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“WAR AND PEACE: THE ETERNAL SWING”

CALL FOR PAPERS

2008 Conference

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY: April 3-4, 2008

The Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures is organizing its sixth conference at James Madison University with the collaboration of the departments of History, Justice Studies, Political Science, and the support of the College of Arts and Letters.  This conference will bring together scholars/researchers from a variety of disciplines to address the universal theme of war and peace that in our modern times and advanced societies still seem to be an unresolved issue.

            The Trojan War, the Punic Wars, the Crusades, the 100 Years’ War, the Napoleonic Wars, the War for American Independence, its Civil War, WWI, WWII, and today’s wars in the Middle East.  What has led, since the beginning of time, sovereigns, statesmen, dictators, tribesmen, and other men in power to go to war with neighboring nations or other world powers?  Wars leave countries devastated, their societies in desperate need of reconstruction and the re-establishment of normalcy.  Once weapons have fallen silent, society is faced with three questions: How do we heal the wounds of conflict? How do we keep peace? How do we rebuild a viable society?  Today virtually every government claims it is working for disarmament and peace.  Often the facts appear to point in a different direction.  Nations spend a huge portion of their financial resources to stockpile nuclear and other war materials, more than sufficient to destroy civilization as it is known today.

            Similarly, why can peace be for some countries a period of great economic and cultural developments, but for others a period of stagnation and even isolation?

            There is a wide spectrum of views about whether, or when, violence and war are necessary or justifiable.  Mahatma Gandhi’s conception of peace was not as an end, but as a means: “There is no way to peace; peace is the way.” 

            There are international organizations that promote peace.  The international Creed for Peace, created by Chika Sylvia-Olejeme and the International Peace Institute.  The creed suggests that based on realization that independence, freedom and justice is inherent to all, peace is achieved when people fulfill their duty to choose, live and respect others. 

            We are inviting faculty, students, and independent scholars and researchers in fields such as English, foreign languages, history, art history, all sciences, philosophy and religion, music, theater and dance, political science, psychology, sociology and others, to submit abstracts/proposals and convene panel discussions and/or workshops.  We also encourage participants to organize and chair sessions.

Guidelines for Submitting Abstracts/Proposals

• Submit abstracts of about 300 words.

• Each abstract should include: title, author’s name, affiliation, address, telephone number and e-mail address.  Proposals with multiple authorships should indicate the person to be contacted.

• The deadline for submission of abstracts/proposals is March 10, 2008.

• Send abstracts/proposals to: Dr. Giuliana Fazzion, conference Program Director, Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 22807. 

Tel: (540) 568-6068; Fax: (540) 568-6904; E-mail: fazziogx@jmu.edu

• Proceedings: Abstract/Full text of your paper(s) presented at the conference may also be published in the Proceedings.  Upon receiving acceptance of your paper, please send a copy of your abstract/full paper and a diskette to the Proceedings Editor, Dr. Stephany Plecker, Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures, by no later than March 10, 2008.  E-mail: pleckesg@jmu.edu