Proposal Submission Deadline Extended

to May 19,2008

Proposal submission form http://www.disres.umb.edu/conf/2008/submit-proposal.php

 

Conference Information
This conference is an opportunity for graduate students who are studying conflict in diverse contexts and disciplines to come together and share their research and ideas.

In addition to showcasing graduate student papers, the conference will feature keynote addresses by noted scholars and practitioners, skill building workshops, and opportunities to network with practitioners, scholars and fellow students.

We encourage participation from a broad range of disciplines, including -- but by no means limited to:
dispute resolution; conflict studies; labor relations; health care; political science; urban planning; environmental studies; business management; organizational development; public administration; public health; international affairs; peace studies; religion; law; economics; sociology; anthropology; education; social work; psychology; gerontology

The conference is held in the state-of-the-art Campus Center of the University of Massachusetts Boston, allowing participants easy access to the City of Boston with its wealth of educational and cultural resources. Previous conferences have each attracted over 150 participants from universities across the US, Canada, and worldwide.

Students and faculty from numerous colleges and universities have already expressed interest in participating in the upcoming conference, including:

American University; Boston College; Creighton University; Eastern Mennonite University; George Mason University; Hamline University; Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School; St. Thomas University [Canada]; and the University of Barcelona.

Proposal Information
We encourage current students and recent graduates [within the last 2 years] of doctoral, masters, law or graduate certificate programs to submit proposals on a conflict related topic. We ask applicants to be mindful of the multidisciplinary nature of the conference and strive to make their work accessible to those trained in other disciplines.

Proposals are due May 19, 2008.

Proposals must be submitted electronically.

Proposal submission form http://www.disres.umb.edu/conf/2008/submit-proposal.php

Submissions must include: a detailed outline or description of your paper, not to exceed 500 words (for review by the Conference Program Committee); a summary, not to exceed 75 words (for Conference Brochure); and biographical information, not to exceed 75 words.

You will be notified (electronically) of acceptance of your proposal by June 9, 2008.
Final papers (not to exceed 1250 words) are required to be submitted by August 15, 2008.

 

Keynote Speaker: Padraig O'Malley

Padraig O'Malley will be the keynote speaker at the Conference “Conflict Studies: The New Generation of Ideas” to be held at UMass Boston on October 31 –November 1, 2008.

Padraig O'Malley directs an ad hoc group known as the Iraq Project. In September 2007, the Iraq Project convened a much heralded conference of Iraqi political leaders in Helsinki, Finland. It began to shape a framework for peace negotiations. It was followed in April 2008 by second round of talks with a broader and more senior representation of Iraqis. Additional meetings are planned for Bagdad this fall.

Such gatherings are significant in their own right. Equally noteworthy is the fact that the meetings are facilitated by significant actors of long experience in the sectarian struggles of Northern Ireland and South Africa. O’Malley has long been a believer that people from divided societies are in the best position to help those in other divided societies find a way to resolve their differences.
In 1987, he organized a round of talks that brought the adversaries of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland together with former combatants who had found a path to coexistence in South Africa.

Padraig O’Malley is the John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor for Peace and Reconciliation at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Born in Dublin, he was founder and editor of the s New England Journal of Public Policy at University of Massachusetts Boston for over 20 years. He has authored many books, among them the award-winning Uncivil Wars: Ireland Today, Biting at the Grave, and, most recently, Shades of Difference: Mac Maharaj and the Struggle for South Africa. He is recipient of the International Association of University Presidents Peace Award (1985) and the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Scholars (1985).

Information on Prior Conferences