Call for Papers - Indigenous Knowledges and Cosmopolitanism

Call for Papers

Indigenous Knowledges and Cosmopolitanism

Special Issue of Cosmopolitan Civil Societies vol. 17 no. 3, December 2025.

Indigenous knowledges have been valued for what they can contribute to western understandings. In this context, the knowledge of medicinal plants, for example in the Amazon, has become an important focus in the management of a range of diseases. The implementation of indigenous law and justice has been heralded as a success in keeping First Nations people out of the prisons of the majority culture. In these examples, indigenous knowledges are presented as supplements to western knowledge and practice, useful when it fails. Cosmopolitanism, it is claimed, can be seen in the acknowledgement of cultural diversity and the significance of indigenous knowledges and cultures as well as in the perceptions of inclusivity that emerge from these practices. In recent times, such an understanding of cosmopolitanism has been challenged.

This special issue of Cosmopolitan Civil Societies takes up this challenge. Its focus is on indigenous knowledges, as they are understood in their own societies and as they are represented in the majority culture. It considers government policies and local efforts to share the knowledge of First Nations people in the context of civil society; it explores the implementation of indigenous law and justice; it examines the ways in which indigenous culture and art are shared in a society; it investigates how indigenous documents and artefacts become part of a national heritage; and it documents efforts to maintain and expand the use of indigenous languages.

We call for original papers that address challenges to the conceptualisation of cosmopolitanism through a focus on indigenous knowledges. Papers should be between 4,000 and 8,000 words excluding references, and be accompanied by an abstract of 150 words. They should clearly address the relationship between the chosen theme and an understanding of a cosmopolitan society. Papers may be based on research, and on experience of everyday practices; we are willing to consider creative pieces demonstrating indigenous knowledge in an indigenous language, although this must be accompanied by a translation. Papers should be submitted to the journal website at: https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/mcs

The deadline for submission is 30 January 2025.