Dealing with violence as part of social crises has been a constant feature in African, Latin American and Caribbean societies since the beginning of European expansion in the late 15th century. Violence appeared in different forms such as conquest and colonisation, the slave trade and slavery, repression in authoritarian political systems, civil wars, ethnic violence, 'feminicidios' and organized crime. In spite (or because) of these challenges, the societies of Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa have again and again come up with their own strategies for managing conflicts and ending processes of violence. In this respect, efforts to settle civil wars and internal armed conflicts have generated innovative, alternative conflict resolution strategies. Social reconciliation through, e.g., the establishment of truth commissions proved to be a successful concept.
While history, anthropology and sociology primarily address the issues of continuity and change and the social, cultural, economic and political origins of both, violence and the settlement of conflicts, other disciplines like film, literature and cultural studies engage with the collective memory of violence as well as the processes of remembering and forgetting in the context of specific forms, such as trauma narratives. Literary, cinematic, and other narratives have repeatedly excelled in fathoming the social origins and consequences of different violent processes.
The symposium will address different origins, forms and outcomes of various violent processes occurring in both African as well as Latin American and Caribbean societies and discuss existing peculiarities and commonalities in terms of their forms, patterns and development. In a second step, the focus will be on strategies for the settlement of conflicts.
Researchers and professionals from business and administration as well as NGOs with a link to violence and conflict management from all fields (e.g. history, political science, cultural studies) are welcome to attend the symposium.
Herrenhausen Symposium
Dealing with Violence - Resolving Conflicts in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean
October 5-7, 2020
Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover, Germany
Program
The program for the Symposium can soon be found in the download section.
Experts will discuss the following topics:
Section 1: Conflictive Memories of Enslavement and Resistance
Section 2: Local Mechanisms of Conflict Resolution - between Alternative Justice and Official Recognition
Section 3: Lynching in Transregional Perspective
Section 4: Roundtable on Gender and Violence
Section 5: Religion as a Maker and Breaker of Violence - Scenarios and Dynamics of Religious Strife and Peacebuilding Strategies
Section 6: Visual Representations of Violence
Registration
There are no fees for attendance but registration is essential. If you would like to attend the symposium, please click on the "Registration" button in the column on the right to create a personalized account. Once you are logged in, you can sign up for the event.
Travel Grants available
There was a call for travel grants. The deadline was Jan 31, 2020, applying is no longer possible.
Language
The conference language is English.
Accommodation for participants
Please note that you are responsible for booking your accommodation. In the column on the right you find information on hotels with room contingents reserved for the participants of the symposium.
Venue and public transport
The conference is held at Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover, Germany. You can reach the venue by tram: Take line 4 or 5 and get off at "Herrenhäuser Gärten".