International ESRC-sponsored conference, University of Sussex
27th-28th October 2011
http://internationalpostsecular.wordpress.com
Convened by Luca Mavelli, ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow and Fabio Petito, Senior Lecturer Department of International Relations, School of Global Studies, University of Sussex
The Postsecular in International Politics - Programme [PDF 708.09KB]
The Postsecular in International Politics - Leaflet [PDF 518.65KB]
Over the last few years the notion of postsecularity has gained increasing relevance as a form of radical theorizing and critique spurred by the doubt that ideals such as democracy, freedom, equality, and justice may not necessarily be best pursued within an exclusively secular framework. In International Relations, however, the question of the postsecular has been mostly overlooked. The aim of this international conference is to contribute to fill this gap by offering a novel perspective to engage with current developments in international politics, including the recent revolts in Arab and Middle-Eastern countries, the resurgence of civilizational discourses in a post-Western world, the crisis of the secular state both in Europe and in the Middle East, the attempt to establish new forms of dialogue between the ‘West’ and Islam, and the question of religious violence after 9/11.
The Postsecular in International Politics will bring together a range of internationally renowned scholars, including Joseph Camilleri, Stephen Chan, Fred Dallmayr, Richard Falk, Jeff Haynes, Mustapha Pasha, Nick Rengger, Olivier Roy, Richard Sakwa, Scott Thomas and Ole Wæver.
Speakers will focus on the theoretical, political and normative meanings and implications of the postsecular for current debates on sovereignty, justice, security, political violence, globalization, global governance, democracy, multiculturalism and dialogue. Attention will be devoted to the recent protest movements in North-African and Middle-Eastern countries, and whether and how they are contributing to the emergence of a new postsecular Islamic public sphere. Finally, the conference will look at the postsecular in a post-Western multipolar and multicivilizational international system and how it is contributing to shaping new forms of resistance and political agency.
For information and registration please contact the conference coordinator:
Joanna Wood, University of Sussex, joanna_c_wood@yahoo.co.uk