AFTERMATH: THE POLITICS OF MEMORY
THE 2nd DR JAN RANDA CONFERENCE IN HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE STUDIES
5-6 June 2011
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
In association with the USC Shoah Foundation and Jewish Holocaust Centre Melbourne
About the Conference – Aftermath: The Politics of Memory
Keynote Speakers include:
- Professor Jan T. Gross, Professor of History at Princeton University
- Father Patrick Desbois, author of The Holocaust by Bullets, Director of the French Conference of Bishops for relations with Judaism, and Advisor to the Vatican on the Jewish religion
- Professor Dovid Katz, Vilnius University, and Research Director at the Vilnius Yiddish Institute, Lithuania
- Professor Raimond Gaita, Foundation Professor of Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University and Professor of Moral Philosophy at King's College, London
- Professor Laura Levitt, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Temple University
Call for Papers
Memory is contested in all of the nations that have experienced genocide.
At times, memories of the Holocaust seem permanent and monumental but in some European locations, Holocaust memory is under threat from a collective amnesia and ultranationalism that refuses historical responsibility.
In Australia, the 'culture of forgetting' has delayed apologies, reparations, and land rights. Australia's indigenous population retains a fragile grasp on survival and struggles with inherited trauma.
In Rwanda, national memory of the Tutsi genocide is fractured by accusations of a 'double genocide' (against Hutu), and the sporadic elimination of eyewitnesses during genocide trials.
This interdisciplinary conference explores the politics of genocide remembrance and its impact on society. It asks:
- What are the political uses of genocide remembrance?
- How is collective memory constructed?
- After political violence, is politicised memory inevitable?
- Who authorises the truth of a nation?
- Can memories of genocide survive the survivors?
We seek research papers on a range of topics related to the conference themes of the politics of memory and aftermaths of genocide. We will consider papers framed in relation to any single modern genocide, and papers using a comparative approach. Proposals for panels with multiple papers on a common topic are also sought.
The suggested topics are:
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Papers on related topics not listed here will also be considered. We welcome paper proposals from academics, postgraduates and independent scholars.
Schedule
The conference will meet on the 5-6 June 2011, at the Caulfield campus of Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Sunday 5 June: Politics of Holocaust Memory. A day of international keynote speakers and panel discussions, concluding at night with a panel discussion on Tim Snyder's book, Bloodlands.
Monday 6 June: Politics of Genocide Memory . A day of keynote speakers, parallel sessions of academic papers, and a closing address on the comparative study of genocides.
Associated Events
Thursday 2 June: The Monash Wallenberg Oration will be delivered by Father Patrick Desbois in partnership with The Wheeler Centre.
Friday 3 June: Postgraduate Masterclasses on Holocaust and Genocide studies with visiting scholars, (half day, 10am-1pm). Please register your interest with ACJC Manager Helen Midler Helen.Midler@monash.edu
The conference Dinner is being arranged for Sunday evening, followed by a panel discussion on the theme of Bloodlands.
Abstracts
Abstracts are due Monday 28 February 2011
Abstracts should be no more than 300 words long, for a paper of 20mins duration; include title of paper, author's name and institutional association, and the abstract. Upon acceptance of the paper, we will request a brief (60 word approx) biography of the author. Proposals for panels with multiple papers on a common topic should follow the above format for each author and panel chair.
Please send all abstracts of paper or panel proposals by 28th February 2011, addressed to:
arts-acjc-aftermath@monash.edu
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
- Conference Chair, Associate Professor Mark Baker
- Program Coordinator, Dr Margaret Taft
- Sue Hampel, Dr Helen Light, Pauline Rockman, Dr Miriam Munz, Myer Bloom, Dr Margaret Taft, Helen Midler.
Registration
More information on registration costs, full schedule and other downloadable conference information, will be available soon from the conference website.
All participants are encouraged to seek financial support from their home institutions.
Conference Publications
A special journal edition and/or larger collection of essays on the Politics of Memory will be produced based on conference papers. A major theme of the volume will be reflections on the Bloodlands debate, generated by the publication of Timothy Snyder's book, Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin.
For further information, please contact A/Prof. Mark Baker mark.baker@monash.edu.
ACJC @ Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
ACJC is a leading tertiary education provider of Holocaust Studies and Genocide Studies in Australia. ACJC is committed to advancing Holocaust and genocide education and research in the Southern Hemisphere. In support of this endeavour, ACJC runs an annual conference in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, promoting new and original research.