Making hope possible

On scaling up engaged scholarship for socio-ecological transformation

3^rd International Transdisciplinary Biennial on Environmental Justice

August, 25-29, 2024

From August 25 to 29, the third international biennial on the topic of “Environmental Justice” took place at the Lassalle-Haus, attended by experts from over twenty countries. The conference was organized by the Lassalle-Institut and was entitled “Making hope possible” - making hope tangible by expanding transdisciplinary cooperation in the field of socio-ecological transformation. The event was aimed at academic leaders, researchers, students, activists and decision-makers in business, administration and politics.

The event's coordinator, Fr. Tobias Karcher, thanked the over 50 participants and reminded them that the event is a platform for exchange between committed scientists and reflective practitioners.

This year's keynote speakers were Bianca Vienni Baptista from the Department of Environmental Systems Science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (=ETH), Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Head of the Land Systems and Sustainable Resource Use Unit at the University of Bern, Fr. Roberto Jaramillo, Director of the Secretariat for Social Justice and Ecology of the General Curia in Rome, and Amar KJR Nayak from the Xavier Institute of Management in India. He specializes in the promotion of regenerative ecosystems. “Indigenous communities, which have thousands of years of history, focus on resilience, human relationships and connection to nature. They view nature as sacred and value the sovereignty and dignity of life,” he emphasized. “In contrast, corporations focus on risk minimization, financial resources and formal dialogues to guide collaboration. They address climate issues with limited measures such as reducing harmful emissions and are confronted with human rights violations.” The contrast between these two types of human organizations was explored during a one-day exchange, which was followed by a meditative walk and a cultural exchange.

Please find the call for papers below.

For questions about our key concepts on Transdisciplinarity which we are approaching see here:

Academic Committee (continually updated)

Sabine Bieri, Stefan Einsiedel, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Alberto Irezabal, Martin Kolmar, Daniel Lang, Jaqueline Loos, Amar Nayak, Vanja Romlin, Peter Rožič, Maria Dolores Sanchez Galera, Barbara Schellhammer, Ivo Wallimann-Helmer, Sascha Spoun, Peter Stücheli-Herlach, Pedro Walpole

Organizational Committee (continually updated)

Valerio Ciriello, Diana Giraldo, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Tobias Karcher, Alberto Irezabal, Jacqueline Loos, Fabian Moos, Vanja Romlin, Peter Rožič, Maria Dolores Sanchez Galera, Peter Stücheli-Herlach, Robert Unteregger, Pedro Walpole

For further questions, please contact info@lassalle-institut.org