CALL FOR PAPERS

Indigenous Peoples, Community Mapping and Social Impact Assessment: New Directions in Land Use Planning

15th International Symposium on Society and Resource Management

July 5 - 8, 2009 in Vienna, (www.issrm09.info)

Organisers: Richard Howitt ⁽¹⁾, Gaim James Lunkapis ^(1,2)

Rebecca Lawrence ^{(1, 3)}  Deirdre Wilcock^(1,5) and Ella Carin Blind ⁽⁴⁾

¹ Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University,

² School of Social Sciences, Universiti Malaaysia Sabah,

³ Department of Sociology, Stockholm University,

⁴ Swedish Saami Association,

⁵ York University Toronto

Land Use Planning Systems are established by states to make provisions for the orderly and progressive development of lands and waters by providing maximum benefit that are both sustainable and equitable to citizens. In many settings, however, land use planning systems have been poorly-equipped to bring benefit to Indigenous communities whose relationship with the state is often characterised by alienation, marginalisation and exclusion, if not outright hostility. Indeed, in many states, land use planning has become a technology for the erasure and denial of Indigenous rights and the systems of knowledge, governance and connection that underpin them. This session will explore Community Mapping and Social Impact Assessment as possible technologies for engaging planning systems as a means of recognising, rather than erasing, Indigenous interests and participation in the planning process by the Indigenous public.

We draw on experience in Indigenous Australia, Malaysia, Sápmi¹ and North America to frame our thinking on these issues and invite colleagues from different parts of the world to contribute their own experiences to advance theories and practices of land use planning that supports just and sustainable land use planning outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

Papers should address some aspect of Indigenous people and land use planning, with attention to community mapping, social impact assessment and related approaches as a means for supporting Indigenous aspirations for recognition and participation.  Different methodological and theoretical approaches are welcome, although papers should draw on recent examples of research, practice and process as far as possible. Questions, expressions of interest, and firm proposals with abstracts should be emailed to Richard Howitt (rhowitt@els.mq.edu.au), Gaim J Lunkapis (glunkapis@els.mq.edu.au), Rebecca Lawrence (lawrence@sociology.su.se) and Deirdre Wilcock (dwilcock@els.mq.edu.au) no later then 9th December 2008.  Individuals’ joining this session will need to find their own sponsors to attend the conference and attendance is mandatory. Publication of the papers from this session will be pursued by the session organisers.

Guidelines for papers for the conference can be found online at:

http://www.issrm09.info/index.php?L1=left_Call_for_Papers.php&L2=body_Call_for_Papers_Scientific_paper_proposals.php