Dear All,
Sending some information about a conference that might be of interest to some of you. It could certainly do with some archaeology input so if you have an interest in the area and topic do register!
All the best
Anna
Recasting the Peaceful Revolution of ´89.
Roots and Legacies
Call for papers
A conference on the societal events leading to the dismantling of the Iron Curtain and its aftermath in Central and Eastern Europe
Centre for Baltic and East European Studies (CBEES), Södertörn University, Stockholm October 22-24, 2009
Few events in recent history have had as symbolic impact as the opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9th, 1989. This event was a visible sign of an extremely important step in the far-reaching processes of change that the formally socialist Central and East European states were undergoing. It was, above all, a peaceful process.
The aim of the conference is to gather scholars from all relevant
disciplines who are engaged in researching the peaceful revolutions that
ended the cold war – the events themselves, the social, political and
cultural changes which led to the transition into different types of
market democracies, and the long-term effects of the change.
The geographical focus will be on the formerly ‘socialist’ states west of the Soviet Union (plus all of Germany). Aspects of change within the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia will be considered, if they are put in the context of developments in the focus area.
The conference is organised around three general themes, divided, in turn, into sub-themes:
1) The paths of/to the soft revolutions
The first theme deals with the Central and East European societies’ gradual and differentiated paths to liberalisation. We welcome contributions and papers addressing:
a)The differentiated paths leading to the political, societal and economic transformations of the differently configured socialist regimes into democratic market economies. Domestic events were important; external impulses mattered, as well. What impact did the pre-89 situation have upon these societies’ subsequent developments?
b)The role of civil society – trade unions, organisations and intellectuals - in the transformation processes. What was the role played by international norms and cooperation, as for instance in the field of human rights (e.g., the Helsinki agreement)?
c)The role of different social groups; women, minorities, foreign pressure groups, media and public opinion.
2) The memories of ’89
The second theme analyses the memories of the events leading to the events of 1989. What descriptions exist, and how are the legacies reflected in today’s societies?
a) The event has been described and analysed in biographies and memoirs as well as in literature and cinema. Which are the stories told by those people who were involved in and concerned by the events? We also want to catch the everyday experience of ‘ordinary’ citizens.
b) The histories and memories of the communist pasts and the events of ‘89 have to varying degrees been used for political purposes in the Central and East European states. The ’politics of history’ addresses questions of how these memories are politicized and institutionalized. The peaceful revolutions did not publicly and officially deal with the communist pasts, in terms of holding previous office-holders publicly accountable. Rather, officials continued to hold office and participate in the political and economic processes of transformation. What are the consequences and legacies? We also want to analyse the use of culture as a weapon and counter-weapon in the representation of the events.
c) There are a number of strong images relating to the fall of the wall in ’89. How is the representation of ’89 reflected in art, media and symbols, e.g. in the tearing down and erection of statues and plaques, the renaming of streets and significant places, in television and film and in art?
3) Expectations met or broken promises? The legacies of the 1989 events
The Central and East European states have been characterised by the parallel processes of nation- and democratic state building and integration into European structures. In this third thematic section, questions related to these processes are in focus: What are the similarities and the differences of these processes in different states? Is the resurge of passive voters, weak civil societies and the rise of populist and extremist parties a reflection of the disappointment of citizen expectations of democracy and a market economy?
a)The consolidation of democracy and path-dependency
The democratic transitions in the East and Central European states show great similarities, but there are also differences in terms of how the legacies of the past – the procommunist and the communist - are present. Is there a path dependency leading from the period of liberalisation and the subsequent choices – constitutional, political and economic – to the present situation? Have previous experiences of democracy been of importance? How are nation- and state-building interlinked?
b) Protest and apathy: Populism and distrust in politics
The political landscape in Central and Eastern Europe is characterised by a weak voter turnout in political elections and low levels of participation in political parties and civil society organisations. The political landscape has been characterised by populist political parties, personalised political leadership and corruption. Are these developments a sign of crisis or are they transitory phenomena?
c) Different grades of preparation for globalisation and for the knowledge society.
This sub-theme will discuss the economy and economics, and the environment and environmentalism, as factors of change. The transition implied a change from a formally planned but often uncoordinated command economy into a more or less fundamental laissez-faire system. In the relation to ecological factors the policies shifted from an open neglect to a market evaluation of environmental factors.
Registration and deadlines
The conference is free of charge. There are three ways of participating in this event: 1) You can present a paper, 2) comment on a paper or 3) listen to the presentations. All these require registration no later thanApril 6th 2009 sent to [log in to unmask]
For those presenting papers an abstract of maximum 2000 characters (including spaces) should be submitted electronically byApril 6th 2009to [log in to unmask] To the abstracts should be attached a separate sheet stating personal data such as address, affiliation, etc. A selection committee will decide on acceptance and suggest placement into different sub-themes.
Full papers should be submitted by September 1st 2009.
Meals will be provided for those contributing actively in the conference (by presenting or commenting on a paper).
For more information go to: www.sh.se/conf89
Questions and suggestions should be sent to the organising committee at [log in to unmask]
For the organising committee
Thomas Lundén
Professor, Centre for Baltic and East European Studies
Anna Nilsson Dominika Polanska
Executivesecretaries
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