The symposium offers a space to discuss a state-of-the-art overview of heritage-sensitive policies related to sacred forests and spiritual landscapes, with a focus on forest conservation practices based on Indigenous ecological ways of knowing and relating to forests. The seminar will explore the concept of indigeneity as a decolonial relational approach to forest dwellers that overcomes the rigid, top-down definition of who are Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs). The seminar highlights recent advancements in interdisciplinary research, decolonial methodologies, political ecology analysis and ethical approaches to the conservation of sacred natural sites and spiritual landscapes. 

Presentation

By gathering scholars working across the Indo-Burma and South Asia regions, open to different disciplines, the seminar will analyze the policy frameworks as they relate to forest conservation in this region. This will set the stage for reflection on the current mainstream practices towards IPLCs through a political ecology lens. The seminar aims to foster dialogue, share best practice, and lay the groundwork for future collaborative research.

Join the conversation on the 5th of November at Chiang Mai University the symposium that offers a space to discuss a state-of-the-art overview of heritage-sensitive conservation policies in Southern Asia and the Indo-Burma terrestrial ecoregions.

This event brings together cutting-edge transdisciplinary perspectives from Indigenous and expert scholars with long-lasting, grounded research in territories affected by multiple threats to spiritual landscapes, livelihood practices and systems of value.

The symposium will highlight and critically examine bottom-up, community-led conservation policies, where Indigenous peoples and local communities are central actors - not only in protecting biodiversity, but also in sustaining cultural heritage and value systems that sustain life and conservation from within.

The symposium is hybrid. Book your spot here:

In collaboration with: Dr Anne Hertzog, PLACES Lab, CY Cergy Paris Université Cergy Paris University

In the context of: SPIRAL project, funded by the EUTOPIA SIF alliance (Grant Agreement : 945380) ideated and curated by Alessandra Manzini (CY Cergy Paris Université) and the BA Heritage project coordinated by Dr. Marco J Haenssgen funded by the The British Academy (ref. IOCRG\101013). Promoted by Planetary Well Being Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Programme

• 12.00-13.00 Guidance for the Delphi survey
• 12.00-13.00 Registration and welcome lunch
• 13.00-13.20 Welcome, Marco J Haenssgen, Alessandra Manzini
• 13.20-13.40 Keynote Shonil Bhagwat: Sacred forests in space and time

Panel 1

• 13.40-14.00 M.K.S. Pasha: Bridging Heritage and Biodiversity: Protected, Conserved, and Heritage Areas in Asia’s Sacred Landscapes
• 14.00-14.20 Prasert Trakansuphakorn (title TBC)
• 14.20-14.40 B.K. Tiwari: Forest conservation practices and associated institutions of the indigenous people of north-east India
• 14.40-15.00 Koustab Majumdar: Cultural Worlds of Forests: Santhal Perspectives on Sacred Landscapes and Conservation

15.00-15.15 Dialogue Q&A

15.15-15.30 Coffee break

Panel 2

• 15.30-15.50 Nining Liswanti: Integrating Local Knowledge and Sacred Forests for Effective Forest Conservation: Lessons from Maluku Island
• 15.50-16.10 Sandy Leo: The Indigenous Peoples and Nature Conservation: A Study from the Dayak Iban Ethnic Group at Sungai Utik, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
• 16.10-16.30 Alison Ormsby: Using Mixed Methods to Research Sacred Forests in India

16.45-17.00 Coffee break

Panel 3

• 17.00-17.20 Ashley Massey Marks: Shinto shrine forests and happiness in Japan
• 17.20-17.40 Pao Vue: In Search of Forest Spirits in Lao PDR
• 17.40-18.00 David Hecht: Relational Environmental Governance: Centering Local Knowledge of Bhutan’s Spiritual Landscapes in Conservation Practice
• 18.00-18.20 Alexander Greene: Linking Faith and Conservation in Sacred and Community Forests of Far Western Nepal

18.20-18.35 Dialogue Q&A

18.35-19.00 Wrap-up - Lessons learned and prospects for co-authored position paper

19.00-19.30 Nibbles and networking