WCEH 2009: "Local Livelihoods And Global Challenges: Understanding Human Interaction With The Environment"
Worldwide, humans interact with the environment to make their living, create artifacts, recreate, reflect their belief systems, and to survive. Humans have changed the face of the Earth considerably and have experienced both resilience and degradation of natural systems. Environmental historians in many fields study these interactions and aim their explorations toward a sustainable future.
The first World Congress for Environmental History (WCEH) will bring together around 600 scholars from more than 50 countries Worldwide providing a unique opportunity to learn from each other and together create an overarching picture of the historic relationship of people and the environment through time. Interactions are found on many scales, from the local to the global. Resource issues cross national borders and cross ecosystem boundaries. Looking at our challenges from multiple perspectives, multiple spatial and temporal scales, and varied politics, economies, and disciplines is the only way to enlighten the complex challenges of creating a sustainable future.
The World Congress will offer opportunities for all member organizations to meet and present themselves. It will bring a wide range of high-quality research papers to a diverse audience and seeks to discuss the political relevance of environmental history. We hope you come and share your results and questions with those of scholars from all over the world.
ICEHO
The International Consortium of Environmental History Organizations (ICEHO) is made up of organizations interested in environmental history. The aim of the Consortium is to foster international communication among its member organizations. Specific goals include sharing information, learning from the successes and failures of others, and discussing common issues, concerns, and challenges.
Membership is open to all organizations for which an important component of their focus is the history of the human interaction with the environment. An organization need not be solely focused on history nor solely focused on issues of environmental history to participate.
Member organizations will have a full voice in the activities of the Consortium. Initial projects for the Consortium include a web site for informational purposes, a discussion list for member organizations, and periodic international meetings of member organizations and others. Additional projects, programs and activities will be determined by the membership.
Funding
It is the goal of the Congress to ensure as wide a representation of participants as possible. The Congress invites organizations, associations, corporations, and governments to provide support to enable students and scholars from under-represented countries to attend. If you come from a low-income or under-represented country, please check our our funding page for possible avenues of support.