Call for Case Studies on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Landscapes and Seascapes( IUCN/WCPA Task Force)

Call for Case-studies on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Landscapes and Seascapes     We are seeking case-studies and chapter authors for an upcoming publication on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Landscapes, to be published in September 2008 in time for the IUCN World Conservation Congress.  It will be the second volume in the new series, Values of Protected Landscapes and Seascapes, a project of the IUCN-WCPA Protected Landscapes Task Force (PLTF) [1] .  This volume is a joint initiative of the PLTF and the IUCN-WCPA Task Force on Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas. The Volume Editor is Josep-Maria Mallarach.  Volume editorial advisory team: Jessica Brown, Thymio Papayannis and Robert Wild.  Series editorial advisory team: Thora Amend, Jessica Brown, Ashish Kothari, Adrian Phillips and Sue Stolton.   This publication will bring out case-studies from around the world illustrating the array of cultural, spiritual and artistic values of protected landscapes. The format will include a core of 10 – 12 case-study chapters, supplemented by 3 - 5 shorter boxes, with color illustrations and an introductory chapter providing an overview and synthesis.  Core chapters will be 5,000 – 7,500 words in length; boxes will be 1,000 words in length.   A number of case-studies have been identified already, and we are seeking additional proposals to ensure a balanced volume. Criteria for selecting case studies for this volume will include:

• Sites must be a designated Category V protected area, or equivalent, or be managed as such;
• A diversity of examples illustrating the different kinds of values of protected landscapes– cultural, spiritual, and artistic;
• A diversity of case-studies representing different geographic regions, cultures, religions/spiritual practices; and
• Recognized significance of cultural, artistic and/or spiritual values, such as Cultural/Natural World Heritage Sites or sites included in the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Deadline for submission of final manuscripts and illustrations will be:  24 May 2008, with review and editing during June-July 2008. Chapter authors must be prepare to commit to the above time-table.  We are encouraging co-authoring, particularly so as to involve local and indigenous leaders from the case-study sites.  A modest honorarium will be offered for preparation of the core case-study chapters. [1] Volume I of this series, Protected Landscapes and Agrobiodiversity Values, can be viewed at http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/pubs/subject/protectedlandscape.html