Call for Papers: International Conference – Towards ‘the Dignity of Difference’: Neither ‘the Clash of Civilizations’ nor ‘the End of History’

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Call for Papers
International Conference

Towards the Dignity of Difference:
Neither the Clash of Civilizations nor the End of History

University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
October 3-4, 2009

Contributions are invited to present a paper at an international conference, titled: “Towards ‘the Dignity of Difference’: Neither ‘the Clash of Civilizations’ nor ‘the End of History”. The dates of the conference are 3-4 October 2009, and it will be held in Edmonton, Canada. A book will result from the conference proceedings, and there is a possibility of developing a special issue on the conference theme with a major journal.

Confirmed distinguished participants include Tariq Ali, Benjamin Barber, Hamid Dabashi, Robert Cox, Hassan Hanafi, among others.

The conference’s objective is to examine the impacts and implications of the most recent iteration of the Western-centric discourse represented in Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations and Francis Fukuyama’s The End of History theses. It also tackles the problem of radical extremism and US-led counter-extremist strategies by explaining the need for an alternative approach – a third way – that acknowledges “the dignity of difference” and promotes “dialogue among civilizations”. The conference aims to historicize civilizations, radicalism, extremism and terrorism by challenging the mainstream and ethnocentric discourse; it exposes the reductionism associated with many current policy responses to radical extremism through critical examinations of national, regional and global counter-measures to terrorism; and it examines what “the dignity of difference” means in foreign policy terms. Would it mean a radical shift in the West’s strategic thinking about its role in the global affairs? Is the American policy of the War on Terror, democracy promotion, and regime change in the Middle East contributing to a self-fulfilling prophecy of “the clash of civilizations”? Can “the dignity of difference” provide us with a practicable counter-theory to both “the clash of civilizations” and “the end of history” theses?

Please find below the details that have been determined so far with regards to this conference:

* A brief abstract and the title of your presentation accompanied by a brief biography and a photo should be sent by 15 April, 2009. These items will be made available on the conference website.

* A first draft of your paper is required by 01 September, 2009 – one month prior to the Conference date (October 3-4, 2009).

* The final versions of the selected papers will be published in an edited volume. Publisher to be determined but interest has already been expressed by two major publishers.

* After the conference, papers will be compiled and disseminated to conference delegates, including chairs and discussants, by 20 October 2009.

* Papers should then be revised and submitted by 31 December 2009 for editing. A fully edited manuscript will be sent to a publisher by 30 March 2010.

*You may choose your topic from the list of potential themes we have suggested below, but feel free to submit your own topic as long as it relates directly to the theme of the conference.

Thanks for responding to this call. We look forward to hearing back from you and receiving your abstract by 15 April 2009. If you have any questions we would be pleased to address them promptly.

Possible Themes:

Clash of civilizations? Or Clash within Civilizations?
The West versus the Rest, or a Clash of Globalizations?
Empire versus Multitudes?
The End of History?
Plural roots of Extremism, Radicalism and Terrorism
Religious politics/subaltern voices
Asymmetric warfare: Justified Violence?
Policy prescriptions towards global and national Justice and peace
Dialogue among Civilizations/Dignity of Difference

Best Regards,

Mojtaba Mahdavi, PhD Andy Knight, PhD
Department of Political Science Department of Political Science
University of Alberta University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB, Canada Edmonton, AB, Canada
Ph: 1-780-492-0736 Ph: 1-780-492-9970
Email: mojtaba.mahdavi@ualberta.ca
Email: andy.knight@ualberta.ca

Call for Papers: International Conference – Towards ‘the Dignity of Difference’: Neither ‘the Clash of Civilizations’ nor ‘the End of History’

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Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) is not-for-profit [501 (C) (3)], grass-roots community of scholars who have united to promote honest, fact-based, and civil discourse, especially in regard to Middle East issues. We believe that ethnic, national, and religious hatreds, including anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism, have no place in our institutions, disciplines, and communities. We employ academic means to address these issues.

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