Third International Academic Conference of the Institute “Political Sphere”

The Institute “Political Sphere” announces the Third International Academic Conference entitled “Wars in the Political and Cultural Tradition of Belarus and the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe”.

The conference will take place in Minsk on 30–31 May 2014.

The conference is devoted to the place of wars and military conflicts in the political and cultural traditions of Belarus and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The organisers invite papers that analyse wars as historical events, as elements of collective memory, as instruments of political legitimation and as themes in culture, literature and public debate.

The conference will address the ways in which images of war were created, transmitted and transformed in different historical periods. It will also consider how military experience influenced state-building, national movements, political ideologies and regional identities.

Possible topics include: wars in historical memory; military conflicts and political mobilisation; the representation of war in literature and art; commemorative practices; the role of war in national narratives; comparative studies of Belarus and neighbouring countries; and the political use of military history.

Researchers in history, political science, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and related disciplines are invited to take part. The working languages of the conference are Belarusian, Russian, Polish and English.

Applications should include the title of the paper, an abstract and brief information about the author. The organisers will inform participants about the final programme after the selection of proposals.