Progressive Horizons – Call for Papers

Call for Papers

Published by Proutist Universal

Progressive Horizons, published by Proutist Universal, invites submissions for its second issue.

Progressive Horizons is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the ongoing development of Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout) through research, reflection, dialogue and practical investigation.

We are interested in work that helps us better understand how human societies can organise their economic, social, ecological and cultural resources to advance collective welfare and human development.

We welcome contributions from researchers, practitioners, educators, cooperative organisers, activists, students, policymakers, writers and independent researchers. You do not need to be an expert in Prout to contribute. What matters is that your work engages meaningfully with Prout-related ideas and contributes to constructive inquiry.

Why Progressive Horizons?

“You must always ascertain which comes first, the theory or the practice. If theory succeeds practice it will definitely be materialized. One of the main variables is the time factor, and that will depend on the effort applied. The greater the effort, the less time required for its materialization. Even if little effort is applied, it will still be materialized, but after a long time.”
— P. R. Sarkar, Theory and Practice, A Few Problems Solved Part 6

Progressive Horizons is one such effort.

It is a small but deliberate effort to help develop and materialise Progressive Utilization Theory through research, reflection, dialogue and practical investigation.

Human beings have spent millennia experimenting with different ways of organising society. Through successes and failures, cooperation and conflict, prosperity and hardship, we have accumulated an enormous body of collective experience. Theory helps us interpret that experience, identify patterns and imagine new possibilities. Practice then tests those ideas in the world, generating new experiences that can refine our understanding.

Progressive Horizons exists to help keep this relationship between theory and practice in motion.

Prout emerged not simply as an abstract philosophy, but from an attempt to understand the dynamics of human society and the natural world. Its principles provide broad guidance, but their application must continually evolve according to changing conditions of time, place and people.

The work of progressive utilisation is therefore never complete.

Prout should not be treated as a rigid set of prescriptions or as a system that already possesses every answer. Its progressive spirit calls for continuous observation, experimentation, evaluation, criticism and adaptation.

Research therefore has an important role to play.

We welcome work that develops Prout, tests its propositions, applies its principles, questions its assumptions, identifies its limitations, or explores where its ideas may offer new possibilities. Constructive criticism and honest inquiry are valuable contributions to the development of Prout.

We are interested not only in what works, but also in what does not. Failed experiments, unintended consequences, unresolved tensions and critical examinations can provide insights as valuable as successful outcomes.

The future development of Prout will depend not on the authority of any individual or institution, but on our collective capacity to observe, research, experiment, reflect and share what we learn.

Progressive Horizons aims to provide a forum for that work.

What are we looking for?

We welcome original research, theoretical work, practical reports, reflective essays and other contributions that engage with Prout or related questions of progressive social development.

Contributions may explore, for example:

Social and Economic Justice

Economic democracy, decentralisation and cooperative economics
Economic concentration, inequality and systems of exploitation
Ownership, economic leakage and local economic development
Minimum essentialities, equitable distribution and social welfare
Migration, displacement, refugees and economic mobility
Economic systems that balance individual freedom with collective welfare
The rational and progressive utilisation of physical, intellectual and spiritual resources

Ecology and Sustainability

Ecological carrying capacity and the resource base of communities and bioregions
Regenerative agriculture, permaculture and sustainable resource management
Community resilience and responses to environmental change
Ecological economics and alternative models of development
Local production, consumption and resource circulation
Socio-ecological approaches to planetary wellbeing

Society, Governance and Social Dynamics

Social cycle theory and changing patterns of social organisation
Governance, constitutional and institutional design
Decentralisation and autonomous collective units
Cooperative and participatory forms of governance
World solidarity and universal humanism
Historical and contemporary analyses of social transformation
Migration as a social, economic, political and ecological phenomenon

Human Development

Education, ethics and human development
Consciousness, psychology and holistic approaches to knowledge
Physical, mental and spiritual dimensions of human development
Culture and social transformation
The relationship between personal development and collective welfare
Applications of ethical and spiritual principles to social organisation

Prout in Practice

We are particularly interested in documenting and examining Prout-related initiatives in the real world, including:

Cooperatives and community enterprises
Master Units and local development initiatives
Ecological and agricultural projects
Educational initiatives
Community-led welfare projects
Local economic experiments
Participatory governance
Experiments in decentralised resource management
Other practical applications of Prout principles

We welcome both successful and unsuccessful experiences. What was attempted, what happened, what was learned and what might be done differently can all contribute valuable knowledge.

Theory, Research and New Paradigms

We also welcome work that:

Develops or critiques Prout’s theoretical framework
Tests Prout’s propositions against empirical evidence
Uses Prout as an interpretative framework for contemporary events
Investigates Prout’s potential as a predictive framework
Compares Prout with other economic, social or ecological paradigms
Explores new applications of Prout in emerging fields
Examines where Prout’s concepts may require clarification, development or revision

We welcome methodological diversity

Research does not have to fit within a single academic tradition.

We welcome:

Quantitative research
Qualitative research
Case studies
Comparative studies
Surveys and community assessments
Interviews and oral histories
Participatory and action research
Policy analysis
Historical research
Systems modelling
Interdisciplinary research
Reflective and experiential inquiry

Research need not be conducted within a university or formal research institution. Important knowledge exists wherever people are sincerely attempting to understand and improve society.

Article Types

Progressive Horizons uses a hybrid editorial model. Some contributions undergo peer review, while others are editorially reviewed. This allows the journal to combine academic rigour with practical experience, accessibility and diverse forms of knowledge.

Article type	Description	Review	Length
Prout’s Vision	Opinion and analytical essays examining contemporary issues through a Prout perspective and proposing constructive responses.	Editorial or peer review	1,500–3,000 words
Emerging Paradigm	Original research, theoretical development or empirical studies that investigate, test, compare, develop or critically examine Prout.	Peer review	4,000–5,000 words
Experiences	Reports from practical projects and initiatives, including cooperatives, Master Units, educational projects and community experiments. Photographs and interviews are encouraged.	Editorial review	3,000–4,000 words
Interviews	Conversations with practitioners, researchers, organisers and thinkers working in Prout or related fields.	Editorial review	1,000–3,000 words
Reviews	Reviews of books, films, podcasts and other works relevant to Prout and related paradigms.	Editorial review	800–1,500 words

For Experiences, photographs are particularly encouraged. Captions do not count towards the word limit.

Authors are also encouraged to include figures, diagrams, illustrations, photographs or other visual material wherever these help communicate the work.

Who can contribute?

We welcome submissions from:

Researchers · Practitioners · Independent researchers · Cooperative organisers · Educators · Students · Activists · Policymakers · Community members · Writers · Artists and other contributors

You do not need to have a formal academic affiliation.

You do not need to have previously published academic research.

And you do not need to consider yourself a Prout expert.

If you have a serious contribution to make to the development, application or critical examination of Prout, we would like to hear from you.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions are accepted in free format. The editorial team will handle final formatting.

For full requirements, please see the Author Guidelines.

At submission

Please include:

Article type
Thematic area
Brief summary of the contribution
Explanation of its suitability for Progressive Horizons
Abstract, where applicable, of up to 250 words
Impact statement of 1–4 sentences describing the significance or practical relevance of the work

Referencing

APA 7th edition is required for peer-reviewed articles and recommended for editorially reviewed contributions that use references.

Ethics and research integrity

Research involving human or animal participants must include appropriate ethics approval, or an appropriate ethical statement where conducted independently.

All submissions should uphold the principles of neo-humanism and demonstrate respect for human dignity, other living beings and the natural environment.

Data transparency

Research articles should include a statement indicating whether relevant data are openly available, available on request, or not applicable.

Language

Peer-reviewed articles should normally be submitted in English. Submissions in other languages may be considered where an appropriately qualified reviewer is available.

Editorially reviewed contributions may be submitted in other languages. Where necessary, the editorial team may arrange translation in consultation with the author.

Submit your work

Please submit your manuscript through the Article Submission Form.

A cover letter should briefly indicate:

The type of contribution
The thematic area
What the article contributes
Why it is suitable for Progressive Horizons

We encourage prospective authors to contact the editorial team if they are unsure whether an idea is suitable. A proposal or outline can also be discussed before a full manuscript is prepared.

Email: [email protected]

Join the development of Progressive Horizons

Progressive Horizons can only fulfil its purpose as a collective endeavour.

We invite you to contribute to a growing body of research, experience and critical reflection exploring how human beings can better utilise resources, develop human potential and advance collective welfare under changing conditions.

Submit your research. Share your experience. Test an idea. Challenge an assumption. Document what you have learned. Help develop the next generation of Prout thought and practice.

Progressive Horizons
Published by Proutist Universal

Editor-in-Chief: Dr. Ralph Andrews
Editors: Prof. Christianne Dupuy · Dr. Fábio Duarte · Dr. Howard Nemon · Dada Maheshvarananda