Perspectives on Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in the Age of the Anthropocene

Transcription

1 Perspectives on Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in the Age of the Anthropocene An Interdisciplinary Research-Planning Conference of the 1HOPE Research Interest Group In cooperation with: Benedictine University, Nucleo di Ricerca sulla Desertificazione (Uniss), Associazione Italiana di Sociologia, Fondazione Sardinia, Associazione Sassarese di Filosofia e Scienza, and Mathesis-Dialogo tra Saperi University of Sassari Sassari, Sardinia (Italy) June 15-17, 2017 Perspectives on Environment, Social Justice, and the Media in The Age of the Anthropocene is a conference of the 1HOPE Research Interest Group. The acronym 1HOPE stands for One HumanityOne Planet Endeavor. The 1HOPE Research Interest Group finds its roots in an earlier conference, One Planet-One Humanity: Communications For and Against, that took place at Benedictine University of Lisle-Chicago (IL) on May 29-31, An outcome of that conference was the publication of a book, Interdisciplinary Essays on Environment and Culture: One Planet, One Humanity and the Media, edited by Luigi Manca and Jean-Marie Kauth, and published by Lexington Books in Through the discussion at the conference we will explore possible links among three phenomena that are observed globally as well as locally and that we judge constitute a potential threat to humanity s material and spiritual survival: the destruction of the environment, the erosion of social justice, and the failure of the media to provide the citizens with pictures of reality upon which they can act. How are these phenomena related? In the final analysis, these attacks on the environment, social justice, and media intelligence are an outcome of a dysfunctional society driven by corporate and political interests that are in conflict with those of humanity as a whole. In the face of such threats to our future, could we develop a sense of real solidarity and address the destructive forces that are polluting both our biological and the spiritual world? We seek a variety of answers to these questions from different disciplinary perspectives.

2 Conference Program The conference program committee is chaired by Maria Lucia Piga (University of Sassari) and includes Massimo Dell Utri (University of Sassari), and Federico Francioni (editor of Mathesis-Dialogo tra Saperi ). Thursday, June 15 9:30-11:00 AM: Welcoming Addresses and Introduction Aula Magna, Central Building, University of Sassari Massimo Carpinelli, Rector, University of Sassari Luciano Gutierrez, Pro-rector Erasmus Program and International Cooperation, University of Sassari Aldo Maria Morace, Head, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sassari Maria Lucia Piga (University of Sassari), Chair of the conference program committee Luigi Manca (Benedictine University), Elizabeth (Betsy) Dobbins (Samford University, US), and Maria Lucia Piga, Introduction and Presentation 1HOPE Interest Group and its Research Output: Interdisciplinary Essays on Environment and Culture, Lexington Books, 2016 Pier Paolo Roggero (University of Sassari), Presentation of NRD and DesertNet International Research Activities 11:00-11:30 AM: Coffee break 11:30-1:00 AM: Session One Chair: Elizabeth Dobbins Aula Magna, Central Building, University of Sassari Ignazio Camarda (University of Sassari), Cultural Heritage of Ethnobotany: Statements of Principle and Effectiveness Aide Esu (University of Cagliari), Simone Maddanu (Cadis EHESS), From Modernity to Risk: Local Print Media Portraying Military Activities Emanuela Ferreri (Università di Roma La Sapienza ), Homo Researcher. Research as a Human Right in the Age of the Anthropocene 1:00-2:30AM: Lunch break 2:30-4:00 PM: Session Two Chair: Maria Lucia Piga Maria Grazia Cugusi (University of Cagliari), Land Grabbing in Sardinia: the Case of Renewable Energy Livio Perra (University of Sassari), Tradition can save the Future of Nature

3 Joaquin Montero (Benedictine University), The Empire of Alexander the Great: A First Utopian Attempt to Create One Global and United World 4:00-4:15 PM -Coffee break 4:15-5:15 PM: First Special Remote-Access Session Chair: Christopher Birks (Benedictine University) Anne Marie Smith (Benedictine University), How to approach Climate Change Deniers among University Students Marian Mesrobian MacCurdy (University of Massachusetts at Amherst), Justice, the Media, and the Power of Dissent 5:15-6:45 PM: Session Three Chair: Maria Lucia Piga Allan Dobbins (University of Alabama), The Shortest Geological Epoch Luigi Manca (Benedictine University), The Media as the Extensions of Humanity s Intelligence in the Age of the Anthropocene Federico Francioni (Editor of Mathesis-Dialogo tra Saperi ), From Global History to the Singleness and Uniqueness of the Territories Friday, June 16 9:30-11:00 AM: Session Four Chair: Massimo Dell Utri Peter Seely (Benedictine University), Racism, Fascism and Leftist Protest Movements in American Popular Music Gianni Loy (University of Cagliari), Jobs between Creation and Destruction Badrinath Rao (Kettering University, US), Rhetoric as Regulation? The Law and the Limits of Environmental Jurisprudence in India 11:00-11:30AM: Coffee break 11:30-1:00 AM: Session Five Chair: Elizabeth Dobbins John Kloos (Benedictine University), The Divine Economy in Landscape Paola Rizzi (University of L Aquila), Challenging an Era of Super-Diversity

4 Maria Lucia Piga (University of Sassari), Second Lives /Second Chances to prevent Social Exclusion 1:30-2:30 PM: Lunch break 2:30-4:00 PM: Session Six Chair: Massimo Dell Utri Massimo Dell Utri (University of Sassari), Consequences of Postmodernism Maria Laura Ruiu (Northumbria University, UK), Media Reporting on Climate Change: is it a Matter of Moral Panic? Elizabeth Dobbins (Samford University), When Tribalism Trumps Science: The Role of Media in a Counterfactual Era 4:00-4:30 PM: Coffee break 4:30-5:30 PM: Second Special Remote-Access Session Chair: Christopher Birks (Benedictine University) Steve Macek (North Central College, US), A Smog of Lies: The Media, The Environment and the Post-Truth Presidency of Donald Trump Jean-Marie Kauth (Benedictine University), Rethoric of Denial: Framing the Apocalypse in Mainstream, Denialist, and Social Media 6:00-9:00 PM: Participative Event Courtyard of Palazzo Ducale in Sassari (old town) La Rasgioni (The Reason): a drought s court Event organized by the NRD-Desertification Research Centre of the University of Sassari, the Municipality of Sassari and Cinearena in the 2017 World Day to Combat Desertification, set up by the UN in 1994 to promote awareness of the interconnection about food security, pollution, water availability, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, poverty, migration and conflicts in the light of climate change. Saturday, June 17 10:00 AM 12:30 PM: Special Plenary Session One intended outcome of the conference is the compilation of a book provisionally titled Perspectives on Environment and Social Justice in the Age of the Anthropocene. The book will consist of a peer-reviewed selection of essays developed through the conference. - Election of new members of the Steering Committee of the 1HOPE Research Interest Group - Election of the editors of the book, Perspectives on Environment and Social Justice in the Age of the Anthropocene - Discussion of plans for researching and editing the book.

5 Steering Committee of the 1HOPE Research Interest Group: Luigi Manca (Benedictine University), chair; Elizabeth Dobbins (Samford University); Federico Francioni (editor of Mathesis-Dialogo tra Saperi ); Jean-Marie Kauth (Benedictine University); Steve Macek (North Central College); Joaquin Montero (Benedictine University); Maria Lucia Piga (University of Sassari). Local Conference Organizer: Maria Lucia Piga, University of Sassari For more information, please contact