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CALL FOR PAPERS
2ND WORLD HUMANITIES FORUM

The 2nd World Humanities Forum, which is co-organized by UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Korea, and Busan Metropolitan City, will take place in Busan, Republic of Korea from 1 to 3 November 2012. It will bring together scholars, thinkers and policy-makers in the humanities to consider how to follow up the 2011 Busan Declaration, which addresses both the institutional and intellectual organization of the humanities and their substantive contribution to contemporary challenges, under the overarching theme of “Humanities and Healing,” the 2nd World Humanities Forum reflect on the role of the humanities in understanding the nature of suffering human beings are experiencing today and in finding the modes of healing that might respond to them. The humanities have long tried to reveal fears, desires, solitude and agony in human depths, to understand them and thereby to sublimate them; however, current challenges, such as the widening gap between rich and poor, climate change, and deterioration of the environment, call for new reflection on the role of the humanities in healing. The World Humanities Forum, therefore, aims to rethink and strengthen the role of the humanities in healing. Furthermore, the Forum will discuss how the humanities need to be organized, institutionally and intellectually, in order to play their role in the 21st century.

For the schedule and programme of the Forum, please refer to the website:

World Humanities Forum

Possible topics of papers may include, but are not limited to:

1. Considerations on the Intellectual and Institutional Organization of the Humanities
- the “crisis” of the humanities
- the relevance of the humanities
- funding the humanities
- disciplines and paradigms
2. Theoretical Discussions on the Therapeutic Role of the Humanities
- understanding the meaning and characteristics of the healing humanities
- reflection on human sufferings from a humanities perspective
- boundaries, dialogue and healing
- interdisciplinary approaches to healing sufferings and conflicts
3. Reflection on the Historical Role of the Humanities in Healing
- the healing humanities in modern and pre-modern society
- suffering and conflict of modern civilization
- conflict between civilizations and the humanities
4. Practices of the Healing Humanities
- healing practices in the humanities
- promoting the healing role of the Humanities

IMPORTANT DATES
- Deadline for Abstract Submission: 22 August 2012
- Notification of Acceptance: 31 August 2012
- Deadline for Full Paper Submission: 1 October 2012
- Forum Dates: 1-3 November 2012
LANGUAGES
Abstracts must be written in either ENGLISH or KOREAN.
SUBMISSION
Please send abstracts to whf_paper@unesco.or.kr or +82-2-6958-4252 (fax). Abstracts must not exceed 500 words (excluding bibliography) and should include three to five keywords that reflect the content. Once submitted, changes cannot be made to the abstracts. In case of technical difficulties, please contact the secretariat at whf@unesco.or.kr.
SELECTION

Abstracts will be reviewed by a selection committee. The names of the committee members and the list of selected papers will be disclosed on the Forum website by 31 August. Please note that application results will not be sent directly to each applicant.

FUNDING

Accommodation and meals during the Forum will be provided to the authors of selected papers. Other costs, including travel to and from Korea, should be borne by the participant. There is no registration fee for the forum. For more details, please contact the Secretariat by e-mail (whf@unesco.or.kr).