Hope in Action:

Community-Engaged Scholarship and Practice for

Integral Ecology, Environmental Justice

and Sustainability

4^th Biennial International Transdisciplinary Conference

August 19-23, 2026, Switzerland

The 2026 Biennial International Transdisciplinary Conference on Environmental Justice at the Lassalle-Institute (Switzerland) will provide a dynamic platform for environmental justice communities, engaged scientists and reflective practitioners working toward social-ecological transformation.

This biennial conference on environmental justice will explore how transdisciplinary, action-oriented collaboration can make hope possible amid the deepening crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, global injustice, and migration. Inspired by the environmental and social encyclical Laudato Si’, we seek to hear and respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. As Raymond Williams said, “To be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing.”

As an institution of the Society of Jesus, the Lassalle-Institute fosters inter- and transdisciplinary dialogue, engaging different spiritual and cultural traditions, environmental justice communities, scientific disciplines, practitioners, institutions, and agencies seeking solutions for the common good.

Welcome to the biennial conference “Hope in Action”

Coming from approaches such as “engaged scholarship” (van de Ven 2007, Barge & Shockley-Zarabac 2008) and transdisciplinarity (Mittelstrass 2003, Hirsch Hadorn et al. 2008, Rigolot 2020, Merçon 2022), our discussions will focus on concepts such as transformative science (Schneidewind & Singer-Brodowski 2014), active hope (Macy & Johnstone 2012/2022) and on the crossing of the impossible (Pelluchon 2023). In 2026, our conference will be dedicated to the investigation of these concepts and their scientific as well as their practical consequences.    

Grounded in Jesuit and Laudato Si’ principles, the conference highlights Integral Ecology as a shared framework connecting disciplines and communities of practice. It fosters dialogue between faith and science and builds on collaborations among universities, research institutes, and global partners.

Please find the call for papers below:

Where and when

The Conference will be held at the aki Zurich, Hirschengraben 86, 8001 Zurich, the student chaplaincy accompanied by the Jesuits. It will take place from Wednesday, August 19, 18:00 to Sunday, August 23, 2026, 09:00, beginning with dinner and ending after breakfast.           
The participation fee is CHF 400. This includes attendance at the conference as well as shared lunches and dinners. For accommodation, we recommend the Hotel St. Josef right next to the Jesuit Community or the Youth Hostel in Zurich.

For participants from the Global South, we offer a limited number of stipends for travel costs and a reduction of the conference participation fee of 50%. To apply for a travel stipend and a reduced participation fee, contact info@lassalle-institut.org by January 31st, 2026.

For questions about our key concepts on transdisciplinarity which we are approaching see here:

Register here for the Conference 2026

Impressions of our 3rd International Biennial on Environmental Justice 2024 "Making Hope Possible"

For further questions, please contact info@lassalle-institut.org