Deadlines for submission:
Call for submissions open date: Feb 21st 2025
Call for submissions deadline: March 28th 2025
Response to those who submitted: April 11th 2025
Call for submissions deadline: March 28th 2025
Response to those who submitted: April 11th 2025
Call for sessions:
The Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference 2025 will take place 26th/27th May in Ballina, Co Mayo, birthplace of the former President.
The Conference is a unique transdisciplinary meeting point open to all voices to connect around climate and nature concerns and actions. The organisers take inspiration and courage from the ongoing climate and nature work already happening nationally and globally while acknowledging that there is so much more to do.
This conference recognises that the climate and biodiversity crises are interlinked and are part of a wider polycrisis we face, with accompanying existential challenges. Acknowledging the worsening crisis is not easy and we need bravery and courage to face the harsh realities of our inactions. We need tenacity and support to take more radical but necessary actions that are not always accepted or administered by society at large.
The event also addresses the crisis in our courage – our courage to think and act differently to unlearn/relearn previous habits, pathways, and behaviours in terms of both everyday life and wider policy and governance change. Courage at a time of crisis can bring us much-needed connection – connection to place, to nature, and to each other, to have much-needed purposeful, courageous conversations about the climate and nature crisis. To find and sustain the courage to collectively challenge the status quo of business as usual, and to bring about changes that are positive for nature and for humanity, we need to strengthen and build authentic relationships with ourselves, each other, and the wider world, and we hope that the conference will contribute towards this goal.
We invite submissions from community groups; independent researchers; academics; policy bodies, amenity organisations, NGOs, social enterprises, and any individual or organisation that seeks to connect with others around climate and biodiversity. The format is flexible and can take the form of workshops; walks; talks; panel discussions; music; art or other creative formats. We wish to provide a supportive platform for diverse voices and diverse lived realities and hope to engage meaningful intergenerational dialogue and togetherness that has the potential to nourish attendees, as well as create fruitful connections and future actions.
The Conference is a unique transdisciplinary meeting point open to all voices to connect around climate and nature concerns and actions. The organisers take inspiration and courage from the ongoing climate and nature work already happening nationally and globally while acknowledging that there is so much more to do.
This conference recognises that the climate and biodiversity crises are interlinked and are part of a wider polycrisis we face, with accompanying existential challenges. Acknowledging the worsening crisis is not easy and we need bravery and courage to face the harsh realities of our inactions. We need tenacity and support to take more radical but necessary actions that are not always accepted or administered by society at large.
The event also addresses the crisis in our courage – our courage to think and act differently to unlearn/relearn previous habits, pathways, and behaviours in terms of both everyday life and wider policy and governance change. Courage at a time of crisis can bring us much-needed connection – connection to place, to nature, and to each other, to have much-needed purposeful, courageous conversations about the climate and nature crisis. To find and sustain the courage to collectively challenge the status quo of business as usual, and to bring about changes that are positive for nature and for humanity, we need to strengthen and build authentic relationships with ourselves, each other, and the wider world, and we hope that the conference will contribute towards this goal.
We invite submissions from community groups; independent researchers; academics; policy bodies, amenity organisations, NGOs, social enterprises, and any individual or organisation that seeks to connect with others around climate and biodiversity. The format is flexible and can take the form of workshops; walks; talks; panel discussions; music; art or other creative formats. We wish to provide a supportive platform for diverse voices and diverse lived realities and hope to engage meaningful intergenerational dialogue and togetherness that has the potential to nourish attendees, as well as create fruitful connections and future actions.
We are grateful and excited to confirm keynote speakers for the two-day event including:
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Mary Robinson, Former President, Member of The Elders, Dandelion
Anja Murray, Policy Analyst, Broadcaster and Author Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, Associate Professor in the School of STEM Education, Innovation & Global Studies at DCU Dearbhla Richardson, Youth Climate Justice Activist Dr. Elaine McGoff, Head of Advocacy with An Taisce Dr. Gerard McCarthy, Physical Oceanographer and Climate Scientist |
Prof. Hannah Daly, Prof. in Sustainable Energy at University College Cork
Prof. John Barry, Prof. of Political Science, Queens University Belfast Prof. Navjot Bhullar, Psychological Scientist and Mental Health Researcher in the Health Research Institute at University of Canberra, Australia Tom Arnold, Chair of Ireland Africa Rural Development Committee |
GUIDELINES FOR SESSION PROPOSALS
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How long are the sessions and where will they be held?
All sessions for this conference run for 40 - 60 minutes and are held in a variety of auditoriums, lecture halls, boardrooms, and open spaces in the town of Ballina, Co Mayo. Excursions can also be proposed. These should be no longer than half a day, including travel to and from the site to Ballina. What types of sessions are suitable for the Mary Robinson Climate Conference 2025? We welcome a broad range of session types including walks, talks, presentations, discussion panels, round tables, debates, readings, workshops and excursions related to climate, biodiversity, and courage in crisis. If a potential contributor has an idea for a session and is unsure of the format, do reach out to the organising committee by email to [email protected] who will be happy to help you with your queries. How do I submit a session? Proposals should be submitted via the form: https://forms.office.com/e/mcJutfKbrG |
Please note the following on session proposals:
At least half of the proposed speakers must be confirmed as willing and able to speak at the Conference by the time of submission. As an open, democratic forum, the Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference requires sessions to include time for Q&A and/or other forms of audience involvement. We therefore recommend 3, and at most 4, speakers per session (5–10 minutes per speaker). For excursions, the venue and/or access to relevant sites should also be confirmed, this should be no more than 45 minutes’ drive from Ballina. While there is no fee for organising sessions at the Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference, organizers and speakers are responsible for their travel and accommodation, as well as the applicable registration fee for participation. Are there any other criteria for submitting session proposals? Sessions must demonstrate clear relevance to the theme of climate change and nature. All submissions must be formed around a community/institutional/group affiliation/collective. The Mary Robinson Climate and Nature Conference is cognisant of issues of diversity and gender equality and we encourage a broad and rich representation of voices across session proposals. |
The conference registration fee is as follows (for the 2 day conference)
Charity/NGO’s: €60
Local Authority: €85
Corporate / Professional Admission: €150
Registration includes 2 days' attendance, a social evening, and lunch on both days. There is an optional conference event taking place on Monday at 6 pm – everyone is welcome.
Local Authority: €85
Corporate / Professional Admission: €150
Registration includes 2 days' attendance, a social evening, and lunch on both days. There is an optional conference event taking place on Monday at 6 pm – everyone is welcome.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Any questions may be directed to the Conference Committee at: [email protected]
