Skip to main content Skip to local navigation

The Geotechnical Politics of Ocean Frontiers: The Canadian North & the Indo-Pacific | An Interdisciplinary Workshop on Peace & Security

Friday, 28 April 2017 | 9am to 6:30pm | York University

This workshop explores the politics of constructing ‘Peace’ and attaining ‘Security’ through interdisciplinary analytical frameworks of ‘Frontier Studies.’

The keynote address will be given by peace prize winning The Honourable Peggy Mason, former Canadian Ambassador and current President of the Rideau Institute.

Investigating frontiers, particularly probing ocean frontier politics is part of a larger inquiry into the earthly politics of using science, technology and international law to construct maritime boundaries and new frontiers of resource ownership. Such politics also involves marine and maritime infrastructural development, and is furthermore interrelated systematically to the science and technology of how space above and below the waterways are constructed, i.e. how national airspace is understood, bordered, and governed above maritime boundaries; how national land areas below the water is understood; and how the seabed resources below waterways are envisioned and exploited as national economic resources. Ocean frontier politics are matters of regional risks and international security, due to an escalating arms race between maritime nations, triggered by unsettled territorial claims and ensuing power struggle in maritime expansion and resource extraction. Workshop participants are from academic, government, nongovernment, corporate and media sectors.

This workshop is organized by the Ocean Frontiers Working group under Science for Peace, Canada in collaboration with the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and the York Centre for Asian Research. 

Please RSVP to ycar@yorku.ca.