Author Archives: Mel O'Brien

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS USHMM 2014-15 Fellowship Opportunities

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Accepting applications as of September 1
Applications due November 30

The Center awards fellowships to support significant research and
writing about the Holocaust and welcomes proposals from scholars in
all relevant academic disciplines, including history, political
science, literature, Jewish studies, philosophy, religion, sociology,
anthropology, comparative genocide studies, law, and others.

Fellowships in residence are awarded to candidates working on their
dissertations (ABD), postdoctoral researchers, and senior scholars. A
principal focus of the program is to ensure the development of a new
generation of Holocaust scholars. To this end, scholars early in their
careers are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants must be
affiliated with an academic and/or research institution when applying
for a fellowship. Immediate post-docs and faculty between appointments
will also be considered. Continue reading →

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: 2014 Jack and Anita Hess Faculty Seminar Holocaust Literature: Teaching Fiction and Poetry USHMM

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JANUARY 3-8, 2014
Applications due October 21, 2013

The Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies announces the 2014 Jack and
Anita Hess Faculty Seminar. This year’s Hess Seminar is designed for
professors who are teaching or preparing to teach English, Jewish
studies, modern languages, literature, or other courses that have a
Holocaust-related literature component. Sessions will focus on
imaginative responses to the Holocaust created by a variety of
writers, from those writing during the Holocaust to survivors to
second generation authors to those without an explicit family
connection to this event. Continue reading →

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Summer Research Workshops for Scholars USHMM

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JUNE-AUGUST 2014
Applications due October 11

The Center invites proposals from workshop coordinator(s) to conduct
two-week research workshops at the Museum during summer 2014. We
welcome proposals from scholars in all relevant disciplines, including
history, political science, literature, Jewish studies, philosophy,
religion, anthropology, comparative genocide studies, and law.

Summer Research Workshops provide an environment in which groups of
scholars working in closely related areas of study–but with limited
previous face-to-face interaction–can discuss a central research
question or issue; their research methodologies and findings; the
major challenges facing their work; and future cooperative scholarly
ventures. Continue reading →

Letters from Samoa: Samoa gets new Narcotics Lab

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Yesterday, Samoa’s new Narcotics Lab was officially opened by the Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi. The ceremony was presided over by the Attorney-General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai. The new laboratory is located at the Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa, and is presently equipped with capabilities to test for marijuana, but this capacity will be increased in the future to other drugs. The Australian government has contributed to the funding of the new lab. The new lab will strengthen the abilities of the Samoa police with regards to enforcement of drug laws. I attended the opening with the Ombudsman, Maiava Iulai Toma, and my counterpart, Hai-Yuean Tualima, who is the Human Rights Education and Communications Officer here in the Office of the Ombudsman.

Pictured here are: Ombudsman, Maiava Iulai Toma, Hai-Yuean Tualima, (Human Rights Education and Communications Officer) and me outside the lab. View of the audience gathered for the opening, including the Australian High Commissioner Dr Stephen Henningham in orange in the front row. The Attorney-General and the Prime Minister.

CfP: The Future of the Past Representing the Holocaust, Genocide, and Mass Trauma in the 21st Century

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The inaugural cross-institutional and inter-disciplinary conference convened by Deakin University and the Jewish Holocaust Centre, to be held in Melbourne, Australia.
Dates: 6-8 July, 2014
Venues: Deakin University and the Jewish Holocaust Centre

The proliferation of depictions of the Holocaust and other traumatic events in popular culture and elsewhere demands continued attention to the means by which complex human experiences are communicated to and negotiated by contemporary audiences. From Anne Rothe’s Popular Trauma Culture to Alvin H. Rosenfeld’s The End of the Holocaust, recent scholarship has engaged with the ethics of different representational strategies—strategies that become progressively diverse with expanding technological innovations. Yet many questions remain unanswered. This conference aims to expose and explore key issues relating to the Holocaust, genocide and mass trauma, contributing to ongoing debates over historical and cultural representation. Continue reading →

CFP: Edited volume on global lynching and collective violence

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Call for Papers Due Date: 2013-08-25

Seeking essays for an edited collection on global lynching and collective violence (e.g., communal rioting, vigilantism), either historical in focus or contemporary in focus with some historical context. Especially interested in essays on Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Near or Middle East. Please submit a 500 word essay abstract and short bio or cv by August 25, 2013. Essays will be due by September 1, 2014 with prospective publication of the volume in 2015.

Prof. Michael J. Pfeifer
Dept. of History
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
City University of New York
524 W. 59th St.
New York, NY 10019
Email: mpfeifer@jjay.cuny.edu

CfP: Conference on International Human Rights Law in refugee Status Determination

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International Human Rights Law in Refugee Status Determination:
Comparative Practice and Theory

International Conference
London, 13-14 November 2013

International human rights law (IHRL) has assumed an increasingly important
role in refugee status determination (RSD) over the past twenty years. At
the same time, the legal consequences of this interaction remain a source
of considerable contention. Whilst much of the debate has taken place in
abstract and general terms, the conference seeks to shift the focus to a
detailed comparative analysis of how this relationship is configured by
different jurisdictions in practice. Continue reading →

PROFESSOR / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR in INTERNATIONAL LAW

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The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Geneva, Switzerland
invites applications for a full-time position at the rank of
PROFESSOR / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR in INTERNATIONAL LAW
starting on 1 September 2014 or on a mutually agreed upon date.
Candidates must hold a PhD (or, for candidates without a PhD, an outstanding academic record is required). They
must have a strong grounding in general international law and a specialisation in international organisations law such
as United Nations law. An excellent publication record is essential. The capacity to work with colleagues from other
disciplines is an asset.
The successful candidate will teach postgraduate courses in the Department of International Law and provide courses
for the interdisciplinary programmes of the Institute. She or he will supervise Master’s and PhD theses.
The teaching language is either English or French. Prior knowledge of French is not required, but the successful
candidate is expected to acquire at least a passive knowledge of it.
Applications, including a detailed curriculum vitae and a list of publications – but excluding letters of recommendation
and samples of publications – must reach the Director, preferably by email (director@graduateinstitute.ch) or by post
(the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, P.O. Box 136, 1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland), by
30 September 2013.
Information on employment conditions can be obtained by inquiring through the same contact details.
The Institute reserves the right to fill the post by invitation at any time.
For more information, candidates are encouraged to consult the Institute’s website: http://graduateinstitute.ch/open_positions

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR in INTERNATIONAL LAW with a specialisation in Environmental Law

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The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Geneva, Switzerland
invites applications for a full-time position at the rank of
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR in INTERNATIONAL LAW
with a specialisation in Environmental Law
starting on 1 September 2014 or on a mutually agreed upon date.
Candidates must have a strong grounding in general international law and a specialisation in environmental law.
Applicants must have a doctoral degree prior to the start of their contract. The capacity to work with colleagues from
other disciplines is an asset.
The successful candidate will teach postgraduate courses in the Department of International Law and provide courses
for the interdisciplinary programmes of the Institute. She or he will supervise Master’s and PhD theses.
The teaching language is either English or French. Prior knowledge of French is not required, but the successful
candidate is expected to acquire at least a passive knowledge of it.
Applications, including a detailed curriculum vitae and a list of publications – but excluding letters of recommendation
and samples of publications – must reach the Director, preferably by email (director@graduateinstitute.ch) or by post
(the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, P.O. Box 136, 1211 Geneva 21, Switzerland), by
30 September 2013.
Information on employment conditions can be obtained by inquiring through the same contact details.
The Institute reserves the right to fill the post by invitation at any time.
For more information, candidates are encouraged to consult the Institute’s website:
http://graduateinstitute.ch/open_positions

Call for Papers: IAGS Eleventh Conference, Winnipeg, 2014

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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. Continue reading →