10th Annual Global Souths Conference

March 12-14 2026

Outside the Margins: Where We Are and Who We Are

University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana 

The Global South is not so much a place as it is a conceptual point of connection for precarious populations across the world. Margins are often imagined in terms of exclusion, yet they are also places of contact, negotiation, and transformation. To think “outside” the margins is to interrogate how boundaries are drawn, who they displace, and how those on the peripheries forge new forms of solidarity, making themselves present in one way or another. Like the pages of a book, our social margins also offer space to explore nuanced ways of interpreting and experiencing our shared humanity as critical sites of meaning-making. The aim of this three-day conference is to critically examine the global connections, local conditions, and transformative events that have produced the Global South.

We invite scholars from all disciplines to our conference, including creative writers. For creative writing proposals to be considered, please submit an abstract for a craft paper relating to some aspect of the theme. We will be hosting an additional reading during the conference for the sharing of creative works.

In connection to the theme “Outside the Margins: Where we are and Who we are” topics for papers might include, but are not limited to, the following:

Humanities and Culture

• Literature and Cultural Studies, including
• Composition and Rhetoric
• Folklore Studies
• Linguistics
• Creative Writing
• Professional Writing
• Trauma Studies
• Diaspora and Transnationalism
• Postcolonial Studies and Decolonization
• Power, Hegemony and Resistance
• Race, Ethnicity, and Class

Bridging Liberal Arts and STEM

• Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Research
• Social Media and Identity Formation
• Digital Humanities
• Environment and Sustainability

Social Sciences and Human Development

• Cognitive Development and Learning
• Pedagogy, Education, and Globalization
• Psychology and Mental Health
• Family Dynamics

Submission Instructions

Please submit your materials to globalsouths@gmail.com by December 15, 2025. We accept one individual abstract submission per prospective participant.

For Individual Abstracts

All session lengths are 1 hour and 15 minutes, and each presenter should plan to speak for approximately 15 minutes.

Include “Individual Submission” in the email’s subject line, followed by an abbreviated title of the paper (one to five words). Attach the following information as a Word or PDF document:

1. Name and affiliation (if any)
2. Contact email
3. Title of paper
4. Brief abstract (250-300 words)

(Creative writing abstracts must be for a craft paper to be considered.)

1. A/V requirements: Indicate if you will need AV equipment and specify the equipment required.
2. Brief biography (60 word limit)

For Complete Panel Proposals

Session lengths are 1 hour and 15 minutes. Complete sessions may take the form of panels or roundtables. A panel consists of 3-4 presenters, each speaking for approximately 15 mins, with 15 minutes left for discussion. Roundtables consist of five or more participants who speak briefly (6-8 mins) and emphasize discussion among themselves and with the audience.

Include “Complete Panel” in the subject line, followed by an abbreviated title OR the name of the association/regional group. Attach the following information as a Word/PDF document:

1. Panel or roundtable title
2. Name of panel chair and affiliation (if any)
3. Association/group name (if any)
4. Each of the presenters' names, affiliations (if any), and paper titles in quotation marks
5. An abstract or overview for panel or roundtable (250 – 300 words)