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Conference Announcement "Of Sacred Crossroads" 7th International Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference Association for Cultural Studies (ACS) Cultural Studies Initiative, University of the West Indies Kingston (Jamaica) 3-7 July 2008 __________________________________________________ The Caribbean could well be regarded as one of the first crossroads of the modern era, where Africa and Asia met Europe on Amerindian soil. The conditions were a forced and bitter crucible. The results of that encounter contributed not only to the making of the modern western world but also to the dynamism that is central to all the cultures of the Western Hemisphere. Being a site of conquest, dislocation, crossings, enslavement and rebellion, but also of memory and survival, hope of return, culture-building, in-between-ness, and immense creativity and heritage, the Caribbean is a relevant site for hosting the 7th International Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference, under the theme "Of Sacred Crossroads." Contemporary emphasis on materialism and consumerism as measures of our humanity, arising from the unbridled excesses to which science and technology have been sometimes put, is of growing concern, putting under duress the intangibles embodied in the values by which we live as human beings. Out of these concerns has sprung deepening dialogue at the interface between science and spirituality. UNESCO's celebration of the intangible heritage of humankind is a timely reminder that civilizations rise not only on great edifices, monuments and artefacts that defy time, but also on those moments of 'livity,' or human relationships, that last only as long as they are lived, without which human life would have little meaning. "Of Sacred Crossroads" captures many of these concerns in a manner that allows for the broadest of interpretation and accommodation across disciplines and forms - religion, art, dance, song, orature, healing, re-creation, performance, ritual, belief systems, ethics, globalization, communication, among others. Key themes for the Conference include: Rituals of arrival and contact; Crossings, the art of the crossroads; Spirituality and identity; Language rituals; Globalization and the spirit; Indigenous spiritualities; Rituals of conflict, rites of rebellion; Virtual realities; virtual spiritualities; (Spiritual) Tourism; Rituals, substances and sacred geographies; The spirit of music; Cultures of reconciliation; Storytelling; Crossroad deities and divination; Geographies of the body and spirit. Guidelines for submission of proposals: the deadline for submission of session proposals is June 30, 2007. Please see the Session Organizer's Manual posted on the website for information on length, format and guidelines for submission of proposals. Please submit you session abstracts on our website. For further details on the Conference visit the conference website at: http://www.crossroads2008.org Contact: 2008 ACS Crossroads Secretariat c/O Institute of Caribbean Studies University of the West Indies Mona Campus Kingston 7 Jamaica Phone: +1876 977-1951 Fax: +1876 977-3430 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.crossroads2008.org __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
