The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)invites academics from the social sciences, practitioners, policy makers and policy researchers to submit abstracts and subsequent papers that consider issues related to climate and conflict challenges and interventions in Africa, and the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures that are conflict sensitive.
- EXPERT SEMINAR AND EDITED VOLUME
- Thursday 15 & Friday 16 September 2011
- Durban, South Africa
Abstracts should be submitted by Friday 10 June 2011 and selected papers will be due on 19 August 2011. An expert seminar at which authors will be presenting their papers will take place on 15 & 16 September 2011, in Durban, South Africa.ACCORD will cover travel, meals and accommodation expenses for invited participants.
The key outcomes of the seminar will be presented in the form of a Policy and Practice Brief distributed at a series of side events during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the end of 2011 in Durban. In addition, selected papers from the seminar will be published in the form of an edited volume in 2012.
Background and objectives
Social scientists and other researchers have been working to understand and scrutinize the linkages between climate change and conflict in Africa, while practitioners in the development, environmental management, conflict resolution and other fields, are already addressing conflicts relating to the environment and natural climate variability. There is broad consensus that climate change adaptation is necessary and therefore governments, regional organisations and international bodies have instituted policies, funding and other measures to assist countries and communities to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Against this background, the expert seminar will bring together the perspectives of policy makers, social scientists and practitioners on the topic of Climate change and conflict: Where to for conflict sensitive climate adaptation in Africa? The objective of the seminar will be to consider current climate and conflict challenges and interventions in Africa, and to contribute to the development of adaptation, mitigation measures and funding that are conflict sensitive. Ultimately, one of the seminar outputs should be the identification of lessons and possible work areas for policy makers, practitioners and academics in this field. Another important outcome of the seminar will be the development of a Policy and Practice Brief to be disseminated at COP17in Durban at the end of 2011.
Authors are invited to submit a 200-300 word abstract, by Friday 10 June 2011. Please indicate the title of your proposed paper and include a summary of your core research and analysis objectives. The abstract should succinctly outline the core argument and indicate potential policy recommendations that may emerge from the paper. Authors who are selected by the Review Committee will be required to submit their paper by 19 August 2011.
Potential topics and themes
Authors may wish to refer to the topics and themes below when preparing their abstract and eventually their papers:
Conceptual/Theoretical overviews:
- Climate change and conflict, and climate change adaptation in Africa
- Conflict-sensitive climate change adaptation in Africa
Framing and assessing the climate-conflict challenges for Africa:
- Hydro(water)-issues and conflict
- Migration/displacement and conflict
- Pastoral conflict
- Other topics may refer to, inter alia: institutional issues in climate conflicts, governance, early warning, gender, youth, identity and vulnerability perspectives
Identifying and assessing lessons, solutions and tools for Africa:
- Climate-conflict prevention and management tools in Africa
- Successes and lessons from interventions in climate and environmental-related conflicts (case studies, for example)
- The potential of traditional forms of conflict resolution for climate change adaptation
- The potential of collaborative or participatory forms of conflict resolution for climate change adaptation
- Other perspectives may include: institutional issues in climate-conflict resolution, funding for conflict sensitive climate adaptation, governance issues in dealing with climate-related conflict and climate adaptation, early warning for the prevention of climate-related conflicts, gender/youth/identity and vulnerability perspectives;
- Inter-, intra-state and communal issues in conflict sensitive climate adaptation.
- Actors/institutions in conflict sensitive climate adaptation – NGOs, international organisations, funding (GEF, LDC fund), etc.
Timelines
Please submit abstracts by email, in a Microsoft Word attachment to Ms Salomé Bronkhorst, salome[at]accord.org.za, by 10 June 2011.
Please include the following in the abstract:
- Title and summary of the proposed paper
- Author’s name, their affiliation and a short 2-3 line bio.
- For multiple authors, please provide the above for all of them.
27 June 2011: ACCORD will inform authors about the acceptance or rejection of their abstracts.
19 August 2011: Authors should submit their papers of 5000-6000 words in length, which should include footnotes and bibliography. Please use the ACCORD Style Guide which is available on request from Unathi Xashimba, Unathi[at]accord.org.za.
15 and 16 September 2011: Authors will be invited to present their papers at an Expert Seminar in Durban, South Africa. ACCORD will cover travel, meals and accommodation expenses for invited participants.
Early submission of papers is strongly encouraged. A modest honorarium will be paid after publication of the edited volume to authors whose papers are selected after the seminar.
