ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS> INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “ETHICS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY”
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “ETHICS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY”ORGANIZED BY:
CRS INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR BUDDHIST-MUSLIM UNDERSTANDING, COLLEGE OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES, MAHIDOL UNIVERSITY
DATE: 27-28 NOV 2014
Cooperation Partner:
Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung, Bangkok
Rationale:
The current phenomena of catastrophic climatic events around the world, increased human consumption of energy and sprawling urbanization are critically impacting the life connection between humans, all beings and the cosmos.
The 21st century activities aimed at promoting environmentally responsible behavior through “green” activities should not amount to mere commercial gimmicks, but require serious attention for the future of humanity. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, the world has entered into a period of climate instability due to the mass burning of coal and other fossil fuels, biodiversity's destructive approach to agriculture and other types of farming of livestock and fishery, etc, and a consumerist approach to life and living that are all rooted in profit motive. The current state of knowledge of science informs us that humanity has entered into a dangerous bet with the environment, which, if not corrected now, will result in no future chance for survival.
Global ecological crisises are currently affecting all dimensions of life. The spread of the consumerist approach to life is contributing to the current devastation of ecology exhibited in exploitative human attitude towards nature, through a lifestyle of over-consumption now spreading and affecting even rural and remote areas of many countries.
Responding to this challenge in Asia requires the blending of a market-responsive economy and the principle of moral capitalism with the cultural and religious resources found in Asian traditional religions and cultures, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. In other words, this requires a response through local determinations about the future and development of a process.
In light of the challenges defined above, there is an urgent need to revisit questions about:
- how have biodiversity and ecosystems shaped human consciousness and behavior;
- what are the beliefs of world’s religions towards living systems, i.e. how do understanding or misunderstanding of religions shape human lifestyles and behavior;
- how should religions, governmental departments, educational institutions and the business sectors respond to environmental concern;
- how will the emerging scarcity of natural resources become a trigger for conflict and violence between human societies:
- how to integrate studies and research in the sciences, business and commercial activities with nature-related ethics;
- the need for new ontologies of non-violence to shape human-biodiversity relation;
Since the subject of understanding nature and ecology in relation to the well being of humans and the cosmo are core to discussions in religion and science the two distinct domains of knowledge ways which impact culture, politics and religious doctrine/theology etc, the conference on "Ethics, Climate Change and Energy" will be a collaborative partnership between the practitioners of science and religion. Both in the academic and practical ways as they impact life and thought.
The current emerging critical ecological environment calls for changing the format of religious, educational, commercial and political landscape for the preservation of nature and humanity.
The conference will expose participants and the public to recent scientific findings on climate change and energy insecurity, and the threat to the survival of life on Earth. It will encourage them to join the global efforts to solve these two major global problems through practical means to restrain their consumption of energy resources and to bring greenhouse emission under control.
Objectives:
1) Highlight recent scientific findings on global greenhouse effects underlying climate change, and energy insecurity and the threat to human survival.
2) Propose common joint effort to undertake to achieve the goals of the UN International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
3) To draw attention to the role science/technology in bringing about the energy efficiency and the search for renewable energy resources e.g. wind, solar, water, biofuel, coal, nuclear) and assess their cost-benefits and possible harms.
4) Exchange information, knowledge and approaches toward sustaining ecology between Germany and Thailand.
5) Make policy recommendations to governments towards protecting biodiversity and raising consciousness about the interlink between ecosystems and human behavior.
6) Promoting ethics of global ecological responsibility
7) Viewing religions as spiritual epistemologies for transformation of consciousness.
8) Proposing practical steps to join the global efforts to bring greenhouse effects under control and to promote responsible consumption of energy resources.
Topics for Papers:
1) Science, Technology, Ecology and Energy Crises – fact and figures about state of crises in relation to science and technology, both positive and negative aspects.
2) Approaches to Sustaining Ecology/Biodiversity – focus on conservation and biodiversity for welfare of all beings.
3) Policy Transformation for Protecting Ecology and Conserving Energy – developing national, regional and international to promote knowledge about biological importance and energy conservation. The role of scientists, public and private sectors.
4) Consciousness, Ecosystems and Human Behavior – developing a strategy and pedagogy to remove obstacles in human minds and hearts such as the habit of passing the ecological responsibility to others. Transformation in individual and collective consciousness for promoting Earth-friendly ways of life.
5) Ethics for Global Ecological Responsibility – building global network for the promotion of global ecological responsibility.
6) Practical Measures for Responsible Energy Consumption and Conservation – developing integrated system of practice and law enforcement for use of energy.
Important Information:
Paper Presenters
A number of distinguished international and national speakers have been invited to deliver their presentations on topics respectively assigned to them.
Others including graduate students interested in presenting papers are most welcome to do so, but the topics of their papers should clearly pertain to one of the above objectives of the conference.
Deadlines for Submission of Abstracts and Final Papers
All abstracts of conference papers and brief biodata of paper writers should be no more than 200 words and should be emailed to the conference secretariat by 1 October 2014.
Result of acceptance of abstracts will be announced on 15 October 2014
Full papers should be submitted on 10th November 2014.
Accepted paper presenters will be provided with round trip economy class air ticket and hotel accommodation on full or partial basis subject to the availability of funds and travel distance from Bangkok city for the period of the conference.
Please send abstracts and brief biodata by email to:
Asst. Prof. Dr. Imtiyaz Yusuf
Conference Coordinator and Director
Center for Buddhist-Muslim Understanding
College of Religious Studies
Mahidol University
Salaya, Phutthamonthon
Nakhorn Pathom 73170
Thailand
Email: crs.climate2014@gmail.com
