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Call for Papers "Human Security in the 21st Century" Interdisciplinary Conference Stranmillis University College Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK) 15-17 April 2009 __________________________________________________ Human security, a movement that calls upon global actors to rethink existing security, development and social politics, has become a crucial component to policy making and academia since its inception in the mid 1990s. However, no consensus exists on how the concept should be used, or translated into policy, let alone on the nature of its impacts on academia and policy making. Instead, its use has evolved independently in different academic disciplines and policy circles, resulting in a range of meanings and applications. A glance at the policy and academic literature shows that there is a lack of communication across these various divides, with few inter-disciplinary conversations taking place (let alone dialogues between academics and policy makers). As such human security advocates and critics are missing important opportunities to learn from one another. This conference is seeking to initiate a comprehensive conversation between non-state policy makers (IOs, NGOs, and local community representatives), state policy makers (foreign affairs and military personnel), and academics on human security. In this way, stakeholders working within academia will be better placed to understand its appeal (or limitations) to policy makers, and those working in the field will learn how it is related to larger trends in development and security theories and practices. At the same time, lessons from different levels of actors, those working at the international, state and local levels will be shared, as will those across geographic regions. In seeking a conversation on human security, and speaking and acting across the various divides, we will all be better placed to pursue the humanitarian goals that have underpinned the engagement with the concept. To meet these goals the conference will be organized around three themes: - How we understand human security. This theme will explore the various conceptualizations of human security, how they are tied in to particular visions of world politics and humanitarianism, and the nature of its link to legal, humanitarian and economic norms. - How human security translates into policy. This theme is seeking to increase our understanding of why the concept has been used (or avoided) in policy making, and when it is adopted how it in turn has affected the types of policies that are considered and implemented. - The link between the theory of human security and its application. This theme is seeking to examine the relationship between the theorizing about human security (how it is approached within the academic literature), and how it is used in the various policy communities. We are pleased to invite paper and panel suggestions for this conference. Applicants should directly engage with the central theme of the conference a conversation across the policy and academic divides. To this end we are seeking to combine academics from a range of disciplines, and policy makers from various backgrounds, on panels. Finally, we are seeking to include both supporters and critics of the concept. Deadline for receipt of paper proposals: 28 November 2008. Notification of acceptance: 30 January 2009. Contact: Happening Belfast Office Jaime Bennett 9 Wellington Park Belfast BT9 6DJ UK Tel: +44 (0)28 9066 4020 Fax: +44 (0)28 9038 1257 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.humansecurity2009.com __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
