cfp.english.upenn.edu

“Global Citizenship for the 21st Century”

Interdisciplinary Conference
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
November 15-16, 2009

People who know the limitations of their knowledge, even when they believe that knowledge to be revealed, are usually the very same people who are able to build bridges with others who think differently than they do.
Father James L. Heft, S.M

For attaining membership in the world community entails a willingness to doubt the goodness of one’s own way and to enter into the give-and-take of critical argument about ethical and political choices.
Martha Nussbaum

I have never known what language I spoke first, Arabic or English, or which one was really mine beyond doubt. What I do know, however, is that the two have always been together in my life, one resonating in the other, sometimes ironically, sometimes nostalgically, most often each correcting, and commenting, on the other.
Edward Said

The 21st century has ushered in new opportunities as well as great challenges to global citizenship. The current economic crisis clearly illustrates the relationships of interdependence that characterize our world today. We are increasingly facing not only the promise of globalization but also its limits. Heft and Nussbaum raise the question of individual responsibilities in this new global world. What are the practical and theoretical implications of global citizenship to communities and nations? The convergence of cultures may entail conflict, but are cultures always in conflict until one eventually wins? Or, can we see conflict as the beginning of true convergence, as part of growth that results in pluralism as defined by Said? Good citizenship is local and it is global; it requires the ability to transcend boundaries, whether concrete or imagined, literary or philosophical, to resolve issues that separate individuals and communities, governments and nations, religious and political groups.

This conference encourages interdisciplinary dialogue about global citizenship in all its variations and manifestations. Some of the questions that the conference would like to engage in include:
What is global citizenship?
What are the practical implications to work, play, and business in the global context?
How do we teach, foster, and prepare global citizens?
What are the skills and competencies of a global citizen?
What are the ethical, philosophical, economic, social, political and environmental responsibilities of global citizenship?

Suggested presentation topics include but are not limited to:
Global communication and problem solving
International business and tourism
Global markets and labor
Intercultural and international partnerships and collaborations
Gender and globalization
Pedagogy, curriculum and course design
Civic engagement and global citizenship
Interfaith dialogue and spirituality
Science, health and medicine in the global context
Technology and cultural transformation
Environmental concerns

Proposals should include full contact information, presentation title, abstract (300 words), and a one-page curriculum vitae. Please submit electronically by Friday, July 31, 2009, to Betsy Kinder bkinder@csupomona.edu. Notification of acceptance by August 31, 2009. For questions about the conference, contact Dr. Päivi Hoikkala phoikkala@csupomona.edu