Eleventh Conference of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, July 17-19, 2014, Winnipeg-Canada

CALL FOR PAPERS

Time, Movement, and Space: Genocide Studies and Indigenous Peoples

2014 marks an important year for Winnipeg and Canada. In this year, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will open its doors to the general public. Established by Parliament through amendments to the Museums Act on March 13, 2008, which came into force on August 10, 2008, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is envisioned as a national and international destination – a centre of learning where Canadians and people from around the world can engage in discussion and commit to taking action against hate and oppression. Also in this year, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada will release its final report, after five years of hearings and research into Canada’s history and legacy of the forced assimilation of Indigenous children through residential schools.

These momentous local developments present an opportunity for genocide scholars to visit Winnipeg and engage in discussion about colonial control over, expansion into, appropriation and settlement of Indigenous territories. Such issues raise questions of time, movement, knowledge and space in Canada and other places around the globe where Indigenous people have been victims of genocidal destruction: How do destructive processes such as genocide form and take shape over time and across space? In what ways do time, movement, territory, space, and place factor into the study of genocide? How are spaces and places mobilized in the destruction of Indigenous groups? How do the spatial and temporal aspects of colonial and settler colonial genocide compare and contrast with those of other genocides? How does territory contribute to the persistence of groups, and from whose perspective, as well as to the mechanisms required for genocide’s redress? How might we envision new spaces for cohabitation and reconciliation in the aftermath of, or amidst ongoing, genocidal processes? And what technological and other means do institutions such as the CMHR have available to accommodate Indigenous knowledge and authentically represent Indigenous experiences of genocide?

The University of Manitoba and the Forks of the City of Winnipeg sit in Treaty One territory and at the crossroads of the Anishinaabe, Métis, Cree, Dakota and Oji-Cree Nations. Winnipeg is thus a fitting location for our discussions, as it is a space long marked by the movements and interactions among peoples, including the destructive movements of settler colonialism. The inauguration of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the release of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada will further contribute to our conversations, as both will, in their own way, raise the spectre of genocide.

The IAGS and the University of Manitoba welcome papers and sessions on all aspects of and instances of genocide, particularly those devoted to our conference theme “Time, Movement, and Space: Genocide Studies and Indigenous Peoples.” Innovative panels, workshops, and papers that consider the spatial and temporal issues related to genocide and its commemoration are particularly encouraged, as are comparative studies. Besides panels and papers, the organizers invite other modes of dialogue, including workshops, roundtable discussions, cultural media, and artistic works/readings, including forums that relate to policy initiatives, pedagogy, and education. Scholars, practitioners, activists and students interested in genocide studies from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Papers will be accepted in English and should be sent as an attachment to the following email address; iagswinnipeg2014@gmail.com

Once the proposals are accepted by the selection committee, participants are required to register on-line at: www.genocidescholars.org where IAGS and conference material will be found. All participants should be IAGS members.

Abstracts should include full name, affiliation, a brief biography, e-mail address, and be no more than 250 words, using single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font. They can be sent from now until February 3rd, 2014 to iagswinnipeg2014@gmail.com

Any questions may be directed to the conference organizers, Andrew Woolford, Adam Muller, and Donna Lee Frieze at: iagswinnipeg2014@gmail.com