Dear colleagues,

we are happy to announce the IUFRO conference on "Scientific framework  of environmental and forest governance -- The role of discourses and expertise --" to be held on 27 and 28 of August 2007 in Goettingen/Germany.

Please consult the Call for Papers for further information under:
http://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-6/60000/61200/61202/activities/
  or  
http://www.iufro.org/download/file/1648/3058/goettingen07-call-for-paper.doc

We would also request you to circulate this information among other members of your organization and any one else who may be interested in this Congress. If you have any question, please feel free to contact me.

With best regards,

Lukas Giessen

--
Lukas Giessen
Research Assistent
Institute for Forest Policy and Nature Conservation
WG Integrated Rural Development
Goettingen University, Germany
Tel.:  +49 (0)551 39 34 13
Mobile:  +49 (0)163 48 78 000
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Call for paper

The governance concept has become an increasingly popular framework in political science during the last decade. It is used in different research fields on a local, regional, national, European and global level. However,  instead of a precise definition and a universal theory the governance concept is characterized by a variety of different approaches. The term includes a multiplicity of single research fields. Each of them can only mirror single small parts of the whole complexity. Most of the approaches used do have in common that they describe a shift from ‘government’ towards a new kind of political regulation through cooperation among public, private and civic actors. Compared to hierarchical political process the kind of information and its process is changing. In this regard under governance arrangements the role of information becomes central.

This conference will focus on two important ways of how information influences governance processes. The question if or how discourses and expertise or combinations of both do matter in governance is the leading question of the conference. The theoretical discussion is basic for applied policy research. This conference tries to combine the recent general discussion (Pillar I: General theoretical aspects of discourses and expertise in governance research) with applied governance research about discourses and expertise in the field of environment and forest (Pillar II Discourses and expertise in environmental and forest governance research). In this second pillar of the conference we are expecting theoretical and empirical papers dealing with discourses and expertise in the field of environmental or forest governance.

Recently social scientists from different fields discuss the new role of discourses from a normative governance perspective. Cooperation among private and social actors is the main idea of the new governance concept. On the basis of the notion “arguing” instead of “bargaining” discourses become an important part of governance processes. This form of political regulation raises new questions in social science. Central idea of the conference is to resume the recent theoretical discussion in the field (Pillar I). Therefore we invite papers critically dealing with the role of discourses in governance processes. In particular papers concerning the questions of participation and democracy, especially deliberation are highly welcome. Empirical results supporting theoretical considerations are as well desired. We also appreciate papers dealing with opportunities and obstacles of discourses in governance processes in the field of environmental and forest policy.

Expertise can be seen as being one of the most important resources used to find solutions to political challenges at the beginning of the new century. Within the governance debate different forms and sources of expertise apparently becoming more relevant for policy processes are discussed. E.g., in addition to the classic role of scientific expertise for policy processes the necessity of the inclusion of other sources of expertise like the citizens’ or practicioners’ expertise is discussed from a sometimes normative point of view in order to achieve better policy solutions for existing problems. The concept of “accountable expertise” which can be described as a concept of democratisation of expertise becomes quiet popular in the governance debate as well. We invite papers critically dealing with different aspects of this topic, e.g. which role scientific expertise plays in governance processes, which kinds of different sources of expertise become more relevant for governance processes and why, or to which degree “accountable expertise” actually plays an increasing role in governance processes (…). We look forward to theory-oriented papers discussing generally the connection between different concepts of expertise and the concept of governance. Likewise, we invite empirically based papers dealing with the role of different forms of expertise in forest-related and environmental governance processes.

Abstracts
We invite proposals from researchers of political science, sociology as well as environmental and/or forest sciences for oral presentation until 15 April 2007. The abstract should not exceed 350 words. Please indicate if your paper belongs to pillar I or II. The conference is divided in Pillar I “Theoretical aspects of discourses and expertise in governance research” and Pillar II “Discourses and expertise in governance research in the policy field environment or forest”. Both parts do have keynote speaker and presentations in parallel sessions.
The presentations will be selected on the basis of scientific quality, connection to the conference themes, information content and clarity of the submitted abstracts. The authors of accepted presentations will be notified after 15 May 2007.
Karl Hogl
Bas Arts (University of Wageningen) - enquired
Michael Pregernig (University of Bodenkultur )
Please send your abstracts to both of the following

Contact Addresses:
Michael Böcher: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
and Daniela Kleinschmit: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Publication
It is planned that paper based on the oral presentations and accepted in the evaluation process of the manuscripts will be published in the special edition of the international peer reviewed journal Forest Policy and Economics.

Structure of the Conference:
The conference is divided in Pillar I “Theoretical aspects of discourses and expertise in governance research” and Pillar II “Discourses and expertise in governance research in the policy field environment or forest”. Both parts do have keynote speaker and presentations in parallel sessions.

Pillar I: Theoretical aspects of discourses and expertise in governance research.
Keynote speaker:  Arthur Benz (Fernuniversität Hagen)
Jacob Torfing (Roskilde University)  - enquired
Reiner Grundmann (Aston University)

Pillar II: Discourses and expertise in governance research in the policy field environment or forest
Keynote speaker:  Karl Hogl (University of Bodenkultur Vienna)
Bas Arts (University of Wageningen) - enquired
Michael Pregernig (University of Bodenkultur Vienna)

Institute of Forest Policy and Nature Conservation