8th Global Conference - Pluralism, Inclusion and Citizenship

May be of interest to some:

Saturday 16th March - Monday 18th March 2013
Lisbon, Portugal


Call for Presentation:
With this multi-disciplinary project we seek to explore the new developments and changes of the idea of pluralism and their implications for social and political processes of inclusion, exclusion and citizenship in contemporary societies. The project will also assess the larger context of major world transformations, such as new forms of migration and the massive movements of people across the globe, as well as the impact of the multiple dynamics of globalisation on rootedness and membership (including their tensions and conflicts) and on a general sense of social acceptance and recognition. Looking to encourage innovative trans-disciplinary dialogues, we warmly welcome papers from all disciplines, professions and vocations which struggle to understand what it means for people, the world over, to be citizens in rapidly changing national, social and political landscapes.

In the context of Pluralism, Inclusion and Citizenship, the project recognizes that it is an arduous pursuit to provide a fully adequate definition of justice; the project focuses on the fact that we can clearly acknowledge instances of injustice. Injustice arises in manifold forms and with varying degrees of intensity. From global forms of injustice such as world hunger, poverty or war crimes to more local ones such as ethnic or religious discrimination or insufficient health insurance, a considerable number of people are victims of continuous exploitation and suffering. This awareness of injustice has increased even more with the rise of globalization. Injustice is not confined to a certain part of the world, but it transgresses frontiers. This leads to us all witnessing and experiencing injustice directly or indirectly, and encourages us to act responsibly in minimising, alleviating or ending it. This multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary project also seeks to define the framework of injustice by addressing its various underlying causes and its impact on all aspects that concern not only our inter-human relations but also our interaction with other non-human beings.

In particular presentations, papers, workshops and pre-formed panels are invited on any of the following themes:
1. The Idea of Injustice
- When does the idea of injustice arise? What triggers it and what is its aim?
- What is the relation between justice and injustice? Does injustice prevail when justice is absent or is there a non-linear connection between justice and injustice?
- How do we perceive an instance of injustice? Is there a universal understanding of injustice or is it rather culturally defined?
- Does the concept of injustice have moral implications? Does the pursuit of injustice necessarily mean, for example, a lack of a sense of responsibility?
- Is the pursuit of injustice solely confined to inter-human relations or does it also concern non-human beings such as animals?

2. Political Injustice
- What does violation of individual freedoms and liberties involve?
- Addressing injustice connected to social - political turmoil
- The role of government in the process and decisions concerning unfair procedures within society
- Religious, gender, ethnic and racial discrimination
- What are the means for addressing social and political injustice within society? What is the role of art and media in this regard?

3. Economic Injustice
- Is economic injustice related to a disproportionate distribution of wealth, services and goods, or is it explained rather through the balance between benefits and burdens?
- Poverty and the lack of primary goods necessary to lead a life of dignity and respect
- Disparities of wealth and income inequality - advantages and disadvantages
- Can a political system such as capitalism or socialism cause economic injustice?
- The role of free market or lack thereof in addressing economic inequalities

4. Global Injustice
- What are various forms of global injustice, that is, instances of injustice that affect all of us?
- How can we address exploitation, violence, alienation, discrimination, inequality and marginalisation at a global level?; Encouraging awareness by building fluid boundaries of belonging and active participation
- The role of international organisations and international human rights laws in ending or alleviating famine, poverty, discrimination, inequality, etc.
- Should we make recourse to moral aspects for a greater awareness of global injustice?
Presentations will also be considered which deal with related themes.

What to Send
300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday  12th October 2012. All submissions are minimally double blind peer reviewed where appropriate. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 18th January 2013. Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation, c) email address, d) title of abstract, e) body of abstract
E-mails should be titled: Pluralism 8 Abstract Submission

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Joint Organising Chairs:
Ram Vemuri and Rob Fisher: pic8@inter-disciplinary.net

The conference is part of the 'Diversity and Recognition' research projects, which in turn belong to the 'At the Interface' programmes of Inter-Disciplinary.Net. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore discussions which are innovative and challenging.

For further details of the conference, please visit:
http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/at-the-interface/diversity-recognition/pluralism-inclusion-and-citizenship/call-for-papers/

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