BISA : Call for Papers Working Group on International Relations, Security and Religion‏

BISA 2009 - University of Leicester(Monday 14 December - Wednesday 16 December) International Relations, Security and Religion Working Grouphttp://relwar.wordpress.com/bisa-working-group/ On behalf of the IR, Security and Religion Working Group, we would like to invite 1. Paper submissions for a joint panel or roundtable sponsored by the IR, Security and Religion Working Group with the Gendering, IR and Security Working Group (deadline 25 April 2009)a. Religion, Gender and Security. This panel's focus will be security and how dimensions of gender and religion interact and impact consciously and unconsciously on human, national and international security. In that context, it will seek to explore responses to the dynamic that enhance security. It aims to bring together expertise in gender and in religion, linking the Working Groups on International Relations, Security and Religion with the Working Group on Gendering, IR and Security to generate theoretical and practical outcomes, to inform further research and feed into policy for NGOs, governments and the international community. Convenor: Rosemary Durward, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Submit papers to: durwardworkinggroup@hotmail.co.uk b. Gendered religious practices, women's human rights, and security: the European context Tensions between the claims of gender equality and religion are well-documented. This is most evident today in 'Muslim headscarf' debates at the nexus of immigration and security discourses, wherein gender equality is often invoked to discredit multicultural policies and apply instead a security lens to the 'challenge of Islam' in Europe and beyond. Equally, the instrumental use of religion to discredit gender equality norms as 'Western' is well documented. At the same time, other EU initiatives are cultivating 'inter-cultural dialogue' as part of a 'soft' approach to averting security threats. These developments raise many questions about the interplay of women's human rights and security concerns. Paper proposals are invited that explore these issues with a particular focus on evolving approaches to security at state and/or EU level. Convenor: Dr. Niamh Reilly, Global Women's Studies Programme, National University of Ireland, GalwaySubmit papers to: niamh.reilly@nuigalway.ie 2. Paper submissions for the following panel at the next BISA Conference in December 2009. (Deadline 20 April 2009) (a) Islam, Human Rights and Security. This panel welcomes papers dealing either theoretically or empirically with human rights and Islam. The recent submissions to the UN Human Rights Council concerning defamation of religion, the efforts of democratisation and reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the increasing debates concerning Sharia Law in Western states all highlight the importance of understanding opposing interpretations of human rights. The panel expects to explore contrasts and commonalties between differing interpretations of human rights and point to the security implications of these differences. Convenor: Dr Nicholas Kerton-Johnson, University of BristolSubmit papers to: Nicholas.kerton-johnson@bristol.ac.uk 3. Panel or roundtable proposals for the next BISA conference in December 2009 (4 slots). The IR, Security and Religion Working Group will consider sponsoring panels on any subject in the field of IR, Security and Religion, which might include substantive research and/or theoretical debates. (Deadline 25 April 2009) Panel submissions to Rosemary Durward, RMAS durwardworkinggroup@hotmail.co.uk Convenors 4. Panel or roundtable proposal: You need to include name of convenor, chair, discussant (optional) and a title and abstract for the panel as a whole; Then titles and abstracts for the papers and contact details (see below) for all paper givers. 5. Papers: Include name, e-mail, institution, status, BISA member number and address of all participants in your panel/roundtable. 6. The use of discussants is optional. Convenors can include them at theirdiscretion. We will accept panels with either 4 paper givers and nodiscussant OR 3 paper givers and a discussant. 7. In planning your attendance this year, please take note of the following points taken from the BISA website: - No single delegate can be involved in more than THREE panels (in acapacity as either a paper-giver, chair or discussant).- Further to this, each delegate is limited to presenting no more than ONEpaper at the conference.- BISA will not accept graduate only panels. At least one paper-giver mustbe full-time academic staff. BISA also encourages a range of institutionsbeing represented on a panel. NB If you are not a member of the Working Group we are happy to acceptyour proposal as long as you confirm your intention to join. Co-Convenors; Rosemary Durward, RMAS & Sara Silvestri, City Universitye-mail: durwardworkinggroup@hotmail.co.uk BRITISH INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION www.bisa.ac.ukThe BISA-list is for BISA members onlyTo unsubscribe, send message "unsubscribe bisa-list" to majordomo@bham.ac.uk.To post a message, send message to bisa-list@bham.ac.uk.