Call for Papers LUMEN Hybrid Conference

The deadline for proposals has been extended to June 30, 2024. 

Special invitation for scholars of Social Sciences and Earth Sciences in dialogue with the Law.

On November 19 - 20, 2024, the LUMEN Hybrid Conference for early career legal scholars will be held online and in person at the University of Florence (Italy). The theme of the LUMEN Hybrid Conference will be: “Law of nature and human ecosystem approach: modelling a transcultural ecolegal framework”. Adequate solutions to the ecological crises of our time cannot be found in current environmental legislation without a paradigm shift towards a holistic vision of the relationship between humans and Nature. Recognising and applying holistic approaches to the protection of the Earth requires a strong commitment from legal scholars to rethink traditional legal concepts and adapt them to the complex reality in which we live. Balanced relationships between humans and Nature are encoded in the ancestral cultural and legal traditions of indigenous peoples and local communities around the world. At present, several international documents point to the need to experiment with holistic approaches in order to achieve transformative changes in the way societies relate to ecosystems. From this perspective, a thorough reflection on the legal implications of the ecosystem approach or other holistic approaches can provide the basis for establishing a credible and sustainable governance of the Earth system.

The LUMEN Hybrid Conference will explore whether and to what extent the ecosystem approach or other holistic approaches as well as principles, normative solutions or judicial decisions can be used as the backbone of a comprehensive transcultural and transnational eco-legal system, through a narrative that includes national or local experiences, legal traditions or legal cultures. Original case studies, in a comparative or national perspective, from around the world on:

- circulation of eco-legal formants and theories;

- legal provisions or court decisions related to the ecosystem approach or other holistic approaches (e.g. One Health approach focused on ecosystems, nature-based solutions, etc.);

- legal provisions or court decisions related to rights of Nature or ecological human rights or ecological minimum standards;

- emerging principles (e.g. resilience, ecological integrity, pro natura, DNSH, etc.); 

- methodologies for ecological analysis of the law;

- new tools for public and inclusive participation, including the voices of Nature or future generations;

or any other issue of ecological constitutionalism from a comparative or national perspective, should demonstrate how the law can contribute to building a comprehensive and holistic response to safeguard the “higher interest” of the interconnected globe and all its human and non-human components.

This call solicits essays from early career scholars (PhD students, post-docs, adjunct professors, lecturers) in the fields of comparative public law, constitutional law, legal anthropology. The deadline for the submission of proposals is May 15, 2024. Proposals should be sent by e-mail to: sps.lumen@unibo.it Each proposal, written in English, should include:

1) an abstract of 400-500 words and 5 keywords (Times New Roman 12);

2) a short bio of the author and University affiliation;

3) contact details.

A Scientific Committee, composed of prof. Silvia Bagni (Bologna Univ.), prof. Serena Baldin (Trieste Univ.) and prof. Veronica Federico (Firenze Univ.), will select the proposals for presentation at the LUMEN Hybrid Conference to be held at the University of Florence (Italy). Selected proposers will receive a notification of acceptance within June 15, 2024. The deadline for the presentation of the final version of the paper is October 15, 2024. Selected papers, written in English, of no more than 8,000 words with footnotes, will be published in an open access volume. Selected proposers will be invited to give a presentation online or in person at the LUMEN Hybrid Conference. Participation at the Conference is free of charge. Further logistical information will be provided with the programme of the Conference. For any questions or concerns, please feel fee to contact us at sps.lumen@unibo.it

Next Generation EU

PRIN 2022 PNRR “LUMEN - Law of nature and human ecosystem approach: modelling a transcultural eco-legal framework”, P.I. prof.ssa S. Bagni, Università degli Studi di Bologna, finanziato dall'Unione Europea – NextGenerationEU a valere sul Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) – Missione 4 Istruzione e ricerca – Componente 2 Dalla ricerca all’impresa – Investimento 1.1, Avviso PRIN 2022 PNRR DD n. 1409 del 14 settembre 2022, codice proposta P20222H49L – CUP J53D23018680001.