In early December, Paris will host the Conference of Parties on Climate Change. The Musee de l’Homme Research Group on Social and Natural Evolution, theInternational Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) research network (coordinated from the School of Natural Resource and Environment at the University of Michigan), and Program on Forests of the World Bank (PROFOR) announce the first annual conference of the FLARE (Forests and Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement) network. FLARE aims to advance cutting edge knowledge and practices regarding forest-based livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate change. The meeting will help improve the understanding of the approaches, methods, tools, and indicators to assess how, where, and why governance of forest and forest mosaics for improving livelihoods works, and how it can be strengthened.

We invite proposals focusing on the relationship between forests and livelihoods, the different ways in which forests are imagined, accessed, used, and governed, and the effects of attempts to reshape existing relationships. In particular, we are interested in the work of practitioners and scholars who work at the interface of forest conservation and livelihoods with the goal of sharing knowledge about their experiences and findings. We expect papers presented at the meeting to: use qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods and evidence to report on findings; examine tradeoffs and synergies in forest management and outcomes; and generate a conversation to promote greater visibility and use of key findings, methods, data, and experiences of researchers, practitioners, and decision makers alike. The conference aims to produce a summary document on the state of impact assessment and monitoring efforts, and the impacts of forestry interventions on livelihoods and biodiversity.

Proposals for oral presentations, lightning talks, posters, and workshops can address one or more of the following six sub-themes related to forests and livelihoods: 1) Governance and Landscapes; 2) Agricultural Commodities; 3) Social and Biological Aspects of Forest Dependence; 4) Impact Evaluations; 5) Pathways to Prosperity; 6) Climate

Interested participants are invited to submit abstracts (no longer than 500 words) of their proposed presentations, posters, or workshops. Abstract submission deadline is July 15, 2015. Notification of acceptance/decline will be given by August 1, 2015.

For more information on the FLARE network and the conference themes, and to submit your abstract, please go to the Events page of IFRI’s website, and select the FLARE Community of Practice Conference: http://www.ifriresearch.net/category/events/

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Reem Hajjar, PhD

Research Fellow

International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI)

University of Michigan

http://www.ifriresearch.net/