Struggles over resources in Latin America: Call for Papers at the 8th NOLAN Conference in Finland

We invite paper abstract submissions to the panel “Struggles over resources in Latin America” at the 8th NOLAN conference, University of Helsinki, Finland, June 11-13, 2015. In many Latin American countries, the so called “frontier expansion” has left the Amazonian region under severe oppression. Increased deforestation due to often extractive activities, large scale farming, development of transportation systems, demographic changes transnational, colonialism as well as transnational and national politics in general, have in a relatively short period of time lead to extensive environmental changes. The length and nature of rainy and dry seasons are becoming less predictable, rainforest ecosystems change, wildlife – especially game animals –become scarce, and pollution sicken people and make areas inhabitable. This panel addresses Amazonian indigenous peoples’ responses to these changes in their environment. We welcome contributions examining the responses from a variety of viewpoints such as culture, society, politics, and economics. Possible topics include, but are not restricted to, new indigenous environmental practices, changes in subsistence and economical activities, re-territorialization and migration, transcultural negotiations, political organization, social re-structuring, and religious and socio-cosmological responses to the transformation of the environment.

Please submit your proposal of no more than 1600 characters using the form found at the conference site no later than March 30. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by April 15.

Minna Opas (minna.opas@utu.fi) and Pirjo K. Virtanen (pirjo.virtanen@helsinki.fi)

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