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Call for Papers "Is there a future for human rights in a non-Western world?" London Debates 2011 School of Advanced Study, University of London London (United Kingdom) 19-21 May 2011 __________________________________________________ The School of Advanced Study at the University of London invites applications for the third of a series of international debates for outstanding young researchers in the humanities and social sciences. London Debates are discussion workshops at which a subject of broad concern in the humanities and social sciences is debated by a small group of invited senior academics and a selection of early-career researchers. The resulting publication will be published online by the School of Advanced Study. The convenors will also collaborate with participants when exploring further publishing options. The competition is open to scholars who are in their final-year of doctoral study or up to 10 years beyond the award of their doctorate. Selected applicants will be awarded bursaries to contribute to travel and accommodation costs. The 2011 topic is: Is there a future for human rights in a non-Western world? The remarkable rise of human rights is deeply connected with the expansion of the global liberal order sustained and promoted by Western states in the period since the end of the Second World War. From dominant understandings of human rights as individual protections against a potentially threatening state to the relative exclusion of socio-economic and collective rights, Western liberal thought has fundamentally shaped both the theory and practice of human rights. Yet, in recent years much attention has been given to ‘emerging powers’ such as Brazil, China, India, and South Africa and what effects their growing influence have on the present and future management of issues of global concern. If political, economic and social power is important in understanding the development of the international human rights regime, what are the implications as power shifts in the international system? This multi-faceted question is becoming increasingly crucial to address given incipient debates that focus on the meaning and wider implications of the rise of non-Western states. The assertion by rising powers of alternative domestic and regional conceptions of human rights and/or their pursuit of different understandings of moral and political legitimacy could increasingly bring into question the extant human rights regime. The future of human rights in a changing world is of wider significance than for Western policymakers struggling with the notion that their era of dominance in world affairs may be coming to an end. For human rights advocates around the world, as well as for rights-holding citizens worldwide, understanding the present and future evolution of human rights constitutes one of the key challenges of the twenty-first century. Please note that preference will be given to papers that have genuine inter-disciplinary appeal. While clearly addressing the 2011 topic your response may include, but is not limited to, the areas and questions under these broad headings: - Contested Universalisms: Are human rights ‘universal’? To what extent can human rights be reconciled with cultural diversity, particularly in such contested areas as women’s rights, sexual rights, and religion? Do regional human rights regimes complement or challenge global human rights? How are universal human rights standards interpreted or applied in national/local contexts of ‘emerging powers’? - Sovereignty and Intervention: How is the relationship between sovereignty and human rights understood in the non-Western world? Should human rights advocates support economic sanctions against human rights abusing states? Is the use of force an appropriate route to human rights protection? To what extent do non-Western states and societies support the concept of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P)? Is the selective application of international criminal law by international tribunals against less powerful states an inherent feature of the international system? How are non-Western states using human rights critiques against Western states, and what changes are seen over time? - Alternative Discourses: To what extent does ‘power’ shape human rights discourses? Is there a non-Western conception of human rights? Does the often-invoked ‘indivisibility’ of human rights offer a radical critique of discourses that give privileged place to civil and political rights? To what extent are human rights compatible with social justice discourses? Are human rights too legalised, and if so, what are the implications for their realisation? - Non-State Actors: What are the prospects for business and human rights accountability as economic power shifts between states? Where do we find tensions between NGOs in Western and non-Western states regarding the interpretation and implementation of human rights? How are transnational social movements or networks shaping the emerging global discourse on human rights? Are there any distinct features of civil society. You are invited to send the following in English by email attachment - Your curriculum vitae (2000 words maximum) - the name, address and email address of one referee - a response of 3000-5000 words on the subject below to Rosemary Lambeth ([email protected]), School of Advanced Study, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1 7HU Deadline for submission by email is Monday 7 February 2011. Contact: Par Engstrom & Rosemary Lambeth Human Rights Consortium School of Advanced Study University of London Senate House Malet Street London WC1 7HU United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)207 862 8734 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Web: http://www.sas.ac.uk/718.html __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
