May 20-22, 2010
Portland Center for Public Humanities
Portland State University
Deadline: January 4, 2010

We hear talk of “sustainability” everywhers – sometimes as an ecological vision, an advertising strategy, a countercultural dream or even a business model. Given the diverse uses of “sustainability,” how might those of us who invoke it most effectively address our ecological, economic, and social challenges? This conference is an invitation to construct bridges across the diverse terrains of sustainability theory and practice, engaging in productive dialogue and debate that might lead to innovative green frameworks for environmental scholarship, activism, research, and policy. To these ends, the Second Annual International Conference on “Understanding Sustainability” seeks to encourage innovative dialogues between diverse groups that are not always in conversation. Keynote Speakers include: Stephen Gardiner (Philosophy, University of Washington); Natalie Jeremijenko (Visual Arts, New York University); and Cary Wolfe (English, Rice University).

We welcome proposals both for traditional academic paper presentations as well as other formats, including panel discussions, interviews, workshops, art installations, and media screenings. Presentations that speak broadly to an interdisciplinary audience and that seek to stimulate broad conversation about the future direction of green or environmental knowledge and practice are especially encouraged. Deadline is January 4, 2010. More information about this conference and the sponsoring Humanities Sustainability Research Project may be found at www.publichumanities.pdx.edu/. This project is associated with the CHCI Affinity Group, Humanities for the Environment.