Political Evils: The Iron Curtain and its Legacies
Sunday 14th March 2021 - Monday 15th March 2021
Lisbon, Portugal
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the
Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”
Winston Churchill, 5 March 1946
The ‘iron curtain’ has come to be associated with a
host of social, political and cultural evils perpetrated by the Soviet-backed
Communist regimes that ruled countries in central and eastern Europe from the
end of the Second World War until the early 1990s. Behind the iron curtain,
state control over every aspect of daily life gave rise to corruption,
oppression, deprivation, ethnic conflict, censorship, and general atmosphere of
isolation from western democracies and a deep paranoia about western hegemony.
Nearly three decades after waves of citizen-led democratic revolutions washed
over the former Communist bloc, leaving newly independent nations in their
wake, the iron curtain and its legacy continues to leave an indelible mark on
contemporary geopolitical relations as well as the socio-cultural development
of communities affected both directly and indirectly by the breakup of the
Soviet Union. Even popular culture reflects an ongoing preoccupation with the
iron curtain era, as evidenced by the popularity of television series such as
Chernobyl and The Americans.
Of course, it is possible to identify contemporary echoes
of the power dynamics that underpinned the iron curtain. Evidence has confirmed
reports of Russian meddling in United States elections in 2016 and 2018 as well
as in the 2016 referendum on whether the United Kingdom should remain in the
European Union. Human rights abuses in Russia and the 2014 annexation of the
Crimea by the Russian Federation have triggered international outrage, with the
latter action being punished by Russia’s expulsion from the G7. Recent
elections around the world have granted power to far-right political parties
and political leaders with authoritarian ambitions that are have been compared
to the dictatorial regimes that ruled the former Communist bloc countries. In
an era where quality journalism is delegitimised, pro-Government propaganda is
promoted as ‘truth’, democratic processes are undermined, education and
research are marginalised, the arts and other platforms for dissent are
neutralised, and laws are enacted to disenfranchise and discriminate against
certain groups, we are once again bearing witness to the evils associated with
the iron curtain.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge any
benefits that arose from the Communist regimes who took power at a time when
post-war Europe was healing and rebuilding itself. Actions that may seem evil
when considered in terms of the values and assumptions of Western democracies
may be understood differently when viewed from other perspectives. It is
therefore important to abandon the Manichean views of good and evil that prevailed
during the heyday of the Communist bloc, and instead strive for more nuanced
evaluations of the evils of the iron curtain and its legacy.
Key Topics
Accordingly, this project aims to provide a platform
for interdisciplinary engagement arising from presentations, papers, panels,
workshops, readings, performances, screenings and installations on any aspect
of the iron curtain and its legacy. Potential topics for exploration include,
but are not limited to:
- ghost towns (e.g. Chernobyl) and former military basis
- religion in totalitarian states
- technology, industry and innovation behind the iron curtain
- purges, persecution and punishment
- evil in medicine (e.g. banning of abortions in Romania)
- dissent, rebellion, uprising
- diaries, letters, oral histories and personal accounts (Samizdat)
- education and the role of schools in supporting ‘evil’
- contemporary tourist attractions and their meaning (e.g. remnants of Berlin Wall, Lenin’s Mausoleum)
- lessons to be learned from the iron curtain era
- parallels between the iron curtain era and the contemporary political climate
- depictions of the iron curtain era in film, photography, literature, music and visual arts
What To Send
The aim of this inclusive interdisciplinary conference
and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage
creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers,
seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations,
problem-solving sessions, case studies, panels, q&a’s, round-tables etc.
Creative responses to the subject, such as poetry/prose, short film
screenings/original drama, installations and alternative presentation styles
that engage the audience and foster debate are particularly encouraged. Please
feel free to put forward proposals that you think will get the message across,
in whatever form.
At the end of the conference we will be exploring ways
in which we can develop the discussions and dialogues in new and sustainable
inclusive interdisciplinary directions, including research, workshops,
publications, public interest days, associations, developing courses etc which
will help us make sense of the topics discussed during the meeting. There is an
intention, subject to the discussions which emerge during the course of the
meeting, to form a selective innovative interdisciplinary publication to
engender further research and collaboration.
300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other
forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 4th
September 2020. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance
with the Organising Chairs.
All submissions will be at least double reviewed,
under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the
Project Team, The Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our
procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have
been triple and quadruple reviewed.
You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday
18th September 2020.
If your submission is accepted for the conference, a
full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 15th January
2021.
Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, RTF or Notepad
formats with the following information and in this order: a) author(s), b)
affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address,
d) title of proposal, e) type of proposal e.g. paper presentation, workshop,
panel, film, performance, etc, f) body of proposal, g) up to 10 keywords.
E-mails should be entitled: Political Evils Submission
Where To Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the
Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:
- Natalia Kaloh Vid: natalia@progressiveconnexions.net
- Len Capuli (Project Administrator): bratislavaevils@progressiveconnexions.net
What’s So Special About a Progressive Connexions
Event?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format – at Progressive
Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashion
conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints.
We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and
information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and
round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing
common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian
atmosphere.
A chance to network with international professionals –
the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together
professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all
joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience,
knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create
lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a
valuable resource for those belonging to them.
A chance to be part of constructing change – There is
only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting
social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under
whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals,
measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will
support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a
platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project
Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.
An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you –
Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective
field, but also about how people work in that field – what are the struggles,
problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are
the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the
interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers
to questions from specific areas of activity.
An unforgettable experience – When participating in a
Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some
long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and
relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the
event.
Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of
personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all
delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable
to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.
Please note: Progressive Connexions is a
not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with
conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published
rates and fees.
Please send all enquiries to: bratislavaevils@progressiveconnexions.net
For further details and information please visit the conference web page.
Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions
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