Call for Papers and Participants – 21st WIRE Workshop

Balancing Transitions in the Arctic:

Indigenous Perspectives on EU Green Policies and Europe’s Future

Academic Workshop UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles

1 July (afternoon) – 2 July (midday)

Organizing committee

• Eleni Kavvatha, PhD researcher UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles
• Amandine Orsini, Prof. UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles
• François Thoreau, Associate Professor, University of Liège, Belgium

Topic

Europe is undergoing profound transformations driven by the European Green Deal, climate change adaptation imperatives, shifting geopolitical dynamics, and growing demand for energy and critical raw materials. While these transitions are central to Europe’s vision of a sustainable and secure future, they also generate uneven social, environmental, and political impacts. Indigenous communities—particularly the Sámi of the European Arctic—are among those most directly affected by land-use change, renewable energy expansion, mining, and large-scale infrastructure development.
This interdisciplinary workshop invites critical reflection on the intersections of EU climate and energy policies, Indigenous rights, and Arctic futures. It aims to examine not only how Europe’s green and geopolitical transitions reshape Indigenous territories and livelihoods, but also and most of all explores how Indigenous governance systems, legal claims, and knowledge challenge dominant models of sustainability and development.
The workshop indeed positions Indigenous rights and justice as central to Europe’s green transition, encouraging dialogue between scholars, Indigenous representatives, policy professionals, and civil society actors.
Key themes and questions include (but are not limited to):

• Justice, equity, and inclusion in EU climate, energy, and resource governance in the Arctic
• Indigenous land rights, cultural landscapes, and environmental governance
• Sámi experiences of renewable energy development, mining, and infrastructure expansion
• Indigenous knowledge, participation, consultation, and representation in EU policymaking
• Arctic geopolitics, security concerns, and pressures toward resource extraction

Who can participate
We welcome contributions and participation from:

• Scholars and researchers across disciplines (political science, law, geography, anthropology, environmental studies, Indigenous studies, EU studies)
• Sámi and other Indigenous representatives
• NGO practitioners and civil society actors
• Policy professionals and institutional representatives
• Graduate and postgraduate students
• Youth activists and engaged practitioners

Submission and participation

Participants may propose:

• Short paper presentations
• Policy reflections or case studies
• Practitioner or Indigenous-led interventions
• Contributions to roundtable discussions

Submission Format

Participants interested in contributing to the workshop are invited to submit a short abstract outlining their proposed contribution.

Abstract requirements

Length: 250–300 words
Content:

• Title of the proposed contribution
• Brief description of the topic, research question, or policy issue addressed
• Indication of relevance to the workshop themes (Indigenous rights, EU climate/energy policies, Arctic governance, justice, sustainability, etc.)
• For empirical or case-based contributions: a short description of methods or approach

Format: Word or PDF
Language: English
Presentation format
Accepted contributions will be presented as 10–15 minute interventions, followed by discussion. Some submissions may be grouped into thematic panels or roundtables.

Important dates

• Abstract submission deadline: 23 March
• Workshop dates: 1 July (afternoon) – 2 July (midday)

Sponsors :

Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique – FNRS – CReSPo Centre for Research in Political Science

Applications:

The abstract along with a short CV are to be sent to eleni.kavvatha@uclouvain.be under the title: Application to 21st WIRE workshop