CFP: International Conference on #Bengal and its Neighbors: From Early Modern to Contemporary South Asia -Oct 2024.

 The aim of this panel is to initiate a broader dialogue with regards to the Bengal region, as it evolved from the early modern era — then, a region being ruled a motley of Sultanates with periodic eruption of Mughal expeditions against the independent Sultans — to an important resource extraction zone during the colonial era. Eventually, the region evolved into a contested terrain during the anti-colonial movement in the Twentieth Century that pitted two distinct nationalist projects against one another, as the post-colonial future of the region’s heterogeneous ethnic, linguistic and religious communities were being decided. Fast forward to the Partition, Bengal’s religious fault-lines became exposed, as the Muslim majority regions became part of Pakistan, while the Hindu dominated Western regions became part of India. 

However, this flared up communal fragmentation does not fully encapsulate the efforts undertaken by political forces, including the left-leaning ones, to oppose communalism’s impact on the widening gap between Hindus and Muslims. Interestingly, an echo of this anti-communal nation-building imperative can be traced in the movement leading up to the creation of Bangladesh, and, subsequently, the inscribing of the principles of nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism in its founding constitution draw up in 1972 following its break-up from Pakistan in 1971. The country experiences coups and countercoups in the late 1970s and early 1980s that had shacked its attempt to build a new society out of the ruins of Partition. 

Moreover, the wider Bengal region has experienced further tensions due to the acceleration of the climate crisis, onset of neoliberal globalization, and new forms of social divides along caste, class, ethnicity, and religious lines in the recent years. Therefore, it would be more than useful to interrogate the region from a broad historical perspective so that dialogues can be initiated to understand the wider implications of today’s crises as well as the traces of the past in the Bengal region’s turbulent present. 

With an aim to investigating the various traditions of resistance, in literary writing, oral and public culture, plastic and visual arts, to dominant ideologies of nation, class, religion, and gender, the esteemed panelists seek to engage with the following questions in order to understand the complex changes in the region from a broader perspective: 

• How can we address the influences of various cultural forces — Arab, Persian, Indic, and European — in a primarily agrarian region?
• How can we reconceptualize the major changes that occurred in the region as it transitioned from the colonial era to the postcolonial present? What are some of the major outcomes of this transition including the Permanent Settlement, the Bengal famine of 1943 and the creation of the successor three nation-states of British India impacted the region? 
• How is the region shaped by political changes such as the solidification of Hindu nationalism in India, the India-China rivalry to extend regional influence, as well as the ethnic tensions in the bordering countries such as Myanmar? 
• How can the region’s longue durée shifts be addressed from an interdisciplinary angle? What are the stakes of bringing scholars together who explore the Bengal and its neighboring region from a range of disciplinary angles including anthropology, history, literature and religion among others?      

Contact Information

Please submit abstracts of 250-300 words and a brief bio to the organizers, Auritro Majumder, Assistant Professor of English, University of Houston, amajumder@uh.edu &  Asif Iqbal, Visiting Assistant Professor of English, Oberlin College, aiqbal@oberlin.edu by 30 March, 2024. 

Contact Email: aiqbal@oberlin.edu

CFP: International Conference on Belonging/Unbelonging: #Religion, #Gender and ‘Everyday’ #Politics in South Asia- Feb 2024- Mahatma Gandhi University

The intersection of religion, individuation and belongingness is a complex and multidimensional issue that has spawned many interesting academic debates recently. These debates, in general, have centred or problematised the continuous relevance and political force of religion in the face of modernity and rationality and the post-secular reformulation of their basic presumptions. The issue is more expressive and pertinent in the current attempts of scrutinising the intimate connections and contradictions in presupposing Submission and Agency, Sacred and Profane, Private and Public. Recent scholarship has focused on interactions between religion and political institutions, the vast repertoire of religious traditions and practices, and the distinctiveness of sacred belongings from other forms of belonging. There is also an emerging emphasis on the ‘everyday’ and religion and its reflection on articulations of believing, behaving, and belonging. Especially with a phenomenological turn in the study of religion, the religious texts, symbols and practices, therefore, are not understood independently of their social extensions. This development is crucial to studying the interface between the region and gender. The continuous acknowledgement of patriarchy in feminist scholarship has given rise to a gender perspective that has a nuanced understanding of belonging and un-belonging. Another site where gender meets religion is protests of various sorts by women’s movements in South Asia for claiming citizenry rights and social and political spaces (Sabarimala Issue, Nuns fight against sexual harassment, multiple debates and contexts around Hijab in Iran, France and Karnataka, women’s gathering in Shaheen Bagh against CAA etc.). It is in this context the School of Gender Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, in collaboration with the Centre for Cross-national Communication in South Asia, Mahatma Gandhi University is organising a two-day national seminar with a particular focus on the theme Belonging/Unbelonging: Religion, Gender and Everyday Politics in South Asia.

Major Sub Themes-1

SUB THEMES:

• Everyday Politics and Embodied Religiosity 
• Religious Diversity and Pluralism 
• Religion, State, and Governance Faith, Youth and Change
• Religion and Visuality in South Asia 
• Religion and Ecology in South Asia 
• Religion, Speech and Expression 
• Marketing of the Sacred and Spiritual 
• Migration, Religion, and Reformation 

Major Sub Themes-2

SUB THEMES 

• Religious Texts and Gender
• Religion, Gender and Activism
• Religion, Gender and Family 
• Religion, Body and Social Space 
• Gendered Mobilities and Immobilities in Religion 
• Belonging in Religion 
• Protesting Unbelongings 
• Religion, Gender and Disability Religion,
• Gender and New Media Religion, 
• Gender and Performance 
• Religious Polarization and Gender

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Important Dates:

 Abstract submission deadline: 26 JANUARY  

Acceptance notification FEBRUARY 1

Registration date FEBRUARY 1- 10 

Full paper submission FEBRUARY  15  

Conference date : FEBRUARY 28, 29

Submission link: https: //forms.gle/wzZfCp8QGP2yrJ4P8

Contact: conference2024onreligion@gmail.com 

CFP:MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND MULTILINGUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENDER AND DISPLACEMENT (HYBRID MODE) , 28 MARCH 2024. Jain Unviersity CDO

 About JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) About Center for Distance & Online Education (CDOE) About the Conference Established in 1990, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, was declared Deemed-to-be University u/s of the UGC Act 1956 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Union Government in July 2009. The University has reached unprecedented heights in the field of education. 

Ranked among the top universities in India and considered a cerebral destination for students across the world, the University offers a conducive environment for learning, be it academics or extra-curricular activities. Known for its emphasis on education, entrepreneurship, research and sports, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) has some of the best minds in the educational and research fields, and canters that inspire entrepreneurship and ground-breaking ‘work to simplify and manage life better. What makes JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) different is its outlook towards life, its values and beliefs. It's ever-evolving open-minded system, quest for continued success and resilience have made it one of the top universities in India. The University has been accredited with A++ with a cumulative grade point of 3.71 in the year 2021 by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and is ranked 68th nationally in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Government of India in 2023 and 5th among the top private universities in India by the India ‘Today Magazine. The University is also an ISO: 8001: 2015 Certified for Quality Management by TUV Nord. With an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, the University fosters an environment that encourages innovation, creativity and critical thinking. It plays a vital role in shaping a brighter future for both individuals and the society as a whole. Recently, the University has been conferred with ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ under the category of ‘Identification and Nurturing of Budding/Young Talent’ by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, GoI for the year 2023. 

The Center for Distance and Online Education helps an individual achieve higher levels of efficiency and stimulates innovative skills allowing for a fulfilling work-life and study balance. It aims to foster remote learning for meaningful progress on the professional front and drives career opportunities massively through flexible and practice-oriented study. The 'Gender and Displacement' conference is a crucial interdisciplinary forum addressing the complex relationship between gender dynamics and the impact of displacement. It explores economic repercussions, scientific insights into environmental and health factors, and the commercial aspects of displacement. 

The conference also examines literary works to interpret human experiences. By fostering dialogue across disciplines, it aims to contribute to a holistic understanding of gender-specific impacts, informing policies and interventions for individuals forging new identities due to calamities or life choices. Participants are encouraged to explore sub-themes beyond the ones listed here. Papers can be presented in English/ Kannada/ Hindi, but full length papers for publication have to be submitted only in English. Gender sensitization, at the core, involves fostering awareness for understanding gender justice and equality, promoting acceptance and behavioral change, and instilling empathy towards all genders. 

The Gender Sensitization Cell (Genesis) at CDOE, Jain University, strives to advance a world free of discrimination. Its objectives are to be a part of a movement where we are responsible for our own thoughts and actions-each time, every time. Its agenda is to cultivate a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and humanitarian society. The initiative focuses on personal responsibility, aiming to raise awareness about prejudices and dismantle them in various spheres. The ultimate goal is to contribute to a stronger community where all genders are treated equally, driven by the collective effort to break biases and foster inclusivity. We hope to actively work for a stronger community where all genders are treated equally. We are sure that- Together, we all can break the bias.

 About Genesis 

The Center for Distance and Online Education, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) provides academic prospects to all eligible and willing individuals who face obstacles of time and place. With access to quality education and the flexibility of online learning, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) gives students an extra boost through its undergraduate and postgraduate programs which are designed to meet the industry's needs. Sub-themes:

 Conference Objectives Challenge and break down gender barriers and stereotypes in both everyday and crisis situations. Examine the multifaceted gender roles during displacement, acknowledging individuals as fighters, workers, volunteers, and survivors. Recognize all genders as agents for positive change and stability in conflict-affected areas, contributing to the cohesion of families, communities, and countries. Create awareness regarding the imperative inclusion of all genders in displacement and policy implementation. Advocate for the incorporation of a gender perspective in the resolution of both natural and man-made conflicts. Strive for the integration of all genders as a driving force for progress, harmony, and resilience in societies grappling with displacement and conflict. Prioritize the speedy and comprehensive addressing of gender-related issues in conflict areas to ensure prompt and effective solutions. 

Gender Dynamics in Displacement:

 Understanding the Specific Challenges and Coping Strategies Narratives of Exile, Refuge, and Displacement: 

A Gendered Perspective from Classical to Contemporary Times Generational Trauma through a Gender Lens: 

Analyzing the Impact on Subsequent Generations in Displacement Contexts Gendered Experiences in Literary and Audio/Visual Narratives of Displacement Rehabilitating Families, Communities, and Countries:

 A Gender-Responsive Approach to Displacement Recovery 

ಜನಾಂಗಿಕ ನಿರಾಶ್ರಿತರ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರಗಳು : 

ಕಾರಣಗಳು , ಪರಿಣಾಮಗಳು ಡಯಾಸ್ಪೋರಾ :

 ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಜನಸಮುದಾಯಗಳು ವಲಸೆ ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ವಲಸೆ, ಗಡಿಪಾರು ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಂಸಾತ್ಮಕ ಸ್ಥಳಾಂತರ 

रो ज़मर्रा और संकसं ट दो नों स्थि ति यों में लैंगिलैंगिक बा धा ओं और रूढ़ि यों की चुनौचुनौती ।

 वि स्था पन और नी ति कार्या न्र्यावयन में सभी लिं गों को अनि वा र्य रूप से शा मि ल करने के बा रे में जा गरूकता ।

 प्राकृतिक और मानव निर्मित दो नों संघसं र्षों के समा धा न में लैंगिलैंगिक परि प्रेक्ष्प्रेय को शा मि ल करने की वका लत । त्वरि त और प्रभा वी समा धा न सुनिसुनिश्चि त करने के लि ए संघसं र्ष क्षेत्रोंक्षे त्रों में लिं ग-संबंसं धीबं धी मुद्दोंमुद्दों की प्रा थमि कता । 

Physiological Abuses and Consequences (rape/molestation/other forms of violence) 

Psycho-social Dynamics of Resilience(Analyzing how interpersonal relationships and community support foster psychological resilience) 

Trauma-Reasons, Repercussion, Awareness & Counselling) 

Exploring sustainable approaches to cope and rehabilitate Gender Pay Parity Disparities in leadership roles Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity (DEI) initiatives Gender-Specific Challenges and Coping Mechanisms in Tourism Financial Inclusion in Displacement Settings Healthcare Disparities and Gender in Displacement:

A Scientific Perspective STEM Training Programs and Gender Inclusivity in Displacement Settings Technological Innovations for Addressing GenderSpecific Challenges in Displacement. 

Data-Driven Approaches to Understanding Gender Dynamics in Displacement. Socio-cultural-economic repercussions of displacement Financial Inclusion and Gender displacement Gender Displacement and economic inequality Ecological Resilience and Gender Displacement Politics of Gender Among Displaced Tribals

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Call for Papers Note: 

 

Original articles, research papers, and case studies that highlight the issues related to the theme, are invited from Policy makers, Academicians, Research scholars, Entrepreneurs, Industry professionals and Students. All the paper presenters and participants will receive a certificate. Please use the following google form link to register and submit the abstract 

https://forms.gle/hqvnnKtMLgP6q9Ph7

Registration for the conference ends on 20th March 2024

Full research papers must adhere to these guidelines 

Authors have to submit their papers to genesiscdoe@gmail.com after abstract acceptance.

Selected papers will be peer-reviewed and published with ISBN. The paper submitted for the Conference should be unpublished and original work of the contributor(s). 

An author can submit more than one paper, with maximum two co-authors. All papers should be about 2000 - 2500 words. The paper will be immediately rejected if the quality is insufficient and/or plagiarized. 

Research paper will include the title, author(s), designation, email, abstract (250-300 words), 5 Keywords, Introduction, Review of literature, Objectives/Hypothesis, Methodology, Findings, Suggestions, Conclusion and References (in alphabetical order). 

All references must be cited in the text (Follow APA 7th edition/ MLA 9th edition ) Important Dates: The abstract should be written within 250-300 words and 5 keywords. 

Abstract proceedings will be released on conference day (only of those who submit full length papers) 

Abstract Submission 31st January 2024 

Notification for the acceptance of abstract 10th February 2024 

Full paper Submission 15th March 2024.

For more details, please e-mail genesiscdoe@gmail.com 

Conference Venue: Center for Distance and Online Learning - JAIN (Deemed to-be University) #319, 17th Cross, 25th Main JP Nagar 6th Phase, Bengaluru Karnataka, India- 560078

CFP: Voicing Otherness Reconfiguring #Australia’s #Postcoloniality-17th ESSE Conference 2024

 

17th ESSE Conference 2024 Lausanne  26-30 August 2024

(please note, only members of one of the European Association for English Studies or similar can present papers at the Conference, so you should consider applying for one before sending a proposal)

Recent debates in so-called Commonwealth nations have raised issues about the representation of others and the way in which an Other is o;en defined through a distorted vision stemming from the sustaining of imperial/nationalistic practices that may been even more significant in the late 20th and the 21st Centuries at a global level. The place of Europe in former colonies is still paramount with the binary centre/margin, locating the non-European Other in a liminal space and, in fact, conveying a nostalgia for an imperial past.

 The post-reconciliation stage in Australia and the Uluru statement from the heart (2017) have paved the way for the current political debates around “A Voice to Parliament” meant to enshrine an

Indigenous voice in the Australian constitution and thus bring all Australians together and encourage them to move forward as a nation.

Several critics in various fields of the academia (Ashcroft; Appadurai; C Bhabha; Mbembe…) have sought to explore the perception of otherness in order to question the various discourses that seek to reappraise the role of the nation, reconfigure the space of the nation or the agency of Other. Australian fiction often shows how the cultural encounter between individuals under the flagship “multicultural nation” is even more complex, considering the sustaining of practices inherited from Europe and of a discourse that maintains the “non- European” in a liminal space.

In his book, Postcolonial Melancholia (2005) Gilroy argues that the need for the homogenized nation often surfaces as an attempt to dismiss a postcolonial situation deemed desperate. Gilroy focuses on the mechanisms that trigger the return of nationalisms (in their various forms) and induce a postcolonial chaos. 

Taking on Gilroy’s analysis of ethnicity and identity issues and Ghassan Hage's work on multiculturalism and his idea that Australia’s multiculturalism is a “cosmopolitan multiculturalism”, that it thus prevents inclusion for the sake of less visible forms of exclusion, we encourage papers that analyze the various forms of marginalization that occur in the “postcolonial moment” and to what extent such a ”moment” may encourage writers to search for new alternatives: alternative ways of living and of relating to the earth, alternative ways of approaching and experiencing otherness, also alternative literary discourses of the Other – which may point out to tensions between the postmodern and the postcolonial.

Bourdieu’s notion of “habitus” may be useful for the understanding of discourses that articulate physical space, social space, and spiritual space. The issue at stake will be to determine to what extent a reconstruction of landscapes, a rewriting of myths and stories can or cannot trace the contours of a post-colonial cultural dilemma.

In following these ideas, we encourage papers in the field of Australian literatures that address the displacement of individuals and the many forms of wanderings that that occur within the space of the nation and global environments. Thus, it might be noteworthy to determine the extent by which the act of wandering may trace the contours of various forms of enrooting and may create a diaspora of

forms. How such a diaspora may question, affect, or simply relocate the postcolonial in an “alter moment”.

Please send your proposals to both:

Pr Salhia Ben-Messahel, University of Toulon (France)

salhia.benmessahel@unjiv-tln.fr

Pr Marilena Parlati, University of Padova (Italy)

marilena.parlati@unipd.it

Call For Chapters on - #Indian #Migration During The #British #Empire: A #Literary #Scrutiny- #Springer

 Concept Note:

 

The largest group of Indian overseas immigrants resulted from the export of labour services, with indentured labour emerging as a leading example in this regard. The proliferation of the indentured system was driven mainly by two forces – first and foremost, in the face of strong condemnation on moral grounds from various parties, the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 brought about the abolition of the slave trade throughout the vast British Empire, with some exceptions (Blackburn 1988, 420), which resulted in a labour shortage in the plantation economy of the British overseas colonies. For instance, since the beginning of the 16th century, an era of imperialism brought about the successive annexation of many Southeast Asian countries by British colonialists. These early colonies were sparsely populated, leading the British to set their eyes on India – as a populous neighbouring country, where an abundant labour force with high skills and qualifications prevailed. Moreover, considering the British colonial hegemony in India at that time, it was easier to control and manipulate the Indian immigrants than Chinese or Japanese workers from other non-British colonies.

 

Transporting labour from British India to the British settlements in Southeast Asia served two purposes, alleviating the population pressure, as well as the domestic class and ethnic conflict in India, and serving as a source of labour for the colonies in Southeast Asia. An apprenticeship system was adopted with the emancipation of slaves that required all enslaved persons to be transformed into “apprentices”, and to continue labouring for their former masters for a period of four to six years in exchange for provisions. It was essentially slavery by another name (Burn 1937; Green 1976), although this new system came with some inherent flaws that led to its later abandonment. The former slaves had a stronger sense of legal and self-protection, and so refused to do their work, protesting the system of gradual emancipation, and demanding immediate and full liberation. To fill the labour “vacuum”, Hugh Tinker noted, The British Empire recruited nearly 15 million Indians from inland cities in northern India and the coastal cities of Eastern India and shipped them to the overseas British colonies as far away as Natal, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname and Fiji to replace the former slaves on the sugar plantations. Nearby were places like Malaysia and Sri Lanka in Southeast Asia where Indians were forced to grow tea, pepper, coffee, rubber and palm oil, and to work in tin mining and logging for roads (Tinker 1974, 77).

 

In nature, they were indentured labour, known more commonly as Coolies or Piglets, and served as cheap labour, subject to the interests of the British colonialists, and with the typical characteristics of colonial subjects. Concerning the source of indentured labour, the early immigrants were Tamils from the Madras region of India, or Eastern Indians from the present-day Bangladesh. In the later period, the majority of immigrants were farmers from the north, such as from the Gangetic plain in Uttar Pradesh. In other words, the indentured laborers came mainly from the coastal areas of south India from the very beginning but were

 

Exploring Indian Migration during the British Colonial Period to Different Parts of the World

 

Indian migration during the British Raj represents a complex and multifaceted historical phenomenon that deserves in-depth exploration. This migration spanned several centuries and was characterized by the movement of millions of Indians to various corners of the world. While economic reasons often took precedence, the motivations behind this migration were diverse, encompassing a myriad of factors. To gain a comprehensive understanding of this historical event, we invite scholars, researchers and academicians, to submit chapters for this research project that delve into Indian migration during the British colonial era.

 

The project will address the following with reference to literature:

 

• Literary representation of Indian migration to South Africa during the British Raj
• Literary representation of Indian migration to East Africa during the British Raj
• Literary representation of Indian migration to West and North Africa during the British Raj
• Literary representation of Indian migration to Caribbean Islands during the British Raj
• Literary representation of Indian migration to Middle, East, and South Asia during the British Raj
• Literary representation of Indian migration to the Western World during the British Raj

 

This edited book adopts a comparative approach, filling a gap in existing literature. While other works focus on specific regions or offer historical or sociological perspectives, our project provides a comprehensive literary study.

 

Editors:

 

Dr. Shubhanku Kochar

 

Dr. M. Anjum Khan

 

Submission Guidelines:

 

• Email a 200-word chapter proposal and a 100-word author's bio-note to the editors by 15th December 2023.
• Acceptance notifications will be sent by 31st December 2023.
• Full chapters due by 30th April 2024.

 

Contact:

 

Email proposals to shubhankukochar@outlook.com and anjumkhanrs@gmail.com

Call for Papers: Narratives of Land: Place, Space, and Human Identity- January 2024

The land is always stalking people. The land makes people live right. The land looks after us. The land looks after people.

– Mrs Annie Peaches, a 77-year-old member of the Western Apache community of Cibecue (Basso 2000: 41)

A narrative is an orally or verbally disseminated account that captures events, attaches meanings to them, and configures the world around us. So, when we propose “Narratives of Land”, the first query that confronts us is – is it at all possible for a land to speak or communicate? Does land possess any agential faculty to affect us? Is a land always mute or it speaks through its materiality?

There is a sense of co-existential and affective interconnectivity between land and humans regarding our empirical perceptions of it. These multi-sensorial faculties shape or orient human identities, our perceptions, and our sociocultural lifeworlds and also redefine the land itself. David Manuel Navarrete and Michael Redclift, in “The Role of Place in the Margins of Space” have talked of the “human dimension of spatiality” (3). In their theorization, place or land is not static or an inert actor instead it is a living entity with a degree of dynamism, fluidity, and changeability. The materialities of any place confer a sense of belongingness, and rootedness to its people.

South Asia is a colonial cartographic construct that has its own regional diversities, histories, and memories. South Asia is a space where the interaction or ‘intra-action’ between land and human has long been the crux for critical inquiry. Land as a geographical entity has long been discussed by geographers, historians, geologists, ecologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, and so on. It has also been the subject of poets, novelists, and also literary critics for many generations. So, to talk about land is to dive into the ocean of multiplicity where there is no terminal point rather any juncture here is a point of departure. The human mind as an isolated entity distinct from its environment since, in the words of Robert Pepperell “a human cannot be separated from its supportive environment … it seems the human is a ‘fuzzy edged’ entity that is profoundly dependent into its surroundings, much as the brain is dependent on the body” (Pepperell 20).

Every human being has their own way of communicating with the land. A diasporic subject often sees the land as not only a physical entity but a ‘topophilic bond’ that transcends the physicality of land. Yi Fu Tuan has used the term “topophilia” (1990) to suggest a sense of attachment or a feeling-link between people and place. Land can be seen as an open ground of action, being and becoming. A land can be a political construct as well. During the partition of India land becomes a defining category of human existence. The sense of belonging to a land informs one’s social, political, and cultural identity. Even, in this age of Anthropocene and Capitalocene, the mutilation and commodification of South Asia has been interrogated by different environmental theorists. Even a post-apocalyptic or a post-war land also speaks a different narrative which is yet to be heard. All these implications can be made to subscribe to the idea of indigeneity.

The conference intends to engage with these multiple concerns emerging out of the land of South Asia. The conference is going to be an interdisciplinary space for scholars of all disciplines to showcase indigeneity contained within the narratives of the land. So, to convey thoughts in language, the conference is ready to set an epistemic dialogue with the land and bring forth an alternative domain of critical explorations.

Abstracts are invited but not limited to the following sub topics/themes:

· Environmental Studies

· Diaspora

· Border Studies

· Human Geography

· Posthuman Studies

· Narratives of War

· Space/Place

· Migration

· Indigenous Epistemes

Abstract Submission: On or before 16th November, 2023

Acceptance of abstract: By 30th November, 2023

Full paper submission: On or before 3rd January, 2024

Seminar dates: 10 th and 11 th January 2024

Seminar will in-person but owing to enough overseas candidates, we'll try to arrange an online session if/when necessary

Send your abstracts to narrativesofland@gmail.com

For further details contract narrativesofland@gmail.com

Send in abstracts of around 300 words along with a bio note of 150 words to the above mail id.

Registration details will be communicated in due course.

Call for Papers | 11th Annual Conference on Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination- 2024-National Law University Bangalore

 

The National Law School of India University and Oxford Human Rights Hub are jointly hosting the 11TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2024 of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination at the NLS campus in Bengaluru from 26th to 28th July 2024.  The conference in Bengaluru builds upon the past success of BCCE’s annual conference which in the past has been held in:

• Paris (Sciences-Po 2012)
• California (Berkeley Law 2013)
• Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles 2014)
• Shanghai (Jiao Tong University 2016)
• Dublin (Trinity College 2017)
• Melbourne (Melbourne Law School 2018)
• Stockholm (University of Stockholm 2019)
• Cape Town (University of Cape Town 2021)
• Hong Kong (University of Hong Kong 2022)
• Netherlands (Utrecht University 2023).

Is There Hope for Equality Law?

After 10 successful iterations, as the conference travels to South Asia this year, we ask: is there hope for equality law? Inaugurating the global decolonial moment, the nations of the subcontinent constituted themselves into new republics with a lot of optimism and creative energy expended in reimagining and setting up just and fair societies. Giving shape and form to the principle of equality in political, economic and social lives was foremost in their agenda. But today, in the twenty-first century, there are growing concerns in this region, as there are all over the world, about the rise of inequality.

In the recent past, we have witnessed the growing awareness of different conceptions of equality, including substantive and transformative equality, systemic and structural inequality, indirect and effects-based discrimination which have made it possible to respond not only to intentional harms but to institutional harms as well. There has also been an expansion in the canon of identity characteristics protected under equality law. Yet, despite these gains and the centrality of equality to the political and legal order of so many countries, stakeholders around the world are questioning whether the legal right to equality is capable of addressing current inequalities. There are concerns that equality law is not up to the challenges of the climate crisis; ever-increasing wealth and income inequality; with the ever-widening disparities in access to rights and justice on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex and disability; tax injustice; growing informal work, the demonization of migration, the decay of democratic institutions, the power of multi-nationals, or the rise of artificial intelligence. This conference asks the bold question: In light of the doubts on the relevance of equality, is there hope for equality law?

The aim of the conference is to explore whether and how equality law can take the next step forward and offer insights and remedies to contemporary global challenges. Scholars and activists have used equality law to diagnose how laws, policies and programmes have created or enhanced poverty, disadvantage, stereotypes, stigmas, prejudice, oppression, and social exclusion. These laws, policies and programmes have been challenged in domestic, regional, and international courts and decision-making bodies. Although equality law has at best had a mixed record of success and failure, does it still have any untapped promise and potential to ensure that the world is fairer and more just for all peoples? While recognising the severity of current challenges, this conference seeks to explore whether and how equality law can develop to tackle the problems of today and of the future. It aims to bring together leading scholars to consider not only how foundational concepts may be re-thought and reimagined but also how theory and doctrine may evolve in a dynamic and transformative manner to realize the hope of equality law.

We are seeking paper proposals that address the broad questions posed by the conference. We encourage proposals to explore the following concepts and questions:

• the tension between equality and other foundational values such as liberty or other ideologies such as neoliberalism or neocolonialism
• the debates on the aims of equality law, such as debates on redistribution and recognition
• the role of affirmative action in redressing equality harms
• the role of proactive powers and duties
• the role of intersectionality in addressing systemic exploitation and oppression
• the challenges of achieving equality in specific fields of life such as:
   race, religion, caste, class and age discrimination (as illustration)
  informal employment and lack of social protection
  land, water and material resources
  Indigenous rights
  language, cultural and ways of life
  decolonization;
  o disability and ableism
  o wealth and tax inequality
  o family, public life and gender
  o AI and technology
  o citizenship, migration and statelessness
  o climate crisis
  o violence
• the impact of social justice movements on equality law
• the relationship of equality law with rising authoritarianism and democratic decay
• equality and international law

Instructions for submission

We invite submissions for individual presentations as well as panel proposals on the theme of the conference. We also encourage authors of recent monographs and edited collections to submit proposals to have panel discussions of their recent scholarship on the hope of equality law. We encourage submissions from scholars at all stages of their career. We also welcome a wide range of approaches and perspectives including normative, doctrinal, critical and interdisciplinary. Submissions are invited from scholars working in law and allied disciplines of social sciences and humanities.

Abstracts should not exceed 500 words and clearly indicate how your paper fits the theme of the conference, the objectives of the paper and its methodology. Please include a brief biography of maximum 100 words which is suitable for publication on the conference website, including affiliation, your email-address and a link to online bio, if available. Panel submissions should include a title and an abstract for the entire panel as well as titles, abstracts, and author information for all papers. Each panel should contain between three and four papers. The panel can be submitted by any of the authors.

Timeline

• Abstracts are due 1 December 2023.
• The abstracts will be reviewed, and invitations will be sent in February 2024.
• Full papers or presentations will be due on 1 July 2024 from authors whose abstracts are selected. Full papers will be made available to the participants of the conference. Subject to prior approval from authors, their papers and presentations may be posted on the conference website.

Finances

The conference organizers strive to keep the conference fee as low as possible. The fee will likely consist of 400 USD for participants outside India and INR 6000 for persons from India. The conference organizers can regrettably not cover travel and accommodation. Fee waiver may be considered subject to availability of funds. Those wishing to apply for it are required to submit a statement indicating why they require a full or partial waiver.

Contact Us

Please send the abstract and any queries relating to the conference to oxfordhumanrightshub@law.ox.ac.uk