Upcoming Events

In an effort to expand our content outreach, online events may be recorded. If you do not want to appear in any recording please notify us, keep your camera and audio off throughout the event and avoid using any chat function during the event (we will do our best to respond to any questions you have through other channels).

RLASS Symposium 2023 - New directions for change and development in Latin America and the Caribbean // Nuevas direcciones para el cambio y el desarrollo en América Latina y el Caribe

The purpose of the 3rd RLASS symposium is to gather community leaders, authors of public policies, experts, researchers, and graduate students to share research experiences and results (final and ongoing) about issues related to “New directions for change and development in Latin America and the Caribbean.” We encourage presentations based on theory, practice, politics and/or pedagogies that foster conversations among different epistemic communities and disciplinary communities.

The topics for this year's symposium include, but are not limited to:

a) Communities of practice for glocal sustainability

b) Political, social, and socioenvironmental changes that develop or emerge amidst the public health, environmental, and economic crisis

c) Advances and obstacles to the development of plural governance in the Global South

d) Epistemic Justice, transdisciplinary research and Indigenous epistemologies in climate change and biodiversity conservation initiatives

e) Gender and/or poverty in developmental agendas

Modality of the event: Online (Zoom)

We kindly invite you to submit your contribution. You can choose one of the following formats:

1) Traditional PPT presentations (12-15 minutes total)

2) Narrated posters or photographic essays (5-7 minutes total)

3) Presentations of documentaries, paintings, poems or other artistic expressions (5-7 minutes total)

During each panel of presentations, we will have a 20-minute session for questions and answers. The presentations can be delivered in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Please send your 250-word abstract through the link below (Register) before January 31, 2023. If you have any questions, please contact Héctor Turra (hturra@ucalgary.ca) or Jaime Paredes (jaime.paredespez@ucalgary.ca).

Symposium Date: March 22, 2023

This Symposium is free and open to the public! We invite community members, students, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows from all fields to join us!

Nov. 22, 2022

Title: Brazil: Agribusiness, the far right, and new challenges for Lula da Silva’s administration

Speakers:

Dr. Ailton Santos

Karla Oliveira, PhD Student

In this talk we will explore two relevant issues in the context of Lula da Silva election: the Brazilian development model based on agrarian extractivism and the role of the ruralist caucus; and the challenges for indigenous movement in implementing the principle of free, prior and informed consent for development projects in their territories

Oct. 25, 2022

Title: After the Plebiscite in Chile

Speaker: Dr. Pablo Policzer

On September 4, Chileans decisively rejected a proposed new constitution, itself the culmination of a constituent process triggered by the 2019 popular uprising. The proposed constitution was widely hailed in progressive circles as a forward-looking text through which Chile would set a global standard for the great issues of the 21^st century: from sustainable development in the context of climate change to social justice and inclusion. Why was this proposal rejected? This talk will explore two possible factors -- the role of “fake news” and of political parties – and discuss the prospects of a major new constituent process in the aftermath of the failed first one.

April 22, 2022

Date & Time: April 22, 2022 @ 4PM MST

Speakers:

Vanessa Padilla

Mariana Sapienza

Santiago Silva

Title: Una Mirada a la Resistencia Latinoamericana desde la Pintura, el Teatro y el Rock DUro

Moderator: Danilo Borja

*This talk will be in Spanish

Feb. 4, 2022

Speakers: Eva Caurapán and Héctor Turra

The Chilean people voted by a vast majority in a constitutional referendum on October 25, 2020, to initiate a process to rewrite their constitution. Among issues likely to be at the forefront of this democratic participation process is recognizing Chile's Mapuche indigenous population as active political actors in the country.

In this presentation, Hector Turra, a graduate student at the Werklund School of Education and current member of the No-Neutrals independent movement, Eva Caurapán, will discuss the constitutional process development in Chile. In this conversation, Mr. Turra and Ms. Caurapán will describe the grassroots initiatives led by the constituency members, including the Mapuche perspective on transdisciplinary learning and co-production of participatory political knowledge in Chile.

Dec. 16, 2021

Speakers: Pablo Policzer

Title: Chilean Democracy From Consolidation to Fragmentation

Long held up as an example of a consolidated and well-functioning democracy, today Chile is being pulled in different directions. The social protests of 2019 triggered a constituent process toward a fairer and more participatory democracy. Yet the results of the recent first round elections threaten polarization and fragmentation. Freshly returned from Chile, where he was able to vote in the first round elections, Pablo Policzer discusses these trends in anticipation of the runoff elections of December 19.

Sept., 2020

Date and Time: September 11th @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM MST

Moderator: Conveners

During our first virtual meeting, we presented an overview of our plan for the monthly forums, and invited all members to join our mailing list.

Oct., 2020

Date and Time: October 9th @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MST

Speaker: Gonzalo Colque, Fundación TIERRA, Bolivia

Title: Bolivia después de Evo Morales

Moderator: Ben McKay

Oct. 22, 2021

Date & Time: Oct 22th @ 10:00 AM - 10:45 PM MST

Speakers: Ben M. Mckay, Alberto Alonso-Fradejas, And Arturo Ezquerro-Cañete

Title: Book Launch "Agrarian Extractivism in Latin America"

Moderator: Ben M. Mckay

Nov., 2020

Date and Time: November 13th @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MST

Speakers: Alexander Rincón Ruiz Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Jorge Rubiano Fundación Semillas de Agua, Colombia

Title: Colombia: Entre la Utopía y la Esperanza - Caminos hacia la Inclusión desde lo Ambiental

Moderator: Gabriela Alonso-Yáñez

Dec., 2020

Date and Time: December 11th @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MST

Keynote Speaker: Jonathan Fox, American University

Co-Speaker: Walter Flores, CEGSS in Guatemala

Title: Navigating action-research partnerships for accountability: Lessons from practice for theory

Moderator: Pablo Policzer

Jan., 2021

Date & Time: January 8th @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MST

Speakers: Maria Cristina Parra Sandoval, Etienne Gerardeti, Rocío Grediaga Kuri

Title: Los caminos de la movilidad social. Destinos y recorridos de estudio y trabajo de los mexicanos en el extranjero

Moderator: Danilo Borja

March, 2021

Date & Time March 12th @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MST

Speakers: José Aylwin, Observatorio Ciudadano

Juan Carlos Cayo, Consejo de Pueblos Atacameños & Universidad de Sevilla

Title: Indigenous Participation in Chile’s Constituent Process

Moderator: Pablo Policzer

*This talk will be in Spanish

Co-sponsored by CIH Energy in Society Interdisciplinary Working Group

April, 2021

Date & Time: April 9th @ 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM MST

Speakers:

Laura Montes de Oca - Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) / Institute of Social Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico

Diana Delgadillo - The Hunger Project (THP)-Mexico

Title: Gobernanza en contextos locales adversos / Governance in adverse local contexts

Moderator: Gabriela Alonso Yanez

*This talk will be in Spanish