Inclusion has been central to the concept of a learning city from the beginning. While useful work has been undertaken in addressing exclusion in both the PASCAL International Exchanges (PIE) and Learning Cities Networks (LCN) programs, global contextual shifts and issues with mass migration flows, instability and high unemployment in many countries, and structural industry changes have raised a new generation of exclusion issues to add to the traditional issues in various stages of the lifecourse. PASCAL will be addressing these issues at their 13th International Conference in Glasgow, 3-5 June, 2016.

The importance of inclusion for the UN Sustainable Development Goals is recognised in SDG 11 in the following terms:

Make inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.

PASCAL welcomes papers that address this objective as well as papers on the various areas of exclusion in the lifecourse such as disengaged youth, long term unemployed, and isolated seniors. The impact of demographic change with ageing populations in many countries adds to the importance of seniors in many cities.

Papers are welcome that address the roles and impact and impact of various stakeholders and partners in successful inclusion policies in cities such as local government authorities, libraries and museums, and various community organisations. Examples of innovative partnerships involving a range of target groups and stakeholders are particularly welcome. This is an area where traditional approaches to exclusion need to be revitalised by new ideas in building sustainable learning cities.

You will find details of how to submit abstracts in the CALLS section of the Conference website; abstracts of papers should be sent to our Submissions Team by 1 February 2016 and will be peer reviewed. Contributors will be notified regarding acceptance of their papers by 1 March 2016. For full papers to be included in the Conference proceedings, they must be submitted before 1 May 2016.

Further enquiries may also be directed to [email protected].

We very much look forward to receiving your submission.

Judith Jensen, City of Townsville, Co-ordinator of Strand 1