[25] 26-30 JULY 2015  |  Ramallah, Palestine

PRECARIOUS RADICALISM ON SHIFTING GROUNDS: TOWARDS A POLITICS OF POSSIBILITY

 
The sense of revolutionary times triggered by recent events such as the Greek revolts, the Indignados and Occupy movements, as well as the Arab uprisings and the Idle No More protests in Canada, has been gradually overshadowed by a wave of virulent and violent responses by both state and global powers. Although these and other struggles have captured our imagination, an anxious feeling of being in a permanent state of crisis seems to have taken over as we observe an increase in and normalization of socio-economic and spatial inequalities and political repression against the population. This regression, which takes the form of a rise on authoritarianisms, revanchists’ responses, encroachment of fundamental rights, precarity of subsistence, social relations, employment, or the consolidation of populist right wing and fundamentalist movements, is to a large extent eclipsing and undermining the political space and fundamental work of individuals, communities and movements around the world. It certainly is a precarious time for radicalism. This grim landscape inevitably raises crucial questions about the current moment and its prospects. Are we witnessing and experiencing a fundamental historical shift? If so, how are we to interpret this transition? Or can these times be transformed into a moment of political possibility by reconsidering and/or expanding existing paradigms as well as by reconnecting solidarities and struggles?

The aim of the 7th International Conference of Critical Geography (ICCG 2015) is to provide an inclusive venue for the discussion of these and other themes that examine the geographies of critical social theory and progressive political praxis. Despite the significance of the issues at stake, we hope to create a fun, engaging and friendly atmosphere that welcomes a wide array of scholars, activists, artists, organizers and others interested in critical socio-spatial praxis.

The ICCG 2015 will be organized around nine main themes (see below) that connect to and expand the conference underlying subject, that is ‘Precarious Radicalism On Shifting Grounds: Towards a Politics of Possibility’.

Deadline for submissions has been extended to 20 December 2014. We invite you to submit paper abstracts and encourage proposals for populated panels, roundtable discussions, or sessions with alternative formats that address the proposed conference themes. As indicated in the application form, we ask that you include (a) information on which conference theme your panel or paper addresses; (b) title of your paper or session; (c) a brief bio (max. 100 words) of each participant with contact information, institutional affiliation, and any titles you would like placed in the program; (d) an abstract (max 500 words). Please take into consideration that proposed activities should fit into the 90-minutes time-slots. Feel free to issue your own Call for Panels through appropriate mailing lists such as CRITICAL-GEOG-FORUM, URB-GEOG-FORUM, CRIT-LAG-GEOG, LEFTGEOG, PYGYWG, H-NET, etc. before submitting to us.

Please click here to view submission forms. Send questions and proposals to submit@iccg2015.org . Selection decisions will be announced by 20 January 2015.

To view available Grants click here.

Please read the conference’s political statement before submitting your applications.

If you wish to reach the ICCG 2015 team or inquire on matters not related to submission of proposals; please send an e-mail to: connect@iccg2015.org.

We look forward to seeing you in Palestine!

CONFERENCE THEMES

1 | Imperial, Colonial, Postcolonial and Anti-colonial geographies

2 | Articulations and spaces of capitalism

3 | Migration, Mobility and Displacement

4 | Nature, Society and Environmental Change

5 | Mapping Bodies, Corporeality and Violence

6 | Critical “Development” Geographies: perspectives from the Global South

7 | Geography and matter / materiality

8 | Remaking Space through Ideology, Culture, and Arts

9 | Knowledge Production, Education and Epistemic Agendas

FIELD TRIPS:  

This edition capitalizes on the setting through excursions that mirror the conference themes. These will link and further expand session discussions on global experiences, cases and theory through engaging with local articulations and actors. Excursions correspond to 25-30% of the total program duration, whereby a repertoire of 5 routes and destinations will be available for participants to choose from in accordance to preferences. Details in this regard will be released in spring 2015.