Conference: Living together 'in' diversity. National societies in the multicultural age. CEU Budapest, 21-22 May 2012‏

Contemporary European societies have been recently characterized as
having entered the age of 'super-diversity'. Migratory flows in
particular have contributed to this transformation, due to the
heterogeneous ethno-cultural, and religious background of present
migrants, as well as their social status, age, and mobility patterns.
Among the effects this transformation has brought about is the increased
challenge posed to the constitutive principle of the nation-state, i.e.,
the assumption that identity (nation) and politics (state) can and
should be mutually constituent and spatially congruent. Thus,
unsurprisingly, many states have started perceiving diversity as a
'problem', potentially threatening national unity, while
anti-immigration and xenophobic attitudes have experienced a rapid
surge.
Existing scholarship has offered insightful critical analyses of this
'backlash against diversity', documenting the rise of repressive state
measures designed to limit access of new migrants to the national
territory and citizenship. Other scholars have instead moved away from
the idea of the nation-state, proposing either post-national solutions,
which decouple the cultural (nation) from the political (state), or
transnational paradigms, which implicitly discard the focus on the
nation-state as not only obsolete but also politically questionable.
Yet, despite important insights from this scholarship, social and
political life continues to remain largely structured by discourses,
resources and institutions articulated at the national scale.

AIM

It is therefore the aim of the proposed conference to explore how
'living together in diversity' is imagined, narrated, organized,
justified, and practiced within contemporary national societies. With
the stress on 'in' rather than 'with' diversity we want to move away
from reifying the dominant 'majority' society perspective, which assumes
diversity as something 'carried' solely by immigrants and something that
the 'native' society has to cope with. Some of the questions that we are
interested in are:

- What makes multicultural societies circumscribed by state borders
cohere together?

- What are the ways in which the nation becomes re-signified to
accommodate the ethno-cultural diversity of its populace?

- How do migrants position themselves in national narratives and
political structures?

- What alternative modes and models of belonging are at work within
present national societies?

- In which ways does the national continue to feature as a site of
attachment?



Although we acknowledge that these questions are inescapably normative
in character, we particularly welcome empirically-informed work. The
privileged level of analysis we are interested in is the national scale,
but papers focusing on sub-national and supra-national scales can also
be welcomed inasmuch as they can offer insights regarding how living
together in diversity works at the national scale. Regionally, the
conference will focus on Europe, but contributions discussing other
geographical contexts are also welcomed.
- Is it necessary to have some form of common identification at the
national scale to have functioning states in the first place?

DEADLINES

All potential participants are invited to submit an abstract (250-300
words) to Tatiana Matejskova (MatejskovaT@ceu.hu) by December 31st,
2011. By January 31st, 2012 participants will be informed about the
acceptance of their papers. Confirmation of participation and payment of
the conference fee will be due on February 28th, 2012. The conference
fee of 60 Euros will cover refreshments, lunches and conference
materials.


http://livingindiversity.eu

Conference: Alevi-Bektashi Communities in the Ottoman Realm, Bogazici University, 13-15 Dec 2011‏

ALEVI-BEKTASHI COMMUNITIES IN THE OTTOMAN REALM: SOURCES, PARADIGMS AND HISTORIOGRAPHY

Program:

13.12.2011 (Tuesday)

Opening: 10:30-11.00

SESSIONS

1) The Medieval/Pre-Ottoman Background

Discussant: Cemal Kafadar, Harvard University

Panelists:

11.00-11.30 Ahmet Karamustafa, Washington University in St. Louis, "Sofu, Abdal, Dede: Kaygusuz Abdal and Vernacular Islam in Medieval Anatolia"

11.30-12.00 Ayfer Karakaya-Stump, College of William and Mary, "The Vefa'iyye, the Bektashiyye, and Genealogies of ‘Heterodox Islam' in
Anatolia: Rethinking the Köprülü Paradigm"

12.00-12.30 Coffee Break

12.30-13.00 Sara Nur Yıldız, Orient-Institut Istanbul, "Historicizing Sufi Communities in Medieval Anatolia: Reconsidering the Dominant Paradigms of Syncretism,Heterodoxy and High/Low Islam"

13.00-13.30 Mark Soileau, Mardin Artuklu Üniversitesi, "The Folk Among the Wonders: Finding Alevis in Bektashi Hagiographies"

13.30-15.00 Lunch

2) The Safavids and the Early Modern Context of the Kizilbash/Alevi Movement

Discussant: Derin Terzioğlu, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi.

Panelists:

15.00-15.30 Cornell Fleischer, University of Chicago, "The Common Parlance of Messianism and Millenarianism in Islamdom in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries"

15.30-16.00 Shahzad Bashir, Stanford University, "Seeing Red: The Kizilbash as Image and Rhetoric in Persianate Literature"

16.00-16.30 Vural Genç, İstanbul Üniversitesi, "The Battle of Chaldiran in Iranian Sources"

16.30-17.00 Coffee Break

17.00-17.30 Fariba Zarinebaf, University of California Riverside, "Shah Isma‘il Safavi in Persian, European and Ottoman Myths"

17.30-18.00 Ferenc Csirkés, University of Chicago, "The Safavid and Ottoman Reception of the Poetry of Shah Isma‘il Hatayi"

14.12.2011 (Wednesday)

3) Tekkes and Dergâhs

Discussant: Gülru Necipoğlu, Harvard University

Panelists:

10.00-10.30 Cemal Kafadar, Harvard University, "Dutlug Bolsun: Amidst Stone and Soil at the Convent of Seyyid Ali Sultan (a.k.a. Kızıl Deli)"

10.30-11.00 Zeynep Yürekli-Görkay, University of Oxford, "Haji Bektash, His Shrine and the Ottomans"

11.00-11.30 Coffee Break

11.30-12.00 Mahir Polat, İstanbul Üniversitesi, "Lost or Imaginary? Looking for the Cemevi in Ottoman Architectural History"

12.00-12.30 Frances Trix, Indiana University,"Survival Strategies for Bektashi Tekkes in the Western Balkans: Ergeri (Albania), Kalkandelen (Macedonia), Gjakova (Kosova)"

12.30-14 :00 Lunch

4) Under the Shadow of Empire: Kizilbash/Alevi and Bektashi Communities' Relations with the Ottoman and Safavid States

Discussant: Ayfer Karakaya-Stump, College of William and Mary

Panelists:

14.00-14.30 Kathryn Babayan, University of Michigan, "The Waning of the Kizilbash in Iran Revisited"

14.30-15.00 İbrahim Kaya Şahin, Tulane University "Towards an Ottoman Sunnism: Perceptions of Bektashis/Alevis/Shi‘is/Safevis in Chronicles from Aşıkpaşazade to Celalzade"

15.00-15.30 Derin Terzioğlu, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, "How to Conceptualize Ottoman Sunnitization: A Historiographical Discussion"

15.30-16.00 Coffee Break

16.00-16.30 Erdal Küçükyalçın, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi, "Janissary-Bektashi Relations Revisited: Religious Symbolism in Janissary Banner-signs"

16.30-17.00 Alişan Akpınar, İstanbul Üniversitesi, "The Ottoman State's Perception of the Alevis during the Hamidian Era"

17.00-18.00 Buffet

18.30-20.00 Social Program

Dertli Divani Baba (Veli Aykut), Keynote Speaker/Performer Narrative Performance: "The Language of Alevi Hymns"


15.12.2011
(Thursday)

5) Memory, History and Construction of Identity

Discussant Arzu Öztürkmen, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi

Panelists:

10.00-10.30 Markus Dressler, İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, "Rewriting Kızılbaş Alevism and Bektashism: Conceptual and Theoretical Challenges"

10.30-11.00 Ulaş Özdemir, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi, "History Through Sacred Words: The Presence of Haji Bektash Veli in Ahl-i Haqq Lore"

11.00-11.30 Erdal Gezik, Independent Researcher, Holland, "Beyond the Limits of Writing: Construction of the Religio-Cultural Memory of Dersim Alevis"


11:30-12:00 Coffee Break


12.00-13.00 Roundtable

13.00 Closing Remarks & Visit to the Tekke of Nafi Baba (optional)

American Institute on Political and Economic Systems-AIPES / AIPES summer program in Prague!

WHEN? July 4-25, 2012
VENUE: Prague, Czech Republic

The American Institute on Political and Economic Systems (AIPES) is an academic program designed to

explore the political, economic and cultural issues of the world as it grows under democratic principles.

AIPES embodies diversity and culture as its cornerstone to educating future leaders.

lectures on US and European government systems and their economic practices/conditions.

The economic lectures center around the theory and practical benefits of a free market society.

The institute also sponsors a number of prominent guest lectures from the region. Topics of these

guest lectures can range in politics, economics, international relations, law, and government in the media

ELIGIBILITY: Students must be currently enrolled in university in either an undergraduate or graduate level of study. Students must also be citizens of the United States, Europe and/or former states of the Soviet Union.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: On-line application. Applicants must submit one letter of recommendation, resume, personal statement, analytical essay (500 words), transcripts, scholarship essay (not required).

DEADLINE: Early deadline: January 31 2012, late deadline: March 15 2012.

CONTACT PERSON: Ms. Brigit Moore, bmoore@tfas.org

Experience Prague this summer in a unique educational environment with 100 students from more than 25 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the United States. The American Institute on Political and Economic Systems (AIPES) is an academic program designed to explore the political, economic and cultural issues of the world as it grows under democratic principles. AIPES embodies diversity and culture as its cornerstone to educating future leaders. Over 1500 alumni have attended AIPES since its founding in 1993.

Students gather in the historical and cultural capital of the Czech Republic to study the basic foundations of a free society. Students are encouraged to apply these concepts to the transitions already taking place in their home countries. Students from a wide range of nationalities, religions and ethnicities have a chance to interact, learn and share their experiences in ways that can benefit their educational and professional development.

American students are given an opportunity study abroad with their European/Central Asian counterparts comparing and contrasting languages, customs and cultures while forming freindships that can last a lifetime.

Students who complete AIPES graduate into a network of over 11,000 TFAS alumni who live in over 100 countries around the globe. Graduates of our eleven institutes have discovered this vast network opens doors never that have lead to life changing opportunities in various corners of the world.

Come join us for this once in a lifetime opportunity this summer!

Application Deadlines: Early Deadline: 31 January 2012

Final Deadline: 15 March 2012

American Institute on Political and Economic Systems
The Fund for American Studies
1706 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20009
United States of America
Tel: 001-202-986-0384
Fax: 001-202-315-3880 For Specific AIPES questions, please contact:
Mr. Matthew Kwasiborski
European Institutes Director

For Recruitment and Application Information, please contact:
Ms. Brigit Moore
International Programs Admissions Manager

Conference: Identity in the era of Globalization and Europeanization, Skopje, 3-4 November 2011‏

International conference Identity in the era of globalization and europeanization to be held in Skopje, 3-4 November 2011, organized by the Institute for sociological, political and juridical research and Institute of sociology, Faculty of Philosophy of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, R. Macedonia.

http://isppi.ukim.edu.mk/FTP/Pokana%20A4-2.pdf

Conference: Debating the End of Yugoslavia, University of Graz, 4-6 November 2011‏

South East European Dialogues (SEED): Debating the End of Yugoslavia
Centre for Southeast European Studies, Karl-Franzens-University Graz
4-6 November 2011


The Centre for Southeast European Studies is organizing the international conference “Debating the End of Yugoslavia” from 4-6 November 2011.

2011 is the 20th anniversary of the disintegration of Yugoslavia, providing for an opportunity to reflect on this event which not only shaped the region, but also Europe at large.

The conference constitutes the most important academic event on this occasion this year. Instead of discussing the dissolution again, the conference is taking an innovative approach. On the first and second day, (4 & 5.11.) eye witnesses remember and reflect on the dissolution of Yugoslavia. This includes politicians, journalists, diplomats and other personalities from public life. The recollections of eye witnesses are commented by scholars, who provide a background and open a discussion. On the second and third day (5 & 6.11.), some 35 leading historians, sociologists, lawyers, anthropologists, political scientists and economists from former Yugoslavia, the rest of Europe and North America discuss the state of scholarly debate.

The conference is thus not just a conference on the dissolution of Yugoslavia, but also aims at identifying new directions for research. In addition to the interdisciplinary perspectives, the conference also brings together senior scholars with younger researchers and provides for a dialogue on these issues between scholars from former Yugoslavia.

During the conference, the university museum will host an exhibition of the Design Studio Trio (Sarajevo), which has designed iconic posters, magazine covers and ads over the past 20 years.

Programme available at: http://www.uni-graz.at/en/opv1www/events-2.opv1www-newpage?=

Conference: The Representation of War in Recent Conflicts: Aesthetic, Ethical and Political Issues (Lille, 22-23 November 2012)‏

“The representation of war in recent conflicts: aesthetic, ethical and
political issues”
International Conference
University of Lille 3 Charles de Gaulle, France,
November 22-23, 2012

In the last twenty years many events have taken place in the world
(such as the dissolution of the USSR, or of Yougoslavia), while
various wars and conflicts affected different regions of the world
(Irak, Afghanistan, Tchetchnia, Palestine, Israel, Somalia, etc..)

The aim of the conference will be to examine the various aesthetic
means used to represent war: films, novels, comic strips, photography,
reports. At the core of this theme is the question of the unspeakable,
of what cannot be represented.
In recent times, new forms of war and of representation of the war
have appeared, as a correlate of the technological revolution, It will
be of interest to consider the impact of such means of communications
as the Internet, Twitter, mobile phones (or the recent example of
WikiLeaks) that deeply transform the attitude of populations towards
the war, the way people and their rulers see each other.
The immediacy of television news, the difficulty of verifying facts,
the emotional impact of the images or of the information on the
population will be essential to a global assessment of the problem.
The aesthetic question will also need to be considered, since, as the
etymology of the word implies, it concerns the way one feels and
perceives the world. Besides, the issue of how to convey the truth is
often crucial to artistic preoccupation in this kind of
representation.

The following issues will be particularly relevant to the conference :

Does the analyzed work (or works) of art reflect the official line
of the country under consideration, does it play a part in propaganda
or does it offer a direct or disguised criticism of the policy of that
country ?
What impact can this kind of work have on public opinion in
general ? How can one evaluate the use of the images and how can one
create images which evoke the unrepresentable?
What are the differences between documents and works of art where
such issues are concerned?
To what extent does the role of art in its various forms consist
in touching, provoking indignation, strong reactions? Does it tend to
divert or does it merely express the artist’s creativity ? What is its
ultimate aim ?
How can the younger generations be affected ? Is the chosen
artistic medium supposed to have a moral role or can we say that
everything is permitted in the name of artistic freedom ?
What are the limits to the representation of violence? Does it
contribute to acknowledgment by the younger generations of possible
deviations on the individual or collective levels, due to the
unbridling of passions ? Or does it encourage it indirectly ?

Plan

The representation of war in recent conflicts: aesthetic, ethical and
political issues (November 22-23, 2012)
I- War and Ideology

A- The denunciation of war
B –The glorification of war (in democratic or dictatorial countries)
II – War and Technology (Internet, Twitter, WikiLeaks, etc.)

A- Dehumanization : fiction versus reality (video games, war seen as a
game, etc.)
B- Hypersensitization (immediacy of the images transmitted throughout
the world and their immediate emotional impact)
C- War images and war of images.
III -War and Affect

A- How to live through the war (representation of traumatic
experiences, process of resilience)
B- War and sensual enjoyment: « beyond the pleasure principle »
(psychoanalytical point of view)
IV- Aesthetics and Engagement: resistance to war.
How to submit

Please submit your proposals (the title, a short abstract -300 to 500
words maximum, and short CV) by
November 1st, 2011

to the following address:

dalipagiccatherine@yahoo.fr.

Please try to relate your proposal as closely as possible to one of
the conference themes, as outline above.
The Conference Proceedings will be published. They may be written
either in English or in French.
Scientific comittee

Mme Josiane Paccaud-Huguet (Université de Lyon 2)
M. Marc Crépon (CNRS)
Mme Catherine Géry (Inalco, Paris)
Mme Catherine Dalipagic (Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille3)
Mme Galina Subbotina (Inalco, Paris)

Post-Socialist Solidarities, Panel for the EASA 2012, Paris, 10-12 July 2012‏

EASA conference 2012 "Uncertainty and Disquiet", Paris - Université de Nanterre, JULY 10-12 2012

Call for PAPERS:

Workshop: How to survive transitional chaos: new post-socialist solidarities
Short Abstract: The panel focuses on post-socialist societies, exploring not only the violence of transition but also the productive moments whereby new solidarities are elaborated. By not focusing on a specific region, the panel aims at discussing the future(s) of the concept of post-socialism.
Convenors: Caterina Borelli (Universitat de Barcelona), Fabio Mattioli (CUNY Graduate Center)

Chair: Katherine Verdery (CUNY Graduate Center)

if you're interested in submitting a paper, please follow the link at http://www.nomadit.co.uk/easa/easa2012/panels.php5?PanelID=1052
Deadline: NOVEMBER 28 2011

Long Abstract


This panel focuses on so-called post-socialist societies. In the last two decades, anthropologists have underlined the problems posed by transitions from socialism. Far from being an untroubled one-way process, transition has often carried with it profound instability, if not chaos. Many authors have stressed how the vagaries of the new market economy have had a disruptive effect on previous social relations, institutions and networks. Seeing the uncertainty and unpredictability of everyday life in post-socialist societies, anthropologists have described transition as a violent process of restructuring socialist society - a theme easily forgotten by western "transitology".

This panel sets out to expand such contributions, exploring transitions as productive moments. While recognizing the common experience of harsh transformation, we focus rather on the creative ways people inhabit their new situation. We examine the multiple paths through which people reconfigure the socialist past in alternative strategies for the present. We look at the new forms of solidarity that have been patched together during the transition, i.e. political actions, networks of informal economy, collective expressions of many-sided sensibilities. Because "postsocialism" is no longer a region-specific condition, we aim at generating a wider debate about its own "post" - under the rubric of the new: new forms of social cohesion, contestation and organization of civil society; alternative visions and practices of politics; emergent meanings of sociality, authority, and leadership. Looking at transitional chaos in its creative aspects, the panel explores the way the "first post-socialist generations" reshape the prior order in pathways towards the future.

1st International Conference of Greek-Albanian/Albanian-Greek Studies, Tirana, Spring 2012‏

1st International Conference of Greek-Albanian/Albanian-Greek Studies, in Spring 2012, Tirana, Albania


We are pleased to announce that the 1st International Conference of Greek-Albanian Studies, will be held in Tirana, Albania, in Spring 2012. The exact date of the event will be announced before the end of this year.


There is a vast bibliography on Greek-Albanian/Albanian-Greek Studies, several meetings have been held up to day, yet not a comprehensive event has been organized. This Conference aims to make a recapitulation of the studies made so far, and to trace the main trends in the field research.


Conference Topics: All topics relevant to Greek-Albanian/Albanian-Greek Studies, especially new and innovative areas of research are welcome.


The organizers seek contributions in the form of papers and panels that will continue to examine the interaction between Greek and Albanian culture, folklore, language, and literature. Aspects of Greek-Albanian and Albanian-Greek translation can be presented. Special sections / panels will be dedicated to the literature of the Ethnic Greek Minority in Albania and to the linguistic aspects and literature of the Albanian Immigrants in Greece.


The conference will be organized by the Albanian-Greek Association of Philology, though it preserves the right to collaborate with other University and Academic Institutions in Albania, Greece and any other part of the World, or even to delegate the organization of the event on the understanding that a perfect event will be assured.


Keynote speakers from Europe and USA will address the conference at keynote and plenary sessions.


Official languages of the Conference are: English, Greek, and Albanian. Papers in French, German, and Italian will be accepted only accompanied by an integral translated in one of the three aforementioned languages.


The call for papers and organized panel proposals is now open.


Submission of abstracts - before December 30th, 2011.





Announcement about acceptance: before January 31st, 2012.
Submission of full text papers and announcement of the detailed program - before February 29th, 2012 (submission of full text papers will impact the sooner publishing of the Proceedings).


Abstracts and papers must be sent to the following e-mail addresses:


albanian_greek@yahoo.com


aristotlespiro@gmail.com



Participation fee: 30 euros (coffees, refreshments, snacks, and Proceedings expenses included).



Pleasant and convenient accommodation in the heart of the city of Tirana and close to the conference venues.

Spread the news! Please forward this message to your colleagues and friends! We look forward to seeing you in Tirana in Spring 2012!
Since its inception in 1997 in Elbasan, Albania, the Albanian-Greek Association of Philology has played an important role in the creation of a global discussion on the Albanian-Greek Studies. Its journal ALBANOHELLENICA has become a major international tribune where scholars of the relevant fields publish their research, views and insights.

Interdisciplinary Joint Master`s Programme in South-Eastern European Studies, University of Skopje [DL: 30 October 2011]‏

Interdisciplinary Joint Master`s Programme in South-Eastern European Studies

Deadline 30 October 2011

The Faculty of Law Iustiinanus Primus from Skopje is pleased to announce the call for applications for
the new Interdisciplinary Joint Master's Programme in South-Eastern European Studies. This two year
MA programme is offered as a joint degree between the four partner universities from Graz, Zagreb, and
Belgrade, commencing in the autumn semester in 2011.
Students enroll in and spend the first year at their home university, in this case the Faculty of Law
Iustinianus Primus in Skopje. In the second year, students spend at least one semester at a partner
university. In addition to the four consortium partners (Graz, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje) a number of
other universities shall accept mobility students within the framework of the joint degree programme
including the universities of Bologna, Ljubljana, Novi Sad, Poitiers, Sarajevo and South East European
University, Tetovo.

Content of the Programme
The Interdisciplinary Joint Master's Programme in South-Eastern European Studies seeks to provide an
international and interdisciplinary master's programme in social sciences and humanities of the highest
quality which enables participants to effectively understand the interrelationship between law, politics,
economics and culture with a particular emphasis on the regional dimension of SEE. The programme
prepares students for doctoral studies and professional life in a variety of other fields including work in
international, local governmental and non-governmental organisations, journalism, business, scientific
research, and consultancy.

In the first year at the home university enrolled students shall take compulsory core courses which
include an introduction to multidisciplinary approaches to South-East Europe, public law, politics,
economics and cultural studies. Students also take electives which reflect their chosen disciplinary
specialization. In the summer after the first year a joint summer school is held for all students from the
four universities to complete the compulsory core modules. In the second year, students attend one of
the partner universities and further specialize in their desired field. There are optional provisions in
place to offer students professional training and internship positions.

30 ECTS credits will be awarded upon completion of the master's thesis. The thesis reflects the student's
capacity to work on scientific subjects in an independent and acceptable manner both in respect of
content and methodology and must be written in English. The length of the thesis is 20,000 to 25,000
words. Students shall determine their master's thesis topic according to the procedures and regulations
at the home university and in consultation with the thesis supervisor.
All compulsory courses are conducted in English though students are able to take classes in other
languages depending on availability and level of competency. Language acquisition is an important
aspect of the joint degree and students are expected to learn a regional language and/or the
predominant language of their institution.

Academic Degree
Students completing the Interdisciplinary Joint Master's Programme in South-Eastern European Studies
earn the degree "Master of Arts", abbreviated MA. The joint degree is awarded, signed and stamped by
all four partners (subject to the specifications of the home university).

Admission
The Interdisciplinary Joint Master's Programme in South-Eastern European Studies welcomes individuals
holding an academic degree of at least 180 ECTS credits (bachelor's degree or equivalent programme of
at least 180 ECTS) who can demonstrate a grounding in social sciences or humanities, (e.g., law, political
science, sociology...) and who have some general insight in South-Eastern Europe (the Balkans).

The full application should consist of:
* completed application form (PDF / MS Word)
* at least one letter of recommendation (preferable from a university professor or employer)
* certificate/diploma obtained at the undergraduate level (notarized translation into English)
* transcript of records obtained at the undergraduate level (notarized translation into English)
* letter of motivation (statement of purpose)
* proof of proficiency in English language: IELTS (required minimum score: 6.0), a TOEFL (required
minimum score: 210 on the computerized test, 547 on the paper test, 78 on the Internet test), a
Cambridge Exam (required level: FCE) or an equivalent certificate
Prospective Students should apply by post to the institution they wish to attend. Admission to the home
university for successful applicants is, upon request to the legally competent body, a separate process
according to the local procedures for enrolment. Students begin their studies at the start of the
following academic year.

For general enquiries refer to the programme website (http://www.seestudies.eu/)

Conference: Debating the End of Yugoslavia, Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of Graz, 4-6 November 2011‏

South East European Dialogues (SEED): Debating the End of Yugoslavia

Centre for Southeast European Studies, Karl-Franzens-University Graz

4-6 November 2011

The Centre for Southeast European Studies is organizing the international conference “Debating the End of Yugoslavia” from 4-6 November 2011.

2011 is the 20th anniversary of the disintegration of Yugoslavia, providing for an opportunity to reflect on this event which not only shaped the region, but also Europe at large.

The conference constitutes the most important academic event on this occasion this year. Instead of discussing the dissolution again, the conference is taking an innovative approach. On the first and second day, (4 & 5.11.) eye witnesses remember and reflect on the dissolution of Yugoslavia. This includes politicians, journalists, diplomats and other personalities from public life. The recollections of eye witnesses are commented by scholars, who provide a background and open a discussion. On the second and third day (5 & 6.11.), some 35 leading historians, sociologists, lawyers, anthropologists, political scientists and economists from former Yugoslavia, the rest of Europe and North America discuss the state of scholarly debate.

The conference is thus not just a conference on the dissolution of Yugoslavia, but also aims at identifying new directions for research. In addition to the interdisciplinary perspectives, the conference also brings together senior scholars with younger researchers and provides for a dialogue on these issues between scholars from former Yugoslavia.

During the conference, the university museum will host an exhibition of the Design Studio Trio (Sarajevo), which has designed iconic posters, magazine covers and ads over the past 20 years.

Provisional programme available at: http://www.uni-graz.at/en/opv1www/events-2.opv1www-newpage?=

How to participate:

Conference packages for registrations until 25.10.2011:

3 days incl. coffee breaks- 50 EUR
2 days incl. coffee breaks – 40 EUR
1 day incl. coffee breaks – 30 EUR
Students - 20 EUR (payable in cash at conference - please register in advance!)
Students and employees of the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz do not pay conference fees, but are kindly asked to register for the conference.

For registration after 25.10.2011 and at the conference itself:

3 days incl. coffee breaks - 70 EUR
2 days incl. coffee breaks – 60 EUR
1 day incl. coffee breaks – 40 EUR

For payment details see: http://www.uni-graz.at/en/opv1www/events-2.opv1www-newpage?=

Internships at the European Roma Rights Centre, Budapest‏

ERRC Seeks Interns

18 October 2011

The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) invites applications for its full-time internship programme. The ERRC offers interns a dynamic, fast-paced, international human rights environment, based in Budapest, Hungary. Romani and non-Romani interns are chosen for this programme through a competitive bi-annual selection process. The ERRC is currently accepting applications from persons wishing to intern at the ERRC for 3-6 months between March-August 2012.

In line with its Equal Opportunity Policy, ERRC offers a limited number of stipends for full-time internships to Romani individuals only.

Task description

All interns will receive professional guidance and be directly supervised by the Human Rights Trainer. Interns will also work together with the other ERRC programmes, including research and advocacy, legal, media and communications, as well as finance, operations and executive management. Activities and tasks of interns shall include both theoretical learning and practical skills development components, including but not limited to:

·         Researching Roma rights related topics;

·         Monitoring of stakeholders, policy-makers, think tanks, etc.;

·         Drafting reports on human rights abuse or legal documents;

·         Detailed monitoring of news and information on Roma rights;

·         Conducting legal research and assisting in preparing cases for strategic litigation in domestic courts and international tribunals; 

·         Attending meetings and events related to the mission of ERRC and producing briefing documents;

·         Engaging in advocacy efforts;

·         Supporting human rights training courses;

·         Assisting in ERRC activities and projects, including logistically/administratively;

·         Updating and developing materials for the ERRC website;

·         Helping maintain ERRC information databases;

·         Editing and translating texts;

·         Other tasks to be determined together with the Human Rights Trainer and the project-related supervisor.

Applicant profile

Applicants should have:

·         Proven record of involvement in Roma Rights field; experience living and working in Romani communities desired;

·         Good command of English, both written and spoken. Preference will be give to applicants who are able to work in the following languages: Romani, Romanian, Slovak, Czech, Serbian, Macedonian, Italian, French, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian;

·         At minimum, completed secondary education; university level studies preferred; 

·         The ability to work in a diverse, multicultural environment in a proper, timely fashion with supervision;

·         Good organisational and communication skills, commitment and enthusiasm;

·         Flexibility and the ability to work independently as well as in a team; and

·         Knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Applicants must be a minimum of 20 years of age.

The ERRC encourages applications representing all segments of society (women, LGBT, disabled people, etc).

Romani individuals are strongly encouraged to apply for an internship stipend. For stipend recipients, the programme includes an in-country follow-up component. The ERRC and selected interns will work together jointly to implement community-based human rights initiatives (small research, advocacy or other related projects) in a Romani community as follow up to the time spent at the ERRC office. This component is optional but applicants expressing interest in the follow-up will be given priority in the programme.  Interested applicants may supplement their application with a one page description of a community-based initiative they may wish to undertake.

The ERRC can provide relevant letters of support for prospective interns seeking to secure outside funding for the internship. Students may be able to arrange academic credit for their internship and should check with their academic institutions for requirements.

All interns are responsible for their own travel, subsistence and insurance arrangements; the ERRC can provide advice as necessary.

How to Apply

Interested persons should submit all of the following materials to be considered for placement:

1.    A fully completed application form;

2.    A brief, unedited writing sample, preferably human rights focused (maximum 2 A4 pages).

3.    For those interested in the in-country follow up component, a one page, community-based project description.

Only complete application packages will be considered; please submit all documents together. No telephone or email inquiries. Completed application packages should be submitted to Ms Dora Eke:

Subject heading: ERRC Intern Search
Email:dora.eke@errc.org
Fax: + 36.1.413.2201

The deadline for applications is 11 December at midnight CET time. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Only short-listed applicants will be notified. If you have not been contacted within five weeks of the deadline, consider that your application was not successful in this round, but feel free to apply again. A new call for internships will be issued in March 2012; please check our website regularly.

The ERRC is an equal opportunity organisation and does not discriminate on any ground. Romani candidates are particularly encouraged to apply

Spaces of Reckoning - symposium on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Conflict and Memory, University of Westminster, London, 3 December 2011‏

Both Conflict and Memory Studies have, in recent years, become of increasing interest across the Humanities and Social Sciences; as they generate compelling dialogues between fields of study and build on the interdisciplinary turn in contemporary academe. This event will create a space that will allow for two things. The first is the development of opportunities for discussion across academic and cultural spheres. This will come about through the analysis and presentation of the representations and conceptualizations of violent conflict and memory addressed by emerging scholars seeking new networks and approaches to research. Secondly, it will include voices from outside academia that can provide new insight and potential empirical challenges to theoretical discussion.

This event will gather together new researchers from the Arts , Humanities and Social Sciences – and is especially designed to bring together individuals from disciplines that do not traditionally intersect (e.g. Visual Culture and Socio-Legal Studies) and also partially encourages those outside academia(especially those in the visual arts) to participate. The conference will allow mutually beneficial input and new ways of addressing the praxis of Conflict and Cultural Memory through the presentation of and analysis of both objects and concepts.

When reflecting on the proposed theme, Post War Reckoning, Memorialisation, Institutions, Artefacts and the Semiotics of Collective Memory, for example, offer a wide territory for investigation, especially when combined with the study of cultural representations of these themes. We are seeking interested participants from across and outside the academic spectrum to contribute to the creation of new and productive dialogues.

Please submit up to 200 Word abstracts for 20 minute papers / presentations by November 10th  2011 to either Marija Katalinic, Department of English, Linguistics and Cultural Studies, marijakat@gmail.com or Tallyn Gray, Department of Advanced Legal Studies, tallyn.gray@my.westminster.ac.uk

Conference: Crossborder Experience, Ljubljana, 25-30 October 2011‏

The Peace Institute – in the year of its 20th anniversary – in partnership with the Centre for Peace Studies, Zagreb, Croatia and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation, Istanbul, is organising a transnational transdisciplinary “Cross Border Experience” conference in Ljubljana in the period between 25 - 30 October 2011. The aim of the conference is a critical rethinking of the current social and political situation in Europe with the focus on the European Union (EU) enlargement issue. The conference, which is a part of a wider international Cross Border Experience project, is rethinking – and hopefully breaking – stereotypes about the Balkans, South Eastern Europe (SEE) region and Turkey in the EU and vice-versa. The five day-long event seeks to contribute to better networking and exchange of ideas and experiences by bringing together almost sixty engaged theoreticians, academics, journalists, publicists, activists, cultural workers, artists and representatives of non-governmental, research, cultural and artistic organisations from all of the EU, SEE countries and Turkey. It is structured as a mixture of round-table debates, presentations and lectures, accompanied with cultural, artistic and social events, bringing together different profiles of participants, as well as different discourses and approaches.

Round-table debates, discussions and lectures will be held in the City Museum of Ljubljana and in the Atrium of the Scientific and Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SRC SASA), art programme of the conference and social gatherings in Gallery Škuc, Slovene Cinemateque, Club Gromka and Menza pri koritu (AKC Metelkova Mesto), Kino Šiška and Social Centre Rog. 

Participants of the “Cross Border Experience” conference – representatives of NGOs, theoreticians, researchers, activists, journalists, publicists, artists and others – will be rethinking the current situation in Europe with the focus being on EU enlargement issue from multiple point of views: the position of the SEE Europe and Turkey in the process of EU integration; economy, solidarity and labour relations; the role of the civil society; multiculturalism and human rights; environmental issues; EU scepticism; national identity in the process of EU integration; secularism; the question of citizenship, borders and migration policies; the future of the SEE region and Turkey in the process of EU integration … 11 panel discussions and a concluding lecture will take place from Wednesday, 26 October until Saturday, 29 October in the City Museum of Ljubljana. Participants of the conference are, among other: a journalist and former spokeswoman at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague Florence Hartman (France), renowned cultural worker Borka Pavićević (Serbia), academic and human rights fighter Murat Belge (Turkey), curator and cultural/art producer Dunja Blažević (Bosnia and Herzegovina), theoretician of the new social struggles and movements, Manuela Bojadžijev (Germany), filmmaker Kaspars Goba (Latvia), environmental activist Tom Kucharz (Spain), political activist and theoretician Leart Kola (Albania) …

The evenings of the “Cross Border Experience” conference belong to art. The international exhibition of 17 artists from the Balkans and Turkey will be presented at Gallery Škuc. In Slovene Cinemateque there will be the Slovene premiere of the awarded workers’ drama White White World by Oleg Novković (Serbia). In Menza pri koritu (AKC Metelkova) the poet Elizabeta Bakovska (Macedonia), playwright Jeton Neziraj (Kosovo) and writers Bekim Sejranović (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Norway) and Olja Savičević Ivančević (Croatia) will present their writings. In the City Museum of Ljubljana, in Club Gromka (AKC Metelkova Mesto) and in Kino Šiška, the following musicians will perform for the first time in Slovenia: the Roma hip hoper from Serbia Muha Blackstazy, Turkish Reverie Falls on All and Replikas and Croatian Cripple and Casino. And for the dance conclusions of the conference evenings we will host DJ duo Brat&Sestra (Slovenia), DJ Basic (Slovenia) and DJ Chaspa (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Germany).

A short documentary video-film was also made in the framework of the project. The Cross Border Experience video-film, conducted in all of the EU candidate countries in the Balkans (Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina) as well as in Turkey, aims at critically rethinking the role of the EU in the so-called South-East European (SEE) region and Turkey, and also at challenging the stereotypes in the EU about the SEE region and Turkey, and vice versa. A preview of the video- film will be at the opening night of the conference on Tuesday, 25 October in the City Museum of Ljubljana.

The “Cross Border Experience” conference will conclude on Sunday, 30 October in Atrium of SRC SASA with a Co-operation Brunch – a presentation and discussion of/with selected international foundations active in SEE region and Turkey.

Additional information about the participants (bio, photo, presentation), art programme, video-film and the whole project: www.crossborderexperience.org

SEEMO conferences for media professsionals in October/November 2011, Tirana/Belgrade/Pristina‏

3 regional SEEMO conferences for media professionals in October and November 2011:

SEEMO regional conference Minority, Deversity, Religion and Media - Tirana 24-26 October 2011

For registration, free of charge (no fee), please contact Ms. Krasimira Plachetzky -  krasi@seemo.org

***

V South East Europe Media Forum, Belgrade 2-3 November 2011

With more than 200 media representatives (editor-in-chief, CEO of media, leading journalist, media owners) from 20 countries, welcome by Serbian Prime Minister Cvetkovic - project in partnership SEEMO - CEI - KAS and with additional partners EBU - OSCE Mission in Serbia -Raiffeisen Bank International AG - SECEPRO - IMC

For registration, free of charge (no fee), please contact Ms. Kristina Stevancevic -  kristina@seemo.org

***

SEEMO regional conference New Media and News Agencies, Pristina 24-25 November

For registration, free of charge (no fee), please contact Ms.Lyudmila Handzhiyska- assistant2@seemo.org

more also on www.seemo.org

International Winter School on Federalism and Governance, Federalism and Minority Protection, Innsbruck/Bolzano-Bozen, 6-17 February 2012‏

The International Winter School on Federalism and Governance is a common project of the Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism of the European Academy Bolzano/Bozen (EURAC), the Faculty of Law and the School of Political Science and Sociology of the University of Innsbruck. Both editions were honoured by the patronage of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The International Winter School on Federalism and Governance analyzes the phenomena of federalism, regionalism and multi-level governance from a legal and a political science perspective. Every edition pays special attention to a particular topic, which is approached in detail by legal scholars, political scientists and practitioners.

The two-week Winter School welcomes an international audience:
young researchers and academics, post-graduate or undergraduate students, civil servants from a local, regional or national government as well as employees of international organizations or NGOs. For more information visit this link.

Conference: Migration and Identity: Historical, Cultural and Linguistic Dimensions of Mobility in the Balkans, Sofia, 14-15 October 2011‏

We have the pleasure to inform you about an International conference that is organized by Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and held in Sofia, Bulgaria, 14-15 October 2011

The theme and programme of the conference are:

Migration and Identity: Historical, Cultural and Linguistic Dimensions of Mobility in the Balkans

Friday, 14th October 2011

9.00 – 9.30 – Registration

9.30 – 10.00 – Welcome addresses by organisers

10.00 – 12.10 First Session

Chair: Petko Hristov

10.00 – 10.30: Key-note speech:

Vassilis Nitsiakos (University of Ioanina, Greece)

Transborder mobility and ethnicity along the Albanian-Greek frontier after the 1990s

10.30 – 12.10:

Karmen Medica (University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia)

Migrants in Europe: between integration and disintegration, in the context of contemporary contradictions and paradoxes

Marijeta Rajković Iveta (University of Zagreb, Croatia)

Dissolution of Yugoslavia and migration from and to newly formed states

Milana Černelić (University of Zagreb, Croatia)

The impact of migration on the cultural heritage and identity.

The example of the Croat (sub)ethnic group Bunjevci

Mila Maeva (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Language and migration (Bulgarian cases in the UK and France)

Sanja Đurin (Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb, Croatia)

A German – Croatian migration circuit

12.10 – 12.30: Discussion

13.30 – 15.40 Second Session

Chair: Stelu Serban

13.30 – 14.00: Key-note speech:

Karl Kaser (University of Graz, Austria)

Travelling, Orientalism and the photograph in the 19th century

14.00 – 15.40:

Anelia Kassabova (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Identities in frame. Photography and the construction of a "national body".

Evgenia Troeva (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Refugee Women in Bulgaria: Identities in Motion

Biljana Ristovska-Josifovska (Institute of National History, Skopje, Macedonia)

Ethnographic data on migrations in Macedonia

Constantin Iordan (Institute for South-eastern European Studies of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania)
The Turkish migration from Dobrogea in the inter-war period: important moments

Valentina Sharlanova (IEFSEM, Sofia)

The history of Turkish immigration in Western Europe – genesis, reasons and stages

15.40 – 16.00: Disscustion

16.15 – 18.00 Third Session

Chair: Milana Černelić

Key-note speech:

Petko Hristov (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Migrations and new ”old” identities: Balkan patterns

Biljana Sikimić (Institute for Balkan Studies, Belgrade, Serbia)

Romanians in Serbian Banat between Romania and Western Europe

Annemarie Sorescu-Marinković (Institute for Balkan Studies, Belgrade, Serbia)

Exchange labour migration in the Vlah villages of North-eastern Serbia

Stelu Serban (Institute for South-eastern European Studies of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania)

Subjectivity and migration in the socialist lifetime
Cases from Nicolae Bălcescu village, Northern Dobroudza

Bilyana Raeva (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Forming of identity of the citizens of Dimitrovgrad – the first Bulgarian socialist city

18.00 – 18.30: Disscustion

18.30 – 19.00: Presentation of new books

Saturday, 15th of October

10.00 – 12.10 First Session

Chair: Elya Tsaneva

10.00-10.30: Key-note speech:

Elya Tsaneva (IEFSEM, Sofia)

The Bulgarians down under – with objectivity and partiality

10.30 – 12.10:

Jadranka Grbić (University of Zagreb, Croatia)

Bulgarians in Croatia: migrations, presence, identity

Vladimir Penchev (IEFSEM, Sofia)

For Bread ... or for something else?

(The Bulgarian "contracted" labour migrations in former Czechoslovakia in the middle of last century)

Valentina Vaseva (IEFSEM, Sofia)
Bulgarian market gardeners in the vicinity of Bucharest – traditions and the present

Zhenia Pimpireva (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Migration to the city and the identity of Bessarabian Bulgarians

Elena Petrova (University of Odessa, Ukraine)

What is “our” tradition? Models and practices of identity construction among Bulgarian diaspora in South-Western Ukraine

12.10 – 12.30: Discussion

13.30 – 15.30: Second Session

Chair: Biljana Sikimić

Marinko Vuković (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia)

The influence of migrations and contact with others on the origin of the name of the Croatian ethnic group Šokci

Zorancho Malinov (Institute of Folklore, Skopje, Macedonia)

The identity of the migrants from the Shopluk in the new environments in the others parts of Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia

Ekaterina Anastasova (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Identity of transnational minorities in the nation building process (the case of Ukraine).

Karolina Bielenin-Lenczowska (Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Warsaw, Poland)

Keeping feet in two worlds? Everyday experiences of female migrants from Macedonia to Italy

Ivaylo Markov (IEFSEM, Sofia)

Migration, household and decision-making conflicts:

the case of Albanians from Republic of Macedonia

Final speech:

Anna Krasteva (New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria)

Balkan Migration Models

15.30 – 16.00: Final Discussion

For more information on our events, please visit our blog at
http://iefem.blogspot.com/

TransConflict - Consultants/Trainers Roster‏

TransConflict is looking to build-up a roster of consultants and trainers whom we can engage on future projects and initiatives in the Western Balkans. 

We are particularly interested in identifying experts in the following thematic areas:

- Conflict transformation and peacebuilding - including mediation and negotiation;

- Economic development - including cross-border co-operation;

- Good governance - including policy-making for political parties and civil society development;

- Constitution-making/constitutional reform - particularly with respect to Bosnia-Herzegovina;

- Citizen/community security;

- Other areas related to TransConflict's sphere of activities (please refer to our website for further information).

If you are interested in being included in TransConflict's roster of experts, please send a copy of your Curriculum Vitae (CV), plus a short description of your specific areas of expertise (you can include several thematic areas from the list above) and approximate salary expectations (per day of engagement, in euros), to office@transconflict.com. 

MA Program at Faculty of Media and Communications, Belgrade‏

Masters Program in Culture of Global Media, with following elective tracks:

Culture of Global Media
Conflict Studies
Gender and New Media Studies
European Studies
Digital Arts and New Media
Public Relations

Please find all additional information on our web site:
www.fmk.singidunum.ac.rs

European networks: the Balkans, Scandinavia and the Baltic world in a time of economic and ideological crisis, Targoviste, Romania, May 25-27, 2012‏

The current global economic crisis has generated debate in Europe regarding not only the future expansion of the EU, but the very viability of the European project itself. The discussion regarding the integration of the Balkans in the EU or NATO has been accompanied or even replaced by the question of whether the European project will in fact survive the general economic and social crisis that Europe faces today. While the Balkans still look towards Western European models and standards, Europe itself is suffering a crisis of political deadlock, economic decline, and an increasingly sharp ideological divide. Similarly, whileEstonia has just entered the Euro club and Latvian, Lithuanian, Bulgarian and Romanian leaders talk about joining into the Euro zone, top world economists are at the same time predicting the end of the Euro as a currency sometime in the near future.

The economic crisis in Europe seems to be partially responsible for the adoption over the past few years of anti-immigrant policies, something also being fed by fears of the future role of Islam in Europe. But these policies have also targeted citizens of European Union countries in Central and Eastern Europe (such as the Roma minority in Romania), as well as those of non-EU Balkan states.
 

A common reason stated for exclusionary policies is to safeguard the jobs of domestic workers. However, this crisis has also fostered the development of a new far right bloc around Europe, having as one of its features the exaltation of xenophobia, fear of immigrants and foreigners in general. The debate regarding the Roma has been particularly fierce, with even the Finns and the Swedes opposed to the formers’ presence in their countries. A transformative moment in the evolution of this phenomenon occurred in July of 2011, with the Oslo attacks carried out by Anders Behring Breivik, allegedly done to save Norwegian society from the government’s liberal policies on immigration and multi-culturalism. Disturbingly, this event proved that even advanced and well-organized European states such as Norway are unable to prevent large-scale extremist violence.
 

The aims of the conference:
The conference has two major goals. The first is to foster debate and academic discussion regarding contemporary problems facing the Balkan and Baltic regions during a period of severe global economic instability. These include the rise of extremist political groups with violent aims in the Baltics, the continued activity of Balkan-origin organized crime groups in Scandinavia, and the role that Baltic states may play in helping Western Balkan countries integrate politically and institutionally with the EU. The second aim of the conference is to foster cooperation and the creation of research networks between scholars from two geographical peripheries of Europe.
 

In this respect, the conference will address themes such as:
· The accession of Balkan states to the EU and/or NATO, with particular reference to the experiences of the relatively new EU and/or NATO Member States from South-Eastern Europe and the Eastern Baltic region. What lessons or information-sharing experiences or networks do the latter states have for the Balkan ones?
· Perceived threats to Western Europe (in economic, security or cultural terms) posed by Balkan and/or Eastern European states/non-state actors. Are these threats real or exaggerated? What measures can and are being taken to deal with them?
· The development of the far right in the Balkans and in Northern Europe, past, present and future. What linkages can be observed, and what conclusions can be made?
· Strategies for integrating minorities in the Baltic Sea rim countries and in the Black Sea areas. What is being done, and how can it be done better?
· Past and present networks of cooperation at state or NGO level between the Baltic and Black seas regions. Do these present a useful model for results-oriented cooperation (ie., in sharing experiences for EU membership goals), or otherwise how should they be modified?
· Current economic relations between Baltic and/or Nordic states, on the one hand, and the Balkan countries, on the other: trends and directions of trade between the two regions, labor costs and competitiveness, business perceptions, economic integration etc.
· Current political, cultural and diplomatic relations between Baltic and/or Nordic states, on the one hand, and the Balkan countries;
· Balkan organized crime in the Scandinavian countries
· The Balkan Roma people as threat for Western Europe
 

The second aim of the conference is to foster cooperation and the creation of research networks between scholars from two geographical peripheries of Europe, the Balkans and the Baltic World. This conference aims at putting this people together, at facilitating the contacts among them, at offering them the framework for developing new projects, for finding in cooperation new solutions to old dilemmas. Creating specialized networks is indeed an implicit aim of every international conference, but this would be the first organized event specifically designed to bring together scholars, academics, PhD students from the Balkans and Baltic world or interested in the problems of these two specific areas.
 

ARSBN welcomes papers, panels and roundtable proposals. Contributions are encouraged from disciplines but not limited to: history, cultural studies, economics, ethnic relations, international relations, political science.
Paper, panel or roundtable proposals shall be send to the organizers of the conference at conference2012@arsbn.ro and must include an abstract (motivation, problem statement, approach, results, conclusion) of no more than 300 words and a curriculum vitae.
 

All participants whose papers are accepted for presentation will be offered free conference attendance, meals and an excursion. The accommodation will be provided based on individual applications within the limit of our budget. Please be aware that the travel expenses are not covered except for a few possible travel grants offered by the Nordic and Baltic embassies in Romania (the confirmation of which is still pending). However, the participants arriving from abroad will be commuted from and to Bucharest International Airport “Henri Coanda” (some 75 km east to Targoviste).
 

Selected papers presented at the conference will be published in the journals:
• Revista Româna de Studii Baltice si Nordice / The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies: http://www.arsbn.ro/RRSBN.htm - deadline June 15, 2011
• Valahian Journal of Historical Studies: http://www.valahianjournal.info – deadline September 15, 2012;
In addition, the possibility of publishing a thematic volume at an international printing house is also prospected.
Conference Schedule and Deadlines:
• Proposals for panels and roundtables (approx. 500 words): December 31, 2011
• Abstracts for individual papers (approx. 300 words): February 1, 2012
• Notification of Acceptance: March 1, 2012
• Publication of the Conference program: March 31, 2012
• Conference: May 25-27, 2012
Conference organizers (others still to confirm):
The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies
Balkanalysis.com
Embassy of Finland, Bucharest
Embassy of Lithuania, Bucharest
Embassy of Norway, Bucharest
Consulate of Latvia, Bucharest
Consulate of Estonia, Bucharest
Valahia University of Târgoviste
"Grigore Gafencu" Research Center for the History of International Relations and Cultural Studies
The Târgoviste Municipality
The Royal Court National Museal Complex, Targoviste
Cetatea de Scaun Printing House

The webpage of the conference: http://www.arsbn.ro/conference-2012.htm
Past conferences: http://www.arsbn.ro/conferences.htm and http://www.arsbn.ro/conference-2011.htm

The Balkan Wars 1912/13. Experience, Perception, Remembrance, Center for Balkan and Black Sea Studies / Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, 11-12 October 2012‏

The Balkan Wars 1912/13.
Experience, Perception, Remembrance
International Conference on the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary
11 - 13 October, 2012
at the Center for Balkan and Black Sea Studies / Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul
Organizers: Center for Balkan and Black Sea Studies / Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul
Department of History, University of Regensburg
Institute for the Study of Eastern and Southeastern Europe (IOS), Regensburg
Coordinators: Katrin Boeckh, Mehmet Hacısalihoğlu, Heike Karge, Sabine Rutar

Call for Papers: The conference aims to explore the two Balkan Wars of 1912/13 from the perspective of New Military History. We call for cross-disciplinary proposals approaching the Balkan Wars through a triple lens as experienced , perceived and/or remembered . Proposals should aim at scrutinizing these two wars on the basis of their manifold interconnections. We invite scholars to reflect on Koselleck's Semantics of Historical Time(s) ( Zeitschichten ) in order to approach the two wars as an integral part of the history of European wars in the 20 th century.

We wish to explore the potential entanglements between the wars of 1912/13 and the wars that followed. In so doing, we will draw on recent research that has found connections between the worlds of meaning of the Second World War and the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. The fact that the Balkan Wars knew no fully fledged post war era, for example, has received little attention so far. In addition to scholars of the Balkan Wars, therefore, we encourage scholars of the "other" European wars of the 20 th century - the First and the Second World War as well as the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s - to submit proposals. Their contributions will foster a discussion that integrates the Balkan Wars into the perspectives put forth by the New Military History.

Potential topics include the social history of the military; war technology / modern warfare / war operations; front and homeland; physical violence; population movements; propaganda and censorship; life worlds of peace and war; symbols, imagery, (changing) discourses; illness, death, and health care; gendered perspectives; economy of the wars; diplomacy; remembrance.
The realization of the conference conceptualized by this Call for Papers is subject to the organizers’ attainment of adequate funding.
The conference language is English .
Proposals must be no longer than 300 words . Please include also a short biographic note and your institutional affiliation, as well as your contact details.
Deadline : 31 October, 2011.
Contact : PD Dr. Katrin Boeckh, Osteuropa-Institut, Landshuter Str. 4, 93047 Regensburg, boeckh@osteuropa-institut.de