The Union for Radical Political Economics (URPE) is hosting its annual Summer Conference, Aug. 21-24. Below is a full description of the conference topic and travel information, but I would like to make you all aware of some special events we're planning to help graduate students with dissertation topics, job search, etc., and to foster relationships between more established economists and younger economists (and economists-to-be).
First, this year, we are offering up to 20 scholarships for graduate students which make the entire three day event, including food and a bed, only $50. We would like to encourage students to also submit papers. These papers can be works in progress or dissertation proposals.
Second, to encourage student attendance and participation, we will be dedicating Sunday evening to a forum geared towards graduate students. Part of the evening will be devoted to forums on the job market, finishing the dissertation, publishing. Our goal is to foster some mentoring by more established economists through introducing people with similar interests. The evening will then become a "social hour" where students and established economists can share ideas and interests in an informal setting. Graduate students should bring with them to the conference a brief (2 - 5 min.) statement of dissertation interests for the graduate student mentorship evening.
Please contact Heather Boushey (see bottom of this message for contact information) regarding the graduate student events.
Now, the Conference:
Political Economy, the Environment, and Economic Crisis Union for Radical Political Economics’ 31st Summer Conference
Saturday-Tuesday August 21-24, 1999 Camp Chinqueka, Connecticut
Radical political economy has long dealt with economic crisis, but the environment has gotten short shrift in comprehensive strategies on the left that combat poverty and oppression and support radical social change. Human impact on the environment – pollution, waste disposal, ozone depletion, over-consumption of non-renewable resources such as oil and gas, mismanagement of renewable resources such as forests and waterways – affects and is affected by the inequalities generated by the capitalist system.
In a world of ever-depleting over-used resources in which financial capital flows have a grip on the world economy, growth is the buzzword that attracts foreign capital. However, growth brings environmental degradation and increases inequality. Environmental sustainability is the ability of the world population to maintain a balance with the eco-system. This sustainability hinges on economic justice and equitable distribution of the world’s resources. Radical environmentalists have long held this position. Yet the environmental debate from an economic point of view ignores the importance of redistribution and focuses on two liberal questions regarding sustainability. The first question is: how can growth continue without further sacrificing environmental quality? The second question is: how can growth continue in a rapidly changing and uncertain global economy?
Radical political economic analysis must refocus these questions to address environmental imperialism, poverty, and social change. Come join this summer’s plenary speakers who will be addressing questions such as: Is growth a ‘good’ or a ‘bad’? How fast can the first world deplete the third world of its resources? Must underdeveloped countries grow to pollute and pollute to grow? Who pays for ozone depletion? How do we address over-consumption, poverty, and environmental and economic inequality?
The evening sessions to which all are invited offer theoretical, policy, and activist perspectives on the nexus between political economy, environment, and crisis.
Plenary 1: Moving Forward: Integrating Environmentalism and Political Economy
Environmentalists and activists find it hard to speak the technical language of distribution, cost, property rights, and rational choice that environmental economists use to quantify and qualify how people and lands are affected by environmental degradation and pollution. While much of the cost-benefit analysis and market-based property rights solutions to pollution control were inspired by the Reagan/Bush counter-revolution, a radical political economic critique using these same ‘tools’ can turn conservative environmental arguments on their heads to support environmental protection efforts and combat environmental racism. Discover the vocabulary and learn the language of environmental protection, normative preferences, and marketing of pollution rights that negatively affect poor and indigenous people disproportionately.
Plenary 2: Confronting Capitalism: How Should the Global Economy Be Governed?
The global economy is a stage for competing interests of international financial institutions, national governments, international investors and international producers. The neo-liberal goal of free trade and the drive for profit are pitted against sustainable growth, equitable distribution, and the desire of many local and indigenous people to control their own resources.
This plenary will discuss political and economic institutions that impose short-term, profit driven economic policies that dismiss concerns of environmental degradation. Also, speakers will explain how inequality exacerbates environmental racism and classism and how conflicts develop between job growth, economic growth and environmental sustainability. These inequalities and conflicts occur both within and between North and South. Some of these conflicts include violent environmental disputes, free trade agreements, and labor-environment and environment-consumption trade-offs.
Plenary 3: Struggles for Environmental and Social Justice Communities and individuals who choose to protect or sustain the environment surrounding them are subject to violent oppression and loss of control over their resources when rapacious business interests come knocking on the door. Activists share their stories of success and challenges in building labor-environment coalitions, developing energy projects on native lands, combating environmental racism, and challenging traditional gender roles to become stewards of the resources they need to survive.
General information
The conference is held in a camp with classroom facilities – it’s probably the most relaxed atmosphere for intellectual debate in which you will ever participate. The conference starts Saturday afternoon and runs through Tuesday noon, August 21-24, 1999. Conference fees cover the cost of the conference, food, and lodging in communal cabins/tents. Conference fees are on a sliding scale based on household income. Families are welcome, childcare is provided, and the food keeps getting better every year!
We hope to see you at Camp Chinqueka for an exciting and challenging conference. The theme of the conference is reflected in the speakers that are invited to the plenary sessions held each evening of the conference. Activists, students, teachers, and others are invited to share their ideas, strategies, struggles, and theories in concurrent sessions held during the day. If you want to present on a topic (which need not be related to the conference topic), please contact Susan Fleck at <susan_fleck at yahoo.com>. We hope you will join us for this exciting and path-breaking conference this coming August. For more information on costs, directions, etc., please check out our website at <WWW.URPE.ORG>.
-- Heather Boushey, Ph.D. Research Department NYC Housing Authority 250 Broadway, Room 711 New York, NY 10007 Phone: 212-306-3372; Fax: 212-306-7905 hboushey at csi.com