SAIS Perspectives is currently accepting submissions for our:
WE ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS ON A ROLLING BASIS. PLEASE READ BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS.
2023/24 ISSUE Theme:
Towards a ‘just transition’
Tackling the issue of climate change demands expediency and action. However, in driving the sustainable transition, some approaches have served to perpetuate global inequalities and power imbalances. As the United Nations Development Program highlights, “abrupt change can incur a hefty price for workers and society,” suggesting that the sustainable transition, just like other economic transitions before it, will inadvertently create both positive and negative impacts for communities across the globe. From land-grabs by conservation giants to fraudulent carbon markets, sustainability-focused policies and initiatives have further disenfranchised some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. At the same time, new, more equitable solutions to development and sustainability challenges are being explored, such as farmer-led agroecological food systems and Indigenous-led natural climate solutions.
This year, Perspectives challenges students to take on the concept of a ‘Just Transition,’ and tackle some of the biggest questions relevant to current climate action:
How can the world respond to the realities of ‘green colonialism’?
What climate or development policies have the best chance of fostering equity and environmental justice?
Who are the current winners and losers of the sustainable transition?
What false solutions should the global community be paying attention to?
What are the risks of allowing profitability to drive the sustainable transition?
How can countries address the underlying forces that promote global inequality amidst the increasing urgency of climate and development challenges?
We invite contributors to explore the principle of a ‘just transition’ through a range of interdisciplinary lenses, both critical and hopeful. Whether your passion is development or security, human rights or finance, we want to uplift your ideas about equality and justice in the sustainable transition. We want to hear about the ideological and the technical, the theory and the practice, and offer our readers deeper insight into the many nuances, contradictions, and possibilities of the sustainable transition.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
We are eager to hear from a range of voices from across disciplines in order to provide robust policy discussions, collaboration in research, and a platform for individuals to share their observations on the issues.
SAIS Perspectives welcomes blog posts and articles on key challenges and opportunities in the international development, climate, and sustainability sectors. New contributions have the opportunity to be featured in our Development, Climate, & Sustainability Blog or Annual Issue. In addition, we have reopened our Summer Intern Series, where students are invited to share about their recent professional experiences related to development, climate, and sustainability.
Blog Piece criteria:
300-700 words
Blog Pieces should use in-text links for web-sources and Chicago footnotes for other sources
Posts should be written for an "educated layperson" audience
Posts CAN be accompanied by other media (pictures, videos or infographics)
Article Criteria:
1000-2000 words
Articles should be academic in style AND SHOULD USE CHICAGO-STYLE ENDNOTE CITATIONS, WITH HYPERLINKS ACCEPTABLE IN SPECIAL CASES.
Students may use class papers as a starting point
Articles can be accompanied by other media (pictures, videos or infographics)