Journal of Human Rights and Social Work - Call for Papers: Environmental and Climate Justice: Intersecting Rights of Humans and the Natural World

The Journal of Human Rights and Social Work is now inviting manuscript contributions for the upcoming special issue Environmental and Climate Justice: Intersecting Rights of Humans and the Natural World. Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to the survival of humans, other life, and the natural context that supports life. Escalating environmental threats are a human rights concern intricately intertwined with social, political, and economic inequities. People and communities vulnerable by identity and/or geography are at highest risk.

The World Health Organization has identified climate change as a major human health threat. Rising air, water, and land temperatures have now destabilized our ecosystems. The escalation of environmental threats is intertwined with the escalation of climate disasters. Despite the increasing risk, little attention has been given in the social work literature on including local, community, and systemic environmental issues. Even less has focused on the connections between the rights of humans, nature, and the ecology. 

We welcome submissions based on Indigenous practices, cultural models, community responses, and interdisciplinary interventions/research.

We are interested in submissions that address the multifaceted issues that cross environmental and social justice, explore human rights concerns and the rights of nature, and engage social work perspectives. We seek conceptual, empirical, and personal reflections for practice or teaching. 

Cathryne L. Schmitz and Lacey M. Sloan are guest editors for this special issue. All submissions must be in APA format. Manuscripts are due May 15, 2024. 

Submission guidelines for the journal can be found here (this opens in a new tab).