Important ISEE XV Congress Update

We are one month before the event and we would like to REQUEST YOUR COLLABORATION to make the events as successful as possible.

15th Congress of the International Society
for Ecological Economics

2018 Mexico
Ecological Economics and Socio-ecological Movements: Science, policy and challenges to global processes in a troubled world

A bi-lingual conference
10, 11, and 12 September 2018 in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico

Collaboration Needed

We have more than 400 people registered to participate in the academic programs. However, only 210 people have paid the registration fee and this is creating a serious problem of planning and financing.  We have gone out of our way to involve indigenous and peasant communities and artisans in providing services and goods for the event, but they have no possibility of self-financing and while the Universities have been extremely generous, they do not have the possibility of financing many of the “consumables” that we require.  SOOOOO…we urgently need your collaboration in depositing the registration fees for the events

Complementary Events

There are a number of complementary events that also require your attention:

Pre-Conference Retreat

The pre-conference “retreat” in a nearby indigenous community offers a unique opportunity for our visitors to interact with a group of peasants with a long experience in organizing peasant-to-peasant schools. At present we have only 10 people who have registered to participate in this event. Registration for this event and the ISEE dinner will be closing on 15 August.

Post-Conference Tours

We are also organizing at least three post-conference “tours”.

1. One will be an overnight stay in the Sierra Norte about three hours from Puebla.  During various decades these communities have organized cooperatives and become involved in extraordinary political processes that are excellent examples of ecological economics in action.
2. A one-day trip involves a visit to an exemplary “project” of social control of a protected reserve and a very large scale water management project.
3. A third trip involves a 2-3 day trip to the Sierra Juarez of Oaxaca where the communities have developed their own alternative to the “buen vivir” of the Andean region.

While we are not asking for pre-payment, we would appreciate expressions of interest and commitments for these activities to allow appropriate planning.

Your Help is Needed

I cannot stress enough the seriousness of our problem of liquidity and also our commitment to make this event as successful as possible.  But, I would also like to close emphasizing that NOBODY will be allowed to even listen to the presentations without evidence of having paid the registration fees. The ISEE decided to convoke the XV Congress in Mexico with the implication that little financial support will be available from public institutions, but the ISEE is not able to subsidize the event.  At present we have a VERY serious financial problem and hope that you will understand the need for your collaboration and solidarity.

Fraternally,
David Barkin, Coordinator, XV Congress, ISEE