresses.

Please send proposals by post or email by June 30, 2008 to:
Organizing Committee
York University/CERLAC conference on extractive industry
240 York Lanes
4700 Keele St.
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Canada
eiconf@yorku.ca