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Violence
2nd Global Inclusive Interdisciplinary Conference

 

Saturday 26th June - Sunday 27th June, 2021
Online

This event has been moved online due to COVID-19.
 

Throughout history violence has horrified and enthralled in equal measure, defining some of our most glorious and most distressing historical events. Debate continues about the nature and implications of violence within our societies even as, in the current political moment, violence continues to define the lives of people around the globe through warfare, protest, political demonstration and discrimination. Although none of this violence is new, the methods and motivations behind it may nonetheless be novel amidst an internationally harshening political climate that has seen not only actual violence but frequently the threat of violence deployed against those in the public eye. Even speech itself has been deployed as a form of violence as social media platforms offer both anonymity and global reach.

Our histories are littered with situations where violence has been argued to be justified, or where it was viewed as culturally acceptable, even praiseworthy. ‘Just’ wars are but one example, and the most obvious; retaliatory air strikes, honour killings, protections of borders, and even simply fear of others have been deployed as well. Influential authors such as George Orwell and Franz Fanon, among others, have historically advocated for the efficacy of some types of violence. Were they right? If so, who within our societies must bear the brunt of this requirement of violence and what impact does this have on them—and us?

Meanwhile, our entertainment media glamourises violent characters—the anti-hero, the mobster, the vigilante—and ‘if it bleeds it leads’ continues to influence how news is reported. How does this shape our cultural attitudes toward violence? What responsibilities does the media have to tackle violence and what does responsible reporting on violence look like in the age of easily shared social media?

Why has violence exerted an irresistible hold on the human psyche throughout history? To what extent is violence a universal phenomenon within societies? What, if any, circumstances make violence acceptable? What factors cause people to be violent? And what can be done by individuals and communities to prevent violence?

Key Topics

Our second global inclusive interdisciplinary Violence conference invites you to explore these and other questions about violence and our societies. Subject to the presentations and discussions which take place at the meeting, there is a possibility for a selective publication to emerge with the aim of engendering further interdisciplinary collaboration and discussion.

We welcome proposals from a wide range of perspectives and voices, on topics including but not limited to:

  • Historical attitudes toward violence
  • Specific instances of violence
  • Violence and gender
  • Media portrayals of violence
  • Gender or racial depictions of those who commit violence
  • Racism as an assumed marker of a ‘violent nature’
  • Gender differentiation; can women be terrorists?
  • Artistic and photographic depictions of violence
  • Violent protest and dissent
  • Hate speech and incitement to violence
  • State-sanctioned violence (war, genocide, torture, capital punishment, etc.)
  • Violence and power
  • How culture encourages / discourages violence
  • Violence as a political tool
  • Violence and the law
  • Ecological and environmental violence
  • Initiatives to prevent violence
  • Justifiable violence
  • Retaliatory violence
  • Violence and reconciliation practices

This conference will feature a stream on activism, protest and dissent. Protest has been part of human societies for millennia. Movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too offer a powerful reminder of the continued relevance of activism in the 21st century. While these examples of protest share a common DNA with historical civil rights and gender equality movements, activists today operate in a world where digital technology affords particular advantages and disadvantages that have changed how we engage with protest and dissent. We now have constant access to a steady stream of information about dissatisfaction with the state of our world, who is alleged to be responsible for the situation, and who is calling for change. Consequently, it has never been easier for activists to disseminate messages, educate the public and encourage participation by like-minded people.

Submissions to this stream may wish to consider, but are not limited to:

  • Comparative assessments of protests/movements and activists
  • Historical protests/movements and activists
  • Repression and restriction of protest
  • Art, music, literature, film, television, theatre as activism and protest
  • Personal accounts of activism and protest
  • Spaces and places of dissent and activism
  • Justice, activism and power
  • Violent resistance vs. civil disobedience
  • Nationalist and separatist movements
  • Revolutionary movements
  • Activism in an environment of globalisation

What To Send

The aim of this inclusive interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, problem-solving sessions, case studies, panels, q&a’s, round-tables etc. Creative responses to the subject, such as poetry/prose, short film screenings/original drama, installations and alternative presentation styles that engage the audience and foster debate are particularly encouraged. Please feel free to put forward proposals that you think will get the message across, in whatever form.

At the end of the conference we will be exploring ways in which we can develop the discussions and dialogues in new and sustainable inclusive interdisciplinary directions, including research, workshops, publications, public interest days, associations, developing courses etc which will help us make sense of the topics discussed during the meeting. There is an intention, subject to the discussions which emerge during the course of the meeting, to form a selective innovative interdisciplinary publication to engender further research and collaboration.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 4th September 2020. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chairs.

All submissions will be at least double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Team, The Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 18th September 2020.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by 11th June 2021.

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) type of proposal e.g. paper presentation, workshop, panel, film, performance, etc, f) body of proposal, g) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Violence 2 Submission

Where To Send

Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Emma Craddockemma@progressiveconnexions.net
Len Capuli (Project Administrator): bratislavaviolence@progressiveconnexions.net

Details and Information

 

Registration Fees

The cost for attending the conference is £151, and includes:

~ conference registration fee
~ online registration
~ online abstract and programme submissions
~ access to the conferencing platform
~ ~ a virtual registration areas where conference information and materials will be available
~~  virtual ePoster possibilities
~ ~ virtual break out rooms
~ ~ virtual one-to-one meeting capabilities
~ ~ virtual networking rooms

~ electronic book of Abstracts
~ access to downloads of all conference materials
~ physical copy book of abstracts (on request)

~ participation in project output discussion session
~ live session with the publications team as part of a development meeting
~ discounted rates for any outputs emerging from the event

Calendar of time-lines and deadlines

21st April 2021
Booking Form Submissions
Invoices issued

30th April 2021
Circulation of Draft Programme

21st May 2021
Final date for payment

28th May 2021
Circulation of Revised Programme

11th June 2021
Full draft of presentation to be submitted

The conferences, meetings and events we organise are not single ‘one-off’ events. They are part of a continual stream of conversations, activities and projects which grow and evolve in different directions. At the conclusion of every meeting, the question needs to be considered: What happens next? After all, there is little personal, educational or professional benefit in gathering people together from around the world and sharing all sorts of fascinating conversations if nothing further is going to happen as a result!

The possible ranges of ‘outputs’ which can productively flow from our meetings is a dynamic response to the dialogues, issues and engagements that take place during the events themselves. And as our meetings are attended by folks who come from different backgrounds, contexts, professions and vocations, what people would like to see developed as a result of our time spent together will always be potentially diverse, fluid and appropriate to what took place.

One range of possible outputs involves publication as a way of continuing the work of a project. Where publishing is a possibility, it is directly referenced in the Call for Papers, Presentations and Participation. Other possible outputs may include, but are not limited to:
~ social media platforms such as Facebook pages and groups, blogs, wikis, Twitter, as vehicles for continuing dialogues, disseminating knowledge and information and bringing new people into the work of the project
~ reviews; reports; policy statements; position papers/statements; declarations of principles
~ proposals for meetings, workshops, courses, schools
~ collaboration gateways, platforms and media
~ personal and professional development opportunities: faculty development; mentoring programmes; cultural cruises; consultancies; summer schools; personal enrichment programmes

The range of outputs is dependent on how little or how much you would like to become involved. Don’t let the end of the meeting signal the end of your involvement with the project. Please get involved, bounce ideas around, think out loud – we’d love to hear about what you’d like to do and are always happy to talk about what is possible.

Participants must complete the online booking form by 5th March 2021 at the latest.
After the deadline has expired, an invoice will be drawn up and sent to you; the invoice will contain all the necessary information for you to pay by bank transfer, Paypal or credit card.
The invoice must be settled by 5th April 2021.

It is the responsibility of delegates to ensure that payment is made by this date. Failure to receive payment will result in your booking being cancelled.

Payment Methods
There are a number of ways payment can be made.

Bank Transfer

Payment may be made using bank transfer. There will be an option to pay in either GBP (£ Sterling) or Euro (€). Full details to enable a bank transfer are made available on your conference invoice. If paying by this method, you must agree to pay all charges at the sending and receiving banks.

By Invoice
You may request that an invoice be sent to you which you may forward to your institution. It is your responsibility to ensure that the invoice is paid before the payment deadline.

Online
Your invoice will include a link to pay through a secure and encrypted online payment system. Please click the link to use this method.

Credit Card
Payment may also be made using credit card. We cannot accept American Express or Discovery as a form of payment.

Paypal
Payment may also be made using Paypal. If paying by this method please send us the email account connected with your Paypal account and we will forward you a request for payment.

IMPORTANT

All fees are payable in advance. No delegate will be permitted entry to the conference if an invoice is still unpaid.

We appreciate that in 2021, a lot of folks are already Skype and Zoom fatigued! This is why we have been taking our time to partner with the British software developer ShockLogic, to create a customised Progressive Connexions oriented digital platform which will hopefully allow us to create a unique virtual environment which will let us stage as closely as possible the kinds of face-to-face 'in person' encounters and engagements which we successfully achieve in the seminar rooms.

The particular aspects of the platform means we have:

~ online registration

~ a secure platform available only to conference attendees

~ a networking area that can serve as a social hall akin to our typical registration and refreshment areas where folks can meet, see materials and information, chat etc

~ online abstract and programme submissions

~ ePoster capabilities

~ break out rooms where needed

~ one-to-one meeting capabilities

~ networking rooms

The video calls themselves are zoom-based, but embedded within the ShockLogic platform, they share the same sense of community and continuity that we are so committed to in in-person events.

What’s so Special?

A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.

 

A chance to network with international professionals – the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.

 

A chance to be part of constructing change – There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.

 

An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you – Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.

 

An unforgettable experience – When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.

Ethos

Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.

 

Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.

Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network inspiring inclusive interdisciplinary research, publishing and collaboration