Dear Colleagues,

Please find below (and here http://www.geographie.ens.fr/getting-rid-of-nuclear-weapons.html) the Programme of the CIENS international conference, next May 29th, in partnership with the NPIHP (Wilson Center), dedicated to the philosophical foundation and historical circulation of ideas in nuclear disarmament.

Sincerely, 

Ilaria Parisi and Guillaume de Rougé for the organization committee

Contact: [log in to unmask]

Registration (mandatory): here

Chers collègues,

Vous trouverez ci-après (et ici http://www.geographie.ens.fr/getting-rid-of-nuclear-weapons.html) le programme de la conférence internationale annuelle du CIENS du 29 mai prochain, en partenariat avec le NPIHP (Wilson Center), dédiée aux fondements philosophiques et circulations historiques des idées dans le domaine du désarmement nucléaire. 

En espérant vous y retrouver nombreux.

Bien cordialement,

Ilaria Parisi et Guillaume de Rougé pour le comité d'organisation

Contact: [log in to unmask]

Registration (mandatory): here

International Conference 

Getting rid of Nuclear Weapons:

Philosophical Foundation and Historical Circulation of Ideas in Nuclear Disarmament

Interdisciplinary Center on Nuclear and Strategic Studies - CIENS

École normale supérieure (ENS-Ulm) -- Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL)

In partnership with the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project (NPIHP, Wilson Center, Washington, USA) 

Paris, 29 May 2019

Venue: École normale supérieure (ENS-Ulm), 45 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris, salle des Actes

Contact: [log in to unmask]

Registration (mandatory): here

http://www.geographie.ens.fr/getting-rid-of-nuclear-weapons.html

Argument

Since the dawn of the nuclear era, nuclear deterrence has been contested and criticized, both as a legitimate policy on the basis of its immorality, and as a practical policy on the basis of its inefficiency and dangerosity.

These questionings opened the path to a great diversity of movements that have been involved in nuclear disarmament, either directly – peace and antinuclear movements, national and international peace organisations, including professional (notably scientific and religious) organisations – or indirectly – direct action groups (more common in anti-nuclear energy groups), environmental, feminist, anticolonial or human/civil rights groups, and political parties.

Despite their differences, these entities have all contributed to the edification and circulation of a broad corpus of criticism against nuclear weapons.

Recent studies and movements have re-energized the pro-nuclear disarmament agenda in the West and the strong criticism against nuclear deterrence, especially on ethical, moral and philosophical grounds (see, for example, changes in religious thoughts, notably the Catholic Church in Rome). 

New studies have also opened up new avenues to better understand the transnational circulation of ideas and concepts related to disarmament, the role of inter/trans/national nuclear imaginaries, the connection between national and transnational histories, and the interactions between grassroots activism and “transnational professional activism” in the creation of nationally based movements, in order to shed light on the complex dynamics that interact to favour the development of disarmament movements.

Therefore, the researchers gathered for this conference will investigate the following themes:

• the philosophical, religious and ethical foundations of disarmament movements, their evolutions and interactions with the political sphere, with a focus on the Catholic Church and Russian Orthodox Church (panel 1);
• the circulations, transfers and re-appropriations of ideas, practices and peoples among disarmament movements and more broadly among transnational activist movements (involved in other issues such as environment, technology, fight against corruption, etc), their interactions with states apparatus, political parties and civil societies, and their roles in the emergence and reconfiguration of inter/trans/national networks and communities. These topics would be approached through a variety of contemporary case studies, including: South-African and 'Oceanian' movements, as well as global advocacy perspectives (panel 2); Western European movements and their Western connections, both in the post-World War Two and in the 'Second Cold War' eras.

Programme

Contact : [log in to unmask]

Registration (mandatory) here