Call for Abstracts: PEGASUS Hybrid Conference 2026
We invite submissions for oral presentations, posters, workshops, and non-traditional formats that engage with the PEGASUS 2026
Theme: Interconnected Futures: Pathways to Justice in Global Health, Peace, and Environmental Sustainability.
Location: UWaterloo, Ontario, Canada
Dates: May 1-3, 2026
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Important Dates
Call for Abstracts Opens:
August 25, 2025
Abstracts Submission Deadline:
December 10, 2025 (Extended)
Early Bird registration by:
January 31, 2026
Conference Dates:
May 1-3, 2026
* International abstracts will be prioritized for early review to support timely visa application processes.
Overview
PEGASUS Institute is an educational NGO fostering collaboration at the nexus of global health, peace, and environmental sustainability, with a focus on advancing health equity for all, in particular marginalized populations. Our 2026 conference, Interconnected Futures: Pathways to Justice in Global Health, Peace, and Environmental Sustainability (three days), will bring together a diverse community to share innovative strategies, research, and ideas for tackling today’s interconnected challenges, such as from the climate crisis, inequality, to political violence and health inequities.
PEGASUS 2026 aims to strengthen our recognition of the interconnection of health, peace, and the planet. Advancing justice across these domains requires inclusive, interdisciplinary, and community-driven approaches. As the world is confronted by climate crisis, structural inequality, political violence, and global health inequities, this conference offers space to share experiences, strategies, research, and ideas that reflect intersectional, decolonial, and equity-oriented perspectives.
We are inviting abstracts for oral presentations, posters, workshops, non-traditional formats, and other session types addressing the conference theme. Submissions may fall under the following categories:
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- Health Equity at Home
- Health Without Borders
- Building Peace, Protecting Health
- Planetary Health and Justice
- Global Migration: Health, Justice and Belonging
We especially welcome contributions that highlight innovative approaches, underrepresented voices, interdisciplinary collaborations, and equity-focused perspectives.
Limits
- Abstracts should not exceed 400 words
- Abstract titles should not exceed 150 characters (including spaces) and should not be in all caps.
Abstract Categories
These could include, but not limited to:
Health Equity at Home
Health Equity at Home: addressing the social determinants of health, tackling health inequity through policy/practice/programs, and leading or taking part in change with respect to topics such as the health and healthcare of Indigenous (First Nations, Metis, Inuit) communities or marginalized and underserved populations (immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, asylum seekers).
Health Without Borders
Health Without Borders: topics of relevance to health systems, policies, partnerships, and ethical relationships (e.g north-south partnerships, research ethics; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Building Peace, Protecting Health
Building Peace, Protecting Health: Public health impacts of, and responses to, armed violence and post conflict contexts; experiences with implementing or co-creating peacebuilding initiatives responsive to the peace-health-sustainability-equity nexus; gender-based violence and discrimination as public health and human rights concerns; importance of gender equality; links of colonization, extractivism, and/or climate change to conflict; changes required to limit risk of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction on health; impact of small arms and arms trafficking on health, peace, and sustainability; threats to the Rules Based International order; inclusive and community-led approaches to human security; regional conflicts, such as in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo.
Planetary Health and Justice
Planetary Health and Justice: Climate change impacts on population displacement or forced migration, flooding and wildfires and other disasters; Sustainability of systems addressing water, forestry, mining, food security.Diversity and integration in urban settings; e.g. right to the city, environmental health of marginalized peoples, newcomers; environmental racism and Indigenous worldviews to deal with global threats.
Global Migration: Health, Justice and Belonging
This stream explores intersections between migration, health equity, human rights, and environmental sustainability, welcoming multidisciplinary contributions and dialogue.
Abstract Types
Posters:
Abstracts submitted for consideration for the Poster Session will be displayed in a predetermined area at the venue; the poster boards will be available for viewing for the duration of the conference. A poster ‘walk-about’ will allow participants to walk around and discuss the featured work. One presenter, with or without co-authors.
Abstracts for Posters should be structured as follows:
- Issue/problem – describe the issue/problem including the background and rationale, settings and time frame. Demonstrate how the issue addresses the sub-theme identified.
- Objectives – describe the learning objectives
- Methodology – describe the methodology and global health significance of the topic.
- Results – Present the results (effects/changes), ensuring the questions asked are properly answered. Statements such as ‘Results will be presented at the conference’ will not be accepted. If appropriate, state that the results are preliminary.
- Lessons to date – state only those lessons that are directly supported by the project results. Highlight the importance of the lessons learnt for other settings/countries.
- Main messages – summarize the work in 2-3 brief key messages
Details on Poster size to be shared on acceptance.
Oral/Paper:
The oral presentations will feature students and/or professionals presenting relevant and current work within each of the central themes. The members of these sessions (as selected by the Academic Committee and based on their submitted abstracts), will give a short presentation (10-15 minutes followed by a 3-5-minute question and answer and discussion to allow for audience participation) on current research papers, case studies and other activities/information that will serve to stimulate debate and participation from the audience.
Workshop:
A limited number of 90 minute to two hour workshops will be developed with our programme streams. These are meant to represent a range of practical, hands-on sessions presented by invited ‘experts’ in their field. Facilitators will work with groups, provide handouts and the session will be based on developed learning resources and relating to specific sub-themes within each stream. In the event that an action-oriented workshop cannot be organized, other formats of sessions will be acceptable (e.g. mini-plenary style presentations, or specialty group discussions)
Non traditional Abstract Submissions:
Other: This category is intended for submissions that do not fit traditional academic formats but offer innovative, engaging, or alternative approaches to knowledge sharing, community engagement, or storytelling. Submissions may include but are not limited to:
Digital media (e.g., short films, podcasts, animations, e-learning modules)
Storytelling or lived experience narratives
Arts-based submissions (e.g., spoken word, visual arts, performance pieces)
Demonstrations of tools, technologies, or platforms
Interactive exhibits or installations
Indigenous knowledge sharing formats or other culturally specific approaches
And more!
Proposals should clearly describe the format, objectives, target audience, and how the submission contributes to the conference themes. Space and technical requirements should be included, if applicable. We especially encourage submissions from community members, youth, artists, and practitioners whose voices and methods expand how we understand and respond to global health, environmental challenges, conflict and peace as well as social issues.
Abstracts for Oral Presentations and Workshops should contain:
- Background – explain the topic to be addressed, need for and rationale for organizing the symposium.
- Learning Objectives – outline what the participants can expect to learn through this symposium.
- Topics – indicate the issues to be discussed and discussion points covered by the panel speakers, the link between the panel’s topics, and the format for the session.
- Main messages – summarize the impact of your proposed symposium in 2-3 brief key messages.
- Target Audience
Sufficient and precise information must be provided in the abstract to permit evaluation by reviewers. Statements such as “additional information to be presented at the meeting” are not acceptable.
Abstract submission guidance
Tangible examples of innovative approaches and case studies will enhance your presentations. We encourage contributions from across disciplines, sectors, geographies, and lived experiences — especially those that center underrepresented voices and challenge dominant narratives.
The following is not meant to be prescriptive. Innovative experiences, formats or views are encouraged.
Abstract categories:
- Health Equity at Home
- Health Without Borders
- Building Peace, Protecting Health
- Planetary Health and Justice
- Global Migration: Health, Justice and Belonging
Abstract issues to consider:
Voice, Knowledge & Innovation
Voice, Knowledge & Innovation: Highlight strategies for building solidarity, amplifying diverse leadership, and reimagining how we teach, learn, and act for global and local health equity. Topics may include:
- Youth, Indigenous, and Global South leadership in advancing health, peace, and sustainability.
- Reclaiming futures: resistance, healing, and resilience in conflict and post-conflict settings.
- The role of the arts in peacebuilding and activism.
- Pedagogy in global health: critical mentorship, rethinking partnerships, and North–South collaboration.
- Developing tools and sustainable interventions; use of technologies, to overcome disparities; Innovations in advocacy, grassroots mobilization, organizing, and coalition-building for long-term systems change.
- Taking the initiative in public education for an interdependent world; countering misinformation and fostering new narratives for transnational solidarity.
Systemic & Structural Issues
Systemic & Structural Issues: Explore the deep-rooted forces shaping health and wellbeing through systems, policy, and governance lenses. Topics may include:
- Migration, refugee, and immigrant health, especially in the context of displacement driven by climate, conflict, colonization, and extractive industries.
- Health and healthcare of Indigenous peoples and communities historically excluded from systems of care.
- Global health governance, decision-making, and public policy (e.g., critiques of institutions, measurements, funding flows, and power asymmetries).
- Structural racism, marginalization, and discrimination in health systems in Canada and globally.
- Post-pandemic realities and systemic change.
- Responding to exclusionary nationalism and attacks on transnational solidarity.
- Governance, Policy & Power: who defines health priorities, and whose knowledge is valued?
Justice & Environment
Justice & Environment: Engage with the intersection of ecological health, justice, and planetary sustainability, particularly how they affect and are shaped by marginalized communities. Topics may include:
- Climate adaptation, environmental healing, and community-driven solutions to environmental crises.
- Displacement, forced migration, and land dispossession linked to hydro dams, mining, forestry, industrial agriculture, and contaminated water.
- Food security, nutrition, and land justice.
- Climate change, natural disasters (flooding, wildfires), and their mental and physical health impacts.
- Environmental health of marginalized peoples and the “right to the city” for newcomers and urban communities.
- WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) as a public health and justice issue.
Evaluation Criteria
Each abstract will be reviewed by up to 3 reviewers according to the following criteria:
Posters:
Relevance to the overall theme and abstract categories
- Is the abstract/research innovative?
- Are the design and methods appropriate?
- Are the messages or findings applicable to multiple settings?
- Are the lessons to be learned relevant to others?
Oral Presentation / Workshops:
Relevance to the overall theme
- Value and clarity of the learning objectives
- Coherence of presentations in relation to objectives
- If a workshop, the diversity of the speakers on the panel
Other
Relevance to the overall theme
- Clarity of Purpose (clearly articulated intended message, audience, impact)
- Innovation & Originality (educate, engage, unique approach)
- Potential Impact (Educate, engage, awareness, learning, action)
- Format Feasibility (within the conference setting (space, time, tech)
- Audience Accessibility (inclusive and understandable to a diverse audience)
- Quality (coherent, organized)
All presenters are expected to register, pay and present at the conference. Presenters must pay all expenses to present and attend the conference (e.g. preparation of the poster, registration fee, travel, hotel, etc.). The conference organizers do not provide honoraria or awards for travel or accommodation. If external travel sponsorships do become available, they will be posted on the conference webpage.
Submit your abstract and help shape bold, justice-driven visions for our shared future.