Religious, cultural and societal fractures have seen rises in authoritarianism and nationalism across the world, and threats and perceived threats have been used to justify the stifling and marginalisation of voices of opposition and dissent. Hard-won progress and freedoms are being questioned and undermined, and questions of peace, security and human security abound. In this period of great global social, economic, political and environmental instability, the future is for many a place of great uncertainty and fear.
However, in any period of great change, and undoubted challenge, there is also a great opportunity to harness and nurture these forces. The future is not yet written, and the powerful heuristic of sustainability has become a reality in many areas, where human creativity, imagination and technological advances have helped to make the world a better place. From small individual initiatives within families, communities and places of work, to the larger and more long-term development initiatives of governments and supranational institutions, exemplified by the UN’s 2030 goals, human resourcefulness is being used in pursuit of the common goal of a sustainable world.
The European Conference on the Social Sciences 2018 (ECSS2018) is a multidisciplinary conference held concurrently with The European Conference on Sustainability, Energy & the Environment 2018 (ECSEE2018). Keynote, Featured and Spotlight Speakers will provide a variety of perspectives from different academic and professional backgrounds. Registration for either of these conferences permits attendance in both.