__________________________________________________
Call for Papers Theme: Understanding Solidarity amid Refugee Crises Type: Interdisciplinary Workshop Institution: University of Leeds Location: Leeds (United Kingdom) Date: 21.–22.9.2017 Deadline: 9.6.2017 __________________________________________________ Recent refugee ‘crises’ have prompted shifts in discourses and practices about refugee protection in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The provision of sanctuary to refugees is an expression of humanitarian solidarity, a commitment to the idea of a common humanity. In most refugee contexts around the world, local civil society actors – groups, communities, and NGOs – are the main providers of support and services to refugees. Media vilification of refugees and migrants, and the rise of popular nationalism, suggests a tension between domestic and humanitarian solidarities. Though much attention has been paid to refugee movements in Europe (less so to events elsewhere), the majority of academic work in these areas has been focused on policy and security issues. There has been little sustained analysis of how theories, discourses and practices of solidarity in host societies reflect and inform responses to refugees. With generous funding from the White Rose Collaboration Fund, we will host a workshop that will bring together an interdisciplinary network of scholars to address a series of vital, yet understudied questions related to solidarity in the context of refugee crises: - How do narratives and discourses around refugees construct or degrade (humanitarian) solidarity? - Do ‘crises’ change the way public and civil society actors respond to the situation of refugees? - How do practices of solidarity in relation to refugees differ in states that are and are not parties to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol? - How can cross-cultural comparisons of practices of solidarity towards refugees inform theorising on solidarity? We anticipate publishing a collection of papers from the project. We have a few spaces reserved in the workshop for Early Career Researchers and invite paper proposals from ECRs with interests in this area to join the workshop. Please submit an abstract of up to 500 words, and include a 300 word statement of research experience and interests, via email to the project leader, Dr Kerri Woods at: [email protected] Deadline for applications is Friday 9th June. In their papers for the workshop, participants will be asked to respond to a concept note which we will be developing in conjunction with a panel of scholars and practitioners who will be speaking at our forthcoming event at the Sheffield Festival of Debate: https://events.ticketsforgood.co.uk/events/259-festival-of-debate-does-solidarity-with-refugees-matter We define Early Career Researchers as PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, or scholars who have recently received a PhD and have not yet secured a permanent academic post. Successful applicants will receive a bursary to cover modest travel and accommodation expenses, thanks to generous funding from the White Rose Consortium. Informal inquiries can be directed to Dr Kerri Woods ([email protected]). __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ __________________________________________________
