cfp.english.upenn.edu

Call For Papers: Human Rights, Literature, the Arts, and Social Sciences International Conference, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant
November 21-23, 2013

The persistence of repressive and discriminatory national policies, cultural practices, wars, genocide, religious conflict, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, rape, child-soldiering, sex-trafficking, and other forms of violence threaten the maintenance of human rights. These conditions remind us of the ever pressing need to safeguard our humanity through the preservation of human rights.

For this year, the conference will focus on the following topics: a) Women’s rights/violations of women’s rights; b) children’s rights/violations of children’s rights; c) and Indigenous Rights & Sovereignty.

The envisioned international conference will focus on the role of literature (the Humanities), the arts, Social Sciences and the Law in the discussion, representation, and promotion of human rights, paying special attention to the areas delineated. We wish to bring writers, artists, theorists, scholars, lawyers, and NGOs into a series of conversations that engage the issue of human rights, including the ethical, political, social, economic, and cultural implications of either violations or the constructions of human rights.

We invite presentations that address human rights as they relate to the areas identified above or specific topics by themselves or through comparative lenses. Topics/themes include, but are not limited to:
 The novel, poetry, drama/theatre/performance
 Ethics and international law
 Films/cinema and human rights
 Women’s rights in film/literature
 The role of NGOs in the human rights debate
 The role of NGOs in Women’s rights
 Holocaust/Genocide/War crimes/Crimes against humanity
 Sex trafficking, slavery, child soldiering
 Rape as a weapon of war
 Migration and refugee rights
 Disability and human rights
 Environmental rights
 Human rights in the age of globalization
 TRC or Truth Commissions (Here we want to move beyond South Africa)
 Women’s rights in cultural, regional, national contexts;
 Human rights compliance

Presentation formats: Papers, panels, poster sessions, debates, discussions, seminars, lectures, forums, and/or performances, and workshops. Send abstracts (250-300 words) to: HUMANRIGHTSCONF@cmich.edu

Contact:
Professor Maureen N. Eke, Department of English
Email: eke1mn@cmich.edu; Maureen.eke@cmich.edu OR
Professor Sterling Johnson, Department of Political Science
Email: johns1s@cmich.edu OR
Professor Benjamin Ramirez-Shwegnaabi Department of History
Email: ramir1b@cmich.edu
Abstract Deadline: March 31, 2013