Special call for papers: the revolutions of 1989 and the crisis of 2009

EUROPE BEFORE AND AFTER 1989
Trans-national and comparative perspectives on Eastern & Western Europe

Anniversary Conference, 10-12 June 2009, University of Padua, Italy

The scholarly imagination ‘enables its possessor to understand the larger historical scene in terms of its meaning for the inner life and the external career of a variety of individuals’
Adapted from C.W. Mills

The twentieth anniversary of the revolutions of 1989 is overshadowed by a large conjunctural crisis in global economics, world politics and military relations – a conflagration that is said to be the most serious since World War II, and which is more and more often compared to the 1930s. Some historical keywords: the Great Depression, the continental rise of fascism and communism, permanent war in Eastern Asia - all leading eventually to world war.
We are looking for proposals that relate 1989 and 2009. While it obviously cannot be said that the revolutions led to the present crisis, it does seem equally obvious that way 1989 was interpreted by key actors did play an important role. We offer the following observations to stimulate panel and paper submissions:
A) Reconsidering scholarly judgement: For example, scholars associated with 1989 ‘the end of History,’ the utopia of liberal capitalism, the ideological junctim between market and private property, the worldwide deregulation of financial and economic activity and so on: What, if any, is the connection with the present financial and economic crunch?
B) Reexamining (key) actors’ perceptions: For example, 1989 was interpreted by politicians and policy makers as triumph of the West, as confirmation of Western values, as conferring a set of historical lessons. Arguably this led to unilaterialist action in Bonn (German unification), Brussels (Eastward enlargement) and Washington (foreign policy and national security strategy generally). What, if any, is the impact of key actors’ perceptions on the course of events leading up to the present quagmire in world politics?
C) Global ideas and trends: For example, the aftermath of 1989 saw the rise and spread of notions such as shock therapy, the clash of civilizations, the global network society and so on. Others have identified as key trends (and consequence?) such issues as the return of primitive accumulation, the rise of new autocracies and low-intensity, but unlimited warfare. If the twenty years from 1989 to 2009 constitute a conjunctural cycle, which are its main features?
D) Europe and the EU: If 1989 was another ‘zero hour’ for Europe, how, with hindsight, would we evaluate the chosen and predominant solution of EU enlargement? What have been the consequences of organising the unification of Europe according to ideas of Western superiority, Eastern backwardness and fragility, the need for conditionality and restricted access for Easterners to the core freedoms of the EU? Some suggest it is the reinvention of Europe as empire. What, if any, is the connection between the reordering of Europe after 1989 and the present impasse in European integration associated with the failed constitution, the troubled Lisbon strategy, the problematic neighbourhood and so on?
E) 1989 as a model of peaceful, but revolutionary change: Arguably, the revolutionaries of 1989 forged a new type of organized and synchronous political and social change: the self-limiting or negotiated revolution. In how far is the large-scale, purposeful and rapid change achieved across a large space a model of significance in confronting the crisis of 2009? In tackling some of the very large issues ahead, such as energy and climate, or demography and poverty? In returning to peace, constitutional democracy and prosperity?

Senior faculty, junior faculty and post-docs may participate by submitting a joint proposal for a panel or an individual paper. Doctoral researchers are encouraged to submit a poster proposal.

Before submission
Those interested in participating in the conference are invited to visit the website to study the terms and conditions of participation; to view a list of keynote speakers; to see the earlier call for papers and to download already accepted panel, paper and poster proposals: 
http://www.cee-socialscience.net/1989/conference/anniverary.html 

Submitting a panel proposal
Panel organisers should be aware that panels will last 100 minutes (3-4 speakers). Co-authored papers are welcome. Panel proposals must have a general abstract and provide an abstract for each contribution. Panel organisers may submit a draft proposal to the programme committee by 01 March 2009 for feedback. The final deadline is 30 March 2009 for selection within one week. Invited participants will be required to submit a proof-read conference paper by 30 May 2009. All papers will be distributed with the RN 1989 Working Paper Series (ISSN 1867-2833). Please submit your panel proposal as a single file to [log in to unmask]

Submitting an individual paper
Individual submissions are also possible – in line with this call for papers as well as the earlier call for papers and already selected panel proposals. Please view the website for details. Paper proposals should be submitted as page-long abstract to the final deadline of 30 March 2009 for selection within one week. Invited participants will be required to submit a proof-read conference paper by 30 May 2009. All papers will be distributed with the RN 1989 Working Paper Series (ISSN 1867-2833). Please submit your paper proposal as a single file to [log in to unmask]

Submitting a poster
The programme committee solicits poster proposals from doctoral students engaged in research that is related to the conference theme in the widest sense. The public conference will feature a dedicated poster sessions of two hours – to leave ample time for personal introductions and discussions. The purpose of the poster session is to bring together post-docs and doctoral researchers in the spirit of mutual exchange and of fostering mentoring and research collaboration in future. Doctoral students wishing to present a poster should submit an abstract and their full details to the programme committee by 30 March 2009. Please send your single file to [log in to unmask] 

At the conference: publication, career advice and further research opportunities
Participants will be invited to consider book and journal publication opportunities with the Research Network 1989, including a ‘digital collaboratory’ under development in conjunction with a network of European university presses. Further details will be available in spring 2009.
Panel organisers (or a nominated substitute) will be able to participate in ‘Early Independence,’ the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme for Postdocs. The CPD programme is designed to prepare post-docs for applying to and holding principal investigator awards.
The RN 1989 offers the opportunity to extend and expanded collaborative projects by means of a Working Group (also open to advanced PhD students). Seed money may be available.
Terms and conditions for RN 1989 membership, Working Group formation and the CPD programme are available on the website: http://www.cee-socialscience.net/1989/ 

Professor Antonio Pavan (Padua), Professor Andrzej Rychard (PAN), Professor Jacques Rupnik (Sciences Po), Dr Agnieszka Wenninger (GESIS), Dr Chris Armbruster (RN 1989)


Chris Armbruster
Executive Director, Research Network 1989
http://www.cee-socialscience.net/1989/ 

Publications and working papers available in Open Access
http://ssrn.com/author=434782