"Borders on our mind, borders of the mind"
The 2009 Central and East European International Studies Association (CEEISA) conference will take place in St. Petersbug between 2nd and 4th September 2009. It will investigate different kinds of 'borders' vis-á-vis their effects on international relations and International Relations. Focusing on such a theme is particularly pertinent on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The multiplicity of new spaces created by globalization, as with the emergence of defiant zones within states, the proliferation of cross-border coalitions and myriad non-governmental actors suggest the increasing irrelevance of physical borders. Yet, physical borders do not seem to have disappeared. Indeed, relations at the intra- and inter-state level reveal the persistence of borders of various kinds. This is witnessed in the erection of physical walls between some communities/states and virtual ones in others; the resurgence of ethno-nationalism in some places and religious fundamentalism in others; and the resilience of inter-governmental institutions, which oftentimes lag behind the times in terms of both 'thinking' about and 'doing' world politics. But it also seems that borders of the mind have proven just as resilient as physical borders. Borders of the mind are no less 'real' in terms of their effects. When coupled with the newly emerging of technologies of control and surveillance, they have the power to warrant 'violence' of various sorts.
Conference participants are invited to respond to the following six questions from within their own sub-disciplines:
- Two decades after '1989', which borders have disappeared, which have remained, which have shifted, what others have been constructed?
- Does the globalisation of world economy help to transcend or erect borders? Of what kind? What are the effects of international institutions, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations?
- What are the effects of the persistence of gendered structures on the already hierarchical division of labour?
- What does the composite of issues related to (illegal) migration, security, and citizenship say about our physical, virtual, and ethical borders?
- Is IR an instance of the persistence of borders of the mind having 'real' effects? To what extent the study of International Relations reflects the borders in the minds of IR scholars (as with politics/economy, inside/outside, theory/practice)?
- Researching beyond territoriality? Is it possible and/or desirable?
Please note that the list of questions is in no sense restrictive. Submissions of panels or papers on other themes are invited as well. Paper proposals must include a full name, address, e-mail address and the institutional affiliation of the author, a title of the paper, and a 100-200 word abstract. In case of co-authorship, please list all the authors. Please include their e-mail addresses and affiliations.
Panel proposals must include: title of the proposed panel, a 100-200 word elaboration on the subject of the proposed panel, and a 100-200 word abstract. A list of participants, with their names, addresses, e-mail addresses and institutional affiliations must be included. Authors are encouraged to state in their paper/panel proposals if they are willing to be considered as chairpersons and/or discussants of a panel. Such offers would be highly appreciated by the Programme Chairperson.
Scholars and practitioners are invited to submit paper and panel proposals by 2 March 2009. Proposals should be submitted to Pinar Bilgin (Programme Chairperson) on ceeisa@bilkent.edu.tr.
