Call for Special Sessions
June 15–19, 2026 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Treaty 1 Territory and National Homeland of the Red River Métis
Theme: Honouring the Spirit of Water – Bringing together diverse knowledge streams in a climate of change
Honorer l’esprit de l’eau – Réunir divers courants de connaissances dans un climat de changement
The Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) invites proposals for Special Sessions at the 2026 CWRA National Conference. Our theme, Honouring the Spirit of Water, calls for gratitude, humility, reciprocity, action, and ceremony. It reminds us that water is a living part of our ecosystem: one that sustains all forms of life and connects us to one another and to the land. As stewards, we are called to take collective actions that support healing, adaptation, and renewal, fostering a resilient future grounded in balance and interconnectedness.
We are seeking submissions for sessions focused on ways we can bring together cultures and disciplines to navigate a climate faced with environmental, social, and economic challenges, reflecting water as a living force that both connects and sustains us.
We encourage proposals that highlight innovation, Indigenous-led stewardship, social justice, water rights, diverse ways of knowing, and collaborative actions to address the challenges we strive to overcome.
Submission Deadline
**Special Session proposals must be emailed to CWRA2026@cwra.org by December 19, 2025
While all water-related topics are welcome, we will prioritize proposals aligning with our core subthemes:
Diverse Knowledge Systems: Indigenous knowledge systems, Western scientific knowledge, community-driven science and knowledge sharing.
Advocacy, Governance & Policy: Water rights, sovereignty, transboundary cooperation, water governance, co-management, decolonizing water, and transformational change.
Indigenous-led Stewardship & Action: Community-led initiatives, co-management and decision-making, water guardianship and cultural water stewardship, restoring traditional practices, and safeguarding water.
Advances in Water Science & Technology: AI, digital twins, remote sensing, and decision support tools such as hydraulic, hydrological, and systems modelling.
Education & Literacy: Training future leaders, knowledge mobilization, land-based learning, sacred teachings, and cross-sector learning tools.
Water in a Changing Climate:
- Environmental – Addressing shifts due to stressors through increased resiliency, adaption, and mitigation.
- Political – Jurisdictional aspects, shared waters, and water security.
- Economic – Sectoral pressures and energy challenges.
Special Sessions are focused on a specific theme or topic and they can be organized by individuals or groups who wish to gather to share their knowledge and perspectives related to that topic.
Various formats for these sessions are encouraged and can include, but are not limited to, the following approaches:
- Invited speaker presentations
- Lightning talks and/or panel discussions
- Sharing circles, story telling, oral teachings and/or readings, or ceremonies
- Armchair dialogue-based or interactive sessions
- Joint practitioner-researcher-community conversations
Sessions can range from a technical focus to interdisciplinary, cultural, and/or community-led approaches.
We encourage anyone to submit session ideas. We would appreciate these ideas being submitted via a brief proposal (1–2 pages) based on the following proposed format:
- Session Title
- Description (approx. 150–250 words)
- Theme, purpose, and relevance to the 2026 conference
- How the session reflects or honours the Spirit of Water
- Organizer(s)
- Name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information
- Anticipated Speakers / Contributors
- Confirmed or potential presenters and contributors, and their areas of knowledge and expertise
- Session Format
- e.g., presentations, panel, lightning talks, community conversation, ceremony, sharing circle, etc.
If accepted, session organizers will be responsible for:
- Encouraging abstract submissions or participation in their session (as applicable)
- Collaborate with the Conference Organizing Committee on session details (as applicable)
- Communicating with session contributors/participants regarding session logistics
- Chairing, co-chairing, facilitating, or hosting the session during the conference (as applicable)
The Organizing Committee reserves the right to merge or adjust sessions depending on the number of submissions received.
Please contact the CWRA 2026 Organizing Committee at CWRA2026@cwra.org.
We look forward to your creative, insightful, and inspiring ideas to help us honour the spirit of water and develop a conference program that reflects diverse knowledge systems, shared responsibility, and collaborative action.
