Exploring the Dimensions of Self-Sufficiency for New Brunswick

The New Brunswick and Atlantic Studies Research and Development Centre
St. Thomas University
9-10 May 2008

The DEADLINE for submissions is 30 November 2007.

In any large federation of provinces such as Canada, the relationship between the centre and the regions is always in flux, an evolving set of negotiations around tangibles (resources, transfers, services) and intangibles (culture, identity, citizenship). The Atlantic region knows the history of these negotiations well. Regional protest movements and various schemes for political and economic autonomy have aimed at decentralizing a federal system that has been perceived to be unjust in its provision of equal standards for all Canadians.

Self-Sufficiency is the most recent of these initiatives, a broad plan for economic and social reform in a province seeking alternatives to resource-based industry and federal dependency. But what does Self-Sufficiency really mean? What is the political ideology that drives it? And what are its implications for education, the environment, social programmes, workers’ rights, health care, social equality, rural sustainability, cultural subsidy, and citizenship?

This multidisciplinary conference invites proposals for papers that explore the many dimensions of Self-Sufficiency. We invite proposals that examine the history of similar initiatives in the region, and that consider the political ground and structural apparatus of such a scheme. We invite analyses that consider Self-Sufficiency in global terms (related, perhaps, to deep integration or deregulation of trade blocks) or regional terms (related, perhaps, to Atlantica or the preservation of distinct linguistic and cultural communities).

Proposal Guidelines: We welcome proposals in both official languages from scholars, students, and citizens. Please submit a 150-200 word abstract for a twenty-minute paper presentation, a poster presentation, or a roundtable discussion (3 persons) about the theme. As well, be sure to include the following: • Name, position and institution of first presenter • E-mail address • Mailing address • Telephone and Fax Numbers • Name(s), position(s) and institution(s) of co-presenter(s) • Format (presentation, poster, roundtable) • Session title.

Abstracts should be submitted by mail or in the body of an e-mail to Nathan Hoyt, NBASRDC Assistant, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5G3, nbasrdc@stu.ca. Abstracts will be reviewed for quality and relevance to the theme. For more information contact Nathan Hoyt, (506) 452-7704. We are exploring ways in which to publish proceedings.

The mission of the NBASRDC is to enrich, expand, and develop knowledge about Atlantic Canada, particularly the province of New Brunswick, through individual, collaborative, interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research studies.